Variables & Properties

Add dynamic content to your prompts

Variables let you inject runtime data into your prompts. This guide covers how to add variables and define their types.

Adding Variables

Variables are placeholders in messages that get replaced at runtime:

"Customer {{customer_name}} asks: {{query}}"

Becomes:

"Customer Alice asks: How do I reset my password?"

Insert a Variable

1. Open message editor

   Click on the message you want to edit.

2. Type /variable

   In the editor, type /variable to open the variable menu.

3. Select or create

   • Select an existing property
   • Or create a new one
4. Configure

   Set the variable format:

   • Inline: Embedded in text
   • Block: On its own line

Message Editor

The TipTap editor provides a rich editing experience:

Features:

• Rich text formatting
• Variable insertion via /variable command
• Auto-save as you edit
• Visual distinction between text and variables

Variable Syntax

Variables appear as {{variable_name}} in the editor:

System: You are a support agent for {{company_name}}.

User: Customer: {{customer_name}}
Query: {{query}}

Relevant documents:
{{search_results}}

Properties

A Property defines a variable’s type and metadata.

Creating Properties

1. Open Properties

   In your task, click Properties in the sidebar.

2. Create Property

   Click Create Property.

3. Define the type

   Configure the property:

   • Name: Variable name (e.g., query)
   • Type: string, number, object, array, etc.
   • Description: What this variable represents
   • Required: Whether it must be provided

Property Types

Type	Use Case	Example
string	Text values	User queries, names
integer	Whole numbers	Counts, IDs
number	Decimals	Scores, prices
boolean	True/false	Flags
object	Structured data	User profiles
array	Lists	Search results

String Formats

Strings can have special formats:

{
  "type": "string",
  "format": "date"
}

Available formats:

• date: “2024-01-15”
• date-time: “2024-01-15T10:30:00Z”
• email: “[e-mail]”
• uri: “https://example.com”
• uuid: “550e8400-e29b-…”

Complex Types

Objects

Define nested structures:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "id": {"type": "string"},
    "name": {"type": "string"},
    "email": {"type": "string", "format": "email"}
  },
  "required": ["id", "name"]
}

In the editor:

User profile: {{user}}

In code:

session_data = Input(
    user=User(id="123", name="Alice", email="[e-mail]")
)

Arrays

Define lists:

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "title": {"type": "string"},
      "content": {"type": "string"}
    }
  }
}

In the editor:

Search results:
{{documents}}

In code:

session_data = Input(
    documents=[
        Document(title="FAQ", content="..."),
        Document(title="Guide", content="...")
    ]
)

Input Schema Auto-Sync

When you add variables to messages, the prompt’s input schema updates automatically.

How It Works

1. You add {{query}} to a message
   ↓
2. System detects the variable
   ↓
3. Links to property "query"
   ↓
4. Adds "query" to input schema
   ↓
5. Codegen produces typed model with "query" field

Viewing the Input Schema

1. Open your prompt
2. Click Schema tab
3. See all variables and their types

Schemas Tab

View all schemas in the Schemas tab:

The tab shows:

• Input Schemas: Auto-generated from prompt variables
• User-Defined Schemas: Custom schemas for tools and structured output

Variable Formatting

Inline Variables

Embedded within text:

"Hello {{customer_name}}, how can I help?"

Block Variables

On their own line, typically for larger content:

Context from search:
{{search_results}}

Choosing Format

Use Inline When	Use Block When
Short values	Long content
Part of a sentence	Standalone section
Names, IDs	JSON, documents

Referencing the Same Property

You can use the same property multiple times:

System: You help customers of {{company_name}}.

User: {{company_name}} customer {{customer_name}} asks:
{{query}}

The same value is substituted everywhere.

Required vs Optional

Mark properties as required or optional:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "query": {"type": "string"},           // Required
    "context": {"type": "string"}          // Optional
  },
  "required": ["query"]
}

In code:

class Input(RenderableModel):
    query: str                    # Required
    context: str | None = None    # Optional

Default Values

Properties can have default values:

{
  "type": "string",
  "default": "You are a helpful assistant."
}

If not provided at runtime, the default is used.

Best Practices

Use descriptive names

customer_query is better than q or input1.

Add descriptions

Descriptions help teammates understand what each variable is for.

Choose appropriate types

Use specific types (integer, date) rather than just string when possible.

Group related data

Use objects to group related fields (user info, search context).

Keep schemas focused

Each prompt should only have the variables it actually uses.

Next Steps

Branching & Committing

Save your changes

Code Generation

Generate typed models

Variables Concept

Deep dive into the variable system

Prompt Sessions

Use variables at runtime