Espanso expands a trigger you type into replacement text using YAML match definitions. Put snippets in the active configuration’s match/ directory, put behavior settings and app filters in config/, and use espanso path to find the configuration folder your installation actually uses.
Find the active Espanso configuration folder
Run this command in a terminal:
espanso pathUse the path it prints as $CONFIG in the examples below. Default locations vary by operating system and installation; the documented examples are:
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- Linux:
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/espanso, often~/.config/espanso. - macOS:
$HOME/Library/Application Support/espanso. - Windows:
%AppData%espanso.
Legacy installations and customized setups can differ, so the command output is more reliable than assuming a default path. Match files belong under $CONFIG/match/; configuration files belong under $CONFIG/config/. Espanso’s Matches Basics documentation describes match definitions, and its configuration documentation covers configuration locations.
Create a basic text expansion
Create or edit a YAML file in $CONFIG/match/, commonly base.yml. A match connects the typed trigger to the text Espanso inserts:
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matches:
- trigger: ":sig"
replace: "Best regards,nYour name"Here, typing :sig expands to a two-line sign-off. YAML indentation matters. Quote strings when their contents need it, especially when using escape sequences such as n or t, or when a value begins with a YAML-special character. A literal block using | preserves line breaks; a folded block using > folds them into spaces.
The minimal form is also valid:
- trigger: hello
replace: worldEspanso should pick up configuration changes automatically. If a new match does not work, verify that the file is in the active configuration folder and that the YAML parses; then follow the official troubleshooting guidance for the installed version.
Choose a trigger that fits the expansion
Use a plain literal trigger for the most predictable one-to-one replacement. A distinctive prefix such as a colon can reduce accidental matches because it is unlikely to occur at the start of an ordinary word, but Espanso does not require one.
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| Approach | Example | Best suited to | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single literal trigger | trigger: ":email" |
One memorable shortcut for one expansion. | Easiest to reason about; choose a distinctive string to avoid accidental expansion. |
| Aliases | triggers: [hello, hi] |
Several typed forms that should produce the same replacement. | Convenient reuse, but each alias is another possible trigger. |
| Word-boundary matching | word: true |
Words or correction-like triggers that should not expand inside a longer word. | Restricts matching at word boundaries; edge rules and separators can be further controlled with left_word, right_word, and word_separators. |
| Regex trigger | regex: "..." |
Variable input, such as a number or a captured argument. | More expressive, but adds pattern syntax and efficiency considerations; use an ordinary trigger when it suffices. |
For aliases and word matching, see the matches documentation. Regex triggers can capture values for use in the replacement. Espanso uses Rust’s regex implementation and supports named groups in Rust style, such as (?P<person>.*), which makes the captured value available as a variable. Not every regex feature is available. The documentation describes a 30-character regex match-set limit in older versions; from v2.3.0 onward, max_regex_buffer_size can override the limit. Consult the regex trigger documentation for syntax and version details.
Organize match sets as snippets grow
Espanso loads YAML files in $CONFIG/match/ and its subfolders. Separate related expansions into files such as emails.yml or code.yml, then use imports: when one match set should reuse definitions stored elsewhere. Since v2.3.0, .yaml files are recognized alongside .yml; the documentation recommends not mixing the extensions without a reason. Match sets and imports are documented here.
Files whose names start with an underscore are not loaded automatically. That makes them useful for snippets you want to load only in selected applications. For example, create a code-only match set:
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# $CONFIG/match/_js_snippets.yml
matches:
- trigger: ":log"
replace: "console.log($|$);"The $|$ cursor hint places the cursor inside the inserted text. Only one cursor hint is supported per match, and multiline hints can behave unexpectedly in auto-indenting code editors. Use a form when a template needs multiple inputs. You can also add a label to identify a match in Search Bar results, and search_terms to make it easier to find. Reusing one trigger across multiple matches opens a selection dialog, which is useful for choosing among alternatives. Details are in Matches Basics.
Apply configuration to a particular application
App-specific configurations are YAML files in $CONFIG/config/. A filter determines when a file applies. Settings in an active app-specific file override matching keys from config/default.yml; other default values are inherited. The available filter fields target different identifiers:
| Filter | What it matches | Platform support and practical use |
|---|---|---|
filter_exec |
Current application executable path. | Full support is listed for Windows and macOS; Linux support is partial. Often stable for basic app targeting. |
filter_class |
Current window class; on macOS this is the app identifier, and on Windows the executable path. | Full support is listed for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Often a good starting point for basic targeting. |
filter_title |
Current window title. | Full support is listed for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Useful for a document, tab, or project, but the title can change as content changes. |
Filter values are regular expressions, so a broad pattern can match more than one window or application. Espanso recommends beginning with filter_exec or filter_class for straightforward cases because they tend to be more stable. Before writing a filter, run #detect# inside the target application, or use the Search Bar’s active application information command, to inspect the detected title, executable, and class. Consult the app-specific configuration documentation for supported fields and platform distinctions.
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For example, to disable Espanso in Telegram when the executable path matches the documented pattern:
# $CONFIG/config/telegram.yml
filter_exec: "telegram"
enable: falseReplace the example filter with a pattern appropriate to the value detected on your system. Only one app-specific configuration can apply at a time. If more than one filter matches, Espanso chooses the first applicable configuration alphabetically by filename, so use filenames that make the intended precedence clear. Filter selection may need to differ across operating systems.
The current documentation says app-specific configurations are not supported in Wayland. Do not rely on per-application filters in a Wayland session.
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Load a snippet set only in Visual Studio Code
Combine the underscore-prefixed match set with an app-specific configuration that includes it:
# $CONFIG/config/vscode.yml
filter_title: "Visual Studio Code"
extra_includes:
- "../match/_js_snippets.yml"Because _js_snippets.yml is not loaded automatically, the extra_includes entry makes its match available through this configuration rather than as a general match set. The title filter is the documented example; first check the detected application details and choose the filter that best fits your platform and whether you want to target the whole application or a particular window title. Selective inclusion and extra_includes are covered in the match sets documentation.
Validate the setup and diagnose failures
- Confirm
espanso pathpoints to the folder containing the files you edited. - Check that match definitions are under
match/and app-specific settings are underconfig/. - Check YAML indentation, quoting, and trigger spelling; confirm an underscore-prefixed match file is explicitly included.
- Use
#detect#to verify the actual app title, executable, and class before adjusting a filter. - If an expansion fails only in a particular app, check filter matching and precedence, then consult troubleshooting for the version you installed.
force_mode: clipboard and force_mode: keys are diagnostic overrides for cases where the normal text-injection path fails. Use them to investigate an injection problem, then prefer the appropriate global or app-specific backend setting once the cause is clear. See the match options documentation and troubleshooting guidance.
Quick Recap
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