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Create your first Espanso snippet
Espanso matches a trigger you type to replacement text it inserts. The basic YAML structure is a matches: list with one item containing trigger and replace:
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matches:
- trigger: ":br"
replace: "Best Regards,nJon Snow"In this example, typing :br inserts two lines. The colon is a convention, not a requirement; choose a trigger that is quick for you to type and unlikely to appear in ordinary text.
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Espanso’s getting-started example places custom matches in $CONFIG/match/base.yml. The configuration directory varies by operating system, so run espanso path to find yours rather than assuming a location. Espanso documents these defaults: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/espanso on Linux (commonly ~/.config/espanso), %APPDATA%espanso on Windows, and $HOME/Library/Application Support/espanso on macOS. See the official getting-started guide and configuration reference.
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Save and test
- Open the configuration directory reported by
espanso pathand editmatch/base.yml. - Add the match using spaces and consistent indentation. YAML indentation matters: the list item and its fields must be nested as shown above.
- Save the file. Espanso normally detects configuration changes and reloads automatically.
- Test the trigger in a plain text field. A fresh installation’s documented sanity check is to type
:espanso, which should expand toHi there!when Espanso is running.
If a new match does not appear after saving, check the trigger spelling, indentation, and file location. The getting-started guide suggests espanso restart if configuration changes after package changes do not reload as expected.
Choose triggers that are intentional
A trigger that is too common can expand while you are writing normal text. Espanso’s official Matches Basics documentation recommends the colon prefix as a useful way to avoid unwanted activation, because it is unlikely to occur as a word prefix. It is optional: use a distinctive pattern that suits your typing habits, such as :greet or :sig.
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Use word boundaries for short corrections
For a typo correction or a short trigger that might otherwise occur inside another word, set word: true. This restricts expansion to contexts where the trigger is separated by word boundaries:
matches:
- trigger: ther
replace: there
word: trueFor finer control, left_word and right_word apply a boundary rule on only one side. If you want several ways to invoke the same replacement, use triggers, for example triggers: [hello, hi]. When multiple matches share one trigger, Espanso can show a selection for disambiguation rather than choosing an arbitrary replacement.
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Add multiline text and cursor placement
For multiline replacements, YAML can represent line breaks with escaped newline characters or block scalars. Quote strings when they contain YAML-special characters or escaped control characters. Espanso also supports the cursor hint $|$, which marks where the cursor should remain after expansion:
matches:
- trigger: ":div"
replace: "<div>$|$</div>"Only one cursor hint is supported in a match. In code editors with automatic indentation, multiline cursor behavior can be unexpected, so test the snippet in the specific editor where you intend to use it.
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Build templates with forms or regex triggers
Forms for information that changes
When a repeated template needs different details each time, a form can prompt for values instead of requiring a separate fixed snippet for every variation. Form fields use names such as [[field_name]]; documented field types include default text, multiline text, choices, and lists. Submit by clicking Submit or pressing Ctrl+Enter. Forms can also pass values to scripts, but script commands and platform assumptions matter: the documentation’s rev example works on Unix systems and is not available by default on Windows. On macOS, full Tab traversal through form controls requires enabling Keyboard navigation in System Settings. See Espanso’s forms documentation.
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Regex for families of triggers
Regex triggers are useful when many related triggers share a pattern or need captured arguments. Espanso uses Rust-flavor regex syntax; inside a YAML double-quoted string, a backslash may need escaping. For a handful of fixed alternatives, ordinary triggers are simpler to understand and maintain. See the regex triggers guide.
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Organize a growing snippet library
Espanso loads YAML match files placed in the match directory and its subdirectories, except files whose names begin with an underscore. You can divide a large collection into separate files, or use imports to bring in match sets stored elsewhere. The matches documentation covers match-file organization and imports.
Troubleshoot a trigger that does not expand
Check problems in this order. It helps distinguish a missing runtime, a misread configuration, and an app-specific injection issue without changing several settings at once.
- Confirm Espanso is running. On Linux, the getting-started guide suggests
espanso status. On other platforms, start it from the application or Start Menu. Then try the documented:espansosanity-check trigger in a plain text app. - Verify the path and YAML. Run
espanso path, confirm that you edited the intended match file, and check indentation and spelling. A malformed YAML list item can keep a match from loading. - Compare behavior across apps. Test in a simple text field, then in the target program. If the snippet works in one app but not another, inspect that app’s configuration before rewriting the match. App-specific configuration extends the default profile and can include an
enable: falserule for an application; see the app-specific configuration guide. - Isolate the replacement method. Espanso’s automatic backend uses injection for short replacements and the clipboard for longer ones. If text is missing characters or behaves oddly, temporarily add
force_mode: clipboardorforce_mode: keysto the match and test again. Once you identify a working method, configure the appropriate global or app-specific backend rather than keeping a per-match override as a permanent workaround. Backend options are described in the Matches Basics documentation. - Check platform-specific limits. Espanso’s documentation says app-specific configuration is not yet supported in Wayland. On macOS, Secure Input intentionally blocks accessibility-related tasks in sensitive contexts such as password fields, and it can sometimes remain stuck. Documented recovery options include closing and reopening the password manager or browser, trying the experimental SecureInput auto-fix, finding the app holding Secure Input, or logging out and back in; see the Secure Input troubleshooting guide.
There is no single trigger or backend setting established to work in every application. Test in the program where the snippet matters, especially after changing app-specific settings or diagnosing an injection problem.
Understand usage statistics without overreading them
Espanso’s optional trigger-usage tracking was introduced in version 2.4.0, according to its statistics documentation. That feature does not establish a quantified productivity or time-saving result; treat it as usage tracking, not proof of a particular benefit.
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