The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Espanso snippets are YAML matches: you type a trigger, and Espanso inserts its replacement. Put match definitions in the active configuration’s match/ directory, app-specific settings in config/, and use espanso path to find the configuration folder actually in use. The steps below cover a basic match, safer trigger choices, organizing match sets, and limiting snippets to selected applications.
Find the active Espanso configuration folder
Open a terminal and run:
espanso pathUse the directory printed by the command as $CONFIG in the examples below. Documented default locations are Linux $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/espanso (often ~/.config/espanso), macOS $HOME/Library/Application Support/espanso, and Windows %AppData%\espanso. Defaults can vary, including with legacy installations, so the command output is more reliable than assuming a path. See Espanso’s configuration basics.
Create your first match
Create or edit a YAML file under $CONFIG/match/; base.yml is a common filename. A match pairs a trigger with replacement text:
matches:
- trigger: ":sig"
replace: "Best regards,nYour name"YAML indentation matters. Quote strings when their contents require it, especially values containing escaped newlines such as n or YAML-special characters at the start. For multiline replacements, a literal block indicator (|) preserves line breaks; a folded block indicator (>) folds lines into spaces.
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Espanso normally picks up configuration changes automatically. If the trigger does not work, first confirm that the file is in the active match/ directory and that the YAML parses. Then consult the official troubleshooting guide for the installed version’s reload or restart steps.
Choose a trigger that fits the expansion
A trigger should be easy to remember and unlikely to occur accidentally in ordinary text. A colon prefix, such as :email, is a useful convention, but Espanso does not require one.
| Approach | Example | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| One literal trigger | trigger: ":email" |
A single predictable shortcut | Easiest to reason about; the typed form must match the trigger. |
| Aliases | triggers: [hello, hi] |
Several typed forms for the same replacement | Convenient, but every alias is another possible activation phrase. |
| Word matching | word: true |
Correction-like triggers that should match a standalone word | Prevents matching inside another word; edge controls can further narrow matching. |
| Regex trigger | regex: "..." |
Variable input, such as a number or captured argument | More expressive, but adds regex syntax, compatibility limits, and efficiency considerations. |
Use word boundaries to avoid mid-word matches
Add word: true when a trigger should only match as a whole word rather than inside a longer word. Espanso also provides left_word and right_word to require a word edge on one side, and word_separators to configure which characters count as separators. See the match basics reference.
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Use regex only when a literal trigger is insufficient
Regex matches can cover variable forms, and named groups become variables that can be used in the replacement. Espanso’s Rust-style named-group syntax looks like (?P<person>.*). Prefer ordinary triggers when they can express the task: regex matching is less efficient, and Espanso does not support every regex feature.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe regex documentation describes a 30-character regex match-set limit for older versions. From Espanso v2.3.0 onward, that limit can be overridden with max_regex_buffer_size. Check the regex documentation for syntax and version-specific details before relying on a complex pattern.
Organize matches into files and match sets
Espanso automatically loads YAML files in $CONFIG/match/ and its subfolders. As a collection grows, separate it into files such as emails.yml and code.yml, then use imports when one set should reuse definitions from another.
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- Espanso v2.3.0 and later recognize both
.ymland.yamlmatch files. The documentation recommends not mixing extensions without a reason. - Files whose names begin with an underscore, such as
_code_snippets.yml, are not loaded automatically. This makes them useful for snippets that should only be included by a selected configuration. - Use
labelto make a match recognizable in Search Bar results andsearch_termsto make it easier to find with additional words.
See the match organization guide for imports and match-set behavior.
Apply settings to a particular application
App-specific configuration files belong in $CONFIG/config/. A filter in a file determines when that configuration applies. Its settings override matching keys from config/default.yml; other default settings are inherited. For example, the official documentation shows disabling Espanso in Telegram with a filter_exec rule and enable: false.
| Filter | Matches | Platform notes and trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
filter_exec |
The current application’s executable path | Full support is listed for Windows and macOS; Linux support is partial. |
filter_class |
The current window class; on macOS this is the app identifier, and on Windows it is the executable path | Full support is listed for Windows, macOS, and Linux. A stable identifier is generally preferable for basic app matching. |
filter_title |
The current window title | Full support is listed for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Titles can change with tabs, documents, or projects, which can make matching brittle. |
Filter values are regular expressions. Before writing one, inspect what Espanso detects in the target application by typing #detect#, or use the Search Bar’s active-application information command. The official app-specific configuration guide recommends starting with filter_exec or filter_class for straightforward cases because they tend to be more stable. Platform identifiers can differ, so shared configurations may need patterns covering each platform or separate platform-specific files. See app-specific configurations.
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Know which configuration wins
Only one app-specific configuration can be active at a time. If multiple filters match, Espanso selects the first applicable configuration alphanumerically by filename. Choose filenames with that ordering in mind so the intended configuration takes precedence.
Wayland limitation
The current Espanso documentation says app-specific configurations are not yet supported in Wayland. Do not rely on per-application filters in that environment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Load snippets only in one application
To keep code expansions out of other applications, put the match in an underscore-prefixed file and include it from the relevant app configuration. For example:
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# $CONFIG/match/_js_snippets.yml
matches:
- trigger: ":log"
replace: "console.log($|$);"# $CONFIG/config/vscode.yml
filter_title: "Visual Studio Code"
extra_includes:
- "../match/_js_snippets.yml"Because the match filename starts with an underscore, it is not loaded globally; extra_includes makes it available to the matching app configuration. This example uses a title filter, so inspect the detected application information first and use a stable filter suited to the actual system if the title is too broad or changes often. The selective-inclusion approach is described in the match organization guide.
Refine templates and diagnose tricky matches
- Place the cursor in a template: Use
$|$as a cursor hint, for example after an opening parenthesis. Only one cursor hint is supported per match. In multiline text, cursor behavior can be unexpected in auto-indenting code editors; use a form when a template needs multiple inputs. - Offer alternatives: If several matches use the same trigger, Espanso opens a selection dialog. This can help when choosing between signatures or other alternatives.
- Test injection failures:
force_mode: clipboardandforce_mode: keysare diagnostic overrides when the normal injection path fails. After identifying the issue, prefer the suitable global or app-specific backend setting instead of leaving a one-off override in place.
Cursor hints and other match properties are covered in the match basics documentation.
Quick Recap
Validate the configuration
- Run
espanso pathand confirm you edited the active configuration folder. - Check that ordinary match files are under
match/, and app-specific configuration files are underconfig/. - Review YAML indentation, quoting, and trigger syntax; verify that each intended trigger expands to the expected text.
- For app filters, run
#detect#in the target application and check that the filter matches the identifier Espanso reports. - For a private match set, verify the underscore-prefixed file is explicitly included and that its app configuration is the one selected.
- If an expansion is missing, check for a competing app configuration, filename ordering, an unsupported filter/platform combination, or the Wayland limitation before changing the match itself.
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