Smart Input

The web editor includes several smart input features that automatically handle common tasks, so you can focus on writing your story.

Smart Dash: - to ->

When you type - at the beginning of a line in the node body, it is automatically expanded to -> (option arrow with a space). This saves keystrokes when creating choice options.

Example:

You type:

-

The editor inserts:

->

You can then continue typing the option text:

-> Go to the forest

When it works

Smart dash only activates at the start of a new line in the body of a node (after ---), and only when the previous line is not a separator. It will not trigger in headers or after ===.

Auto-Replace: $ and :

The editor automatically replaces special characters that have syntax meaning in Yarn with their safe equivalents.

Dollar Sign $ to [usd/]

In message text, the $ character is used for variables ($name). If you want a literal dollar sign (for example, in a price), just type $ and the editor replaces it with [usd/].

Example:

You type:

The item costs $

The editor produces:

The item costs [usd/]

In the game, the user sees:

The item costs $

Exception

If the $ is followed by a letter or underscore (like $name), the editor does not replace it — this is treated as a variable reference.

Colon : to [cl/]

The first colon on a line is used as a speaker separator (Anna: Hello!). If you need a second colon in the same line, the editor automatically replaces it with [cl/].

Example:

You type:

Anna: The time is 12:

The editor produces:

Anna: The time is 12[cl/]

In the game, the user sees:

Anna:
The time is 12:

First colon

The first colon on a line is never auto-replaced — it defines the speaker name. Only subsequent colons are converted.

Auto-Escape Special Characters

Characters that have special meaning in Yarn syntax are automatically escaped with \ when typed in message text:

Character	Escaped as	Meaning in Yarn
[	\[	Opens a tag
]	\]	Closes a tag
<	\<	Opens a command
>	\>	Closes a command
{	\{	Opens variable interpolation
}	\}	Closes variable interpolation
#	\#	Line tag
/	\/	Used in closing tags

Example:

You type in a message line:

Press the [Enter] key

The editor produces:

Press the \[Enter\] key

When escaping is skipped

Auto-escaping does not activate:

• At the beginning of a line (allows [photo=...] and <<commands>>)
• Inside existing syntax blocks (<< >>, [ ], { })
• When the character is already preceded by \

Smart Enter

Pressing Enter in a message line behaves differently from a normal text editor:

First Enter: Insert [br/]

The first time you press Enter in a message, a [br/] tag is inserted instead of a line break. This creates a line break within the same Telegram message.

Example:

You type:

First line

Press Enter:

First line[br/]

Continue typing:

First line[br/]Second line

In the game, the user sees one message:

First line
Second line

Second Enter: New Line

If you press Enter again right after [br/], the tag is removed and a real newline is inserted. This starts a new message.

Example:

After typing First line[br/], press Enter again:

First line

The cursor moves to the next line, and the new line becomes a separate message.

Ctrl/Cmd + Enter: Always New Line

Press Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter on macOS) to always insert a real line break, skipping the [br/] behavior.

Summary

Action	Result
Enter (first)	Inserts [br/] (line break within message)
Enter (second, after [br/])	Removes [br/], inserts new line (new message)
Ctrl/Cmd + Enter	Always inserts new line (new message)