Macro reference

Marginalia understands the macros of SillyTavern, so prompts and world info written for SillyTavern work without changes. Macros work in every template: master template, user prompt, summary prompt and lorebook entries.

Syntax

Form	Example
without arguments	`{{user}}`
arguments separated by `::`	`{{setvar::mood::nervous}}`
first argument after a space	`{{getvar mood}}`, `{{setvar greeting::Hello}}`
legacy single `:`	`{{getvar:mood}}`, `{{random:north,south}}`
nested macros	`{{getvar::{{user}}_mood}}`
scoped (content as the last argument)	`{{setvar backstory}}Long text...{{/setvar}}`

Macro names are case-insensitive: {{User}} and {{USER}} work.
Spaces around names and arguments are ignored: {{ getvar :: mood }}.
Extra :: go into the last argument: {{setvar::x::a::b}} sets x to a::b.
Scoped content is evaluated first, then dedented and trimmed. With # after the braces, {{#setvar name}}...{{/setvar}}, the whitespace is kept exactly.

Names and participants

Marginalia has no personas or character cards; the names come from the turn instructions of the part being written.

Macro	Result
`{{user}}`	The POV character.
`{{char}}`	The POV character. Alias `{{charIfNotGroup}}`.
`{{group}}`	The present characters, or the POV character when none are given. Alias `{{groupNotMuted}}`.
`{{notChar}}`	The present characters except the POV character (comma or line separated, joined with `,` ).
`{{description}}`	The book's description.
`{{scenario}}`	The scene setting.
`{{input}}`	The instructions for the part.

The SillyTavern markers <USER>, <BOT>, <CHAR>, <GROUP> and <CHARIFNOTGROUP> (any case) work as well.

With POV character Alice and present characters Alice, Bob, Carol: {{user}} → Alice, {{group}} → Alice, Bob, Carol, {{notChar}} → Bob, Carol.

Story history

Macro	Result
`{{lastMessage}}`	The text of the last part of the active branch. Alias `{{lastCharMessage}}`.
`{{lastMessageId}}`	The position of the last part, counted from 0.
`{{lastUserMessage}}`	The instructions of the last part.
`{{summary}}`	The newest summary of the active branch.

For the first part of a book they are empty. For Regenerate, "last part" is the one before the regenerated part.

Date and time

Macro	Example result
`{{time}}`	`2:30 PM`
`{{time::UTC+2}}`	`4:30 PM` - the time at a UTC offset (`UTC-5:30` works too)
`{{date}}`	`March 15, 2026`
`{{weekday}}`	`Sunday`
`{{isodate}}`	`2026-03-15`
`{{isotime}}`	`14:30`
`{{datetimeformat::YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm}}`	`2026-03-15 14:30` - moment.js format tokens, text in `[brackets]` is printed as it is: `{{datetimeformat::dddd [the] D. MMMM}}` → `Sunday the 15. March`
`{{idleDuration}}`	`2 hours` - time since the last part was written, `just now` for the first part. Alias `{{idle_duration}}`.
`{{timeDiff::2026-01-01 12:00::2026-01-01 10:00}}`	`in 2 hours` - the difference between two times; `now`, dates (`2026-01-08`) and ISO times work. Unknown values give nothing.

Times are in the time zone of the computer or server Marginalia runs on, and always in English. For the Docker version, set the time zone with the TZ environment variable, e.g. TZ=Europe/Prague.

Variables

Variables store values between parts: counters, a character's mood, things the story has established. There are two kinds:

local variables belong to the story branch: each part remembers their values, and a new part starts with the values of the part before it;
global variables belong to the book, shared by all branches.

See What is kept between parts.

Local	Global
`{{getvar::name}}`	`{{getglobalvar::name}}`	The value; empty when not set.
`{{setvar::name::value}}`	`{{setglobalvar::name::value}}`	Sets the value. Prints nothing.
`{{addvar::name::value}}`	`{{addglobalvar::name::value}}`	Adds a number, or appends text when either isn't a number. Prints nothing.
`{{incvar::name}}`	`{{incglobalvar::name}}`	Adds 1 and prints the new value. A value that isn't a number starts from 0.
`{{decvar::name}}`	`{{decglobalvar::name}}`	Subtracts 1 and prints the new value.
`{{hasvar::name}}`	`{{hasglobalvar::name}}`	`true` or `false`.
`{{deletevar::name}}`	`{{deleteglobalvar::name}}`	Removes the variable. Alias `flushvar` / `flushglobalvar`.

Numbers are printed without trailing zeros: 1.50 plus 1.5 is 3.

{{setvar::hp::10}}{{addvar::hp::5}}HP: {{getvar::hp}}      → HP: 15
{{setvar::items::a rope}}{{addvar::items::, a lamp}}{{getvar::items}}   → a rope, a lamp

Shorthands

{{.name}} is a local variable, {{$name}} a global one. On its own, a shorthand prints the value. With an operator:

Shorthand	Effect	Prints
`{{.hp = 20}}`	sets the value	nothing
`{{.hp += 5}}`, `{{.hp -= 5}}`	adds / subtracts (`+=` appends text to text)	nothing
`{{.turn++}}`, `{{.turn--}}`	adds / subtracts 1	the new value
`{{.hp == 17}}`, `{{.hp != 17}}`	compares	`true` / `false`
`{{.hp > 10}}`, `>=`, `<`, `<=`	compares numbers (`false` for text)	`true` / `false`

Fallbacks and defaults:

{{.name || Guest}} prints Guest when the variable is empty or falsy (0, false, no, off);
{{.name ?? Guest}} prints Guest only when the variable isn't set at all;
{{.title ||= Wanderer}} sets the variable to Wanderer if it is empty or falsy, then prints it;
{{.title ??= Wanderer}} sets it only when it isn't set at all, then prints it.

Values can contain macros: {{.log += -> {{user}}}}.

A part counter, for example, at the top of the user prompt (+= prints nothing, and {{trim}} removes the empty line it leaves):

{{.part += 1}}{{trim}}
This is part {{.part}} of the story.

Conditionals

{{if presentCharacters}}
  Present: {{presentCharacters}}
{{else}}
  {{user}} is alone.
{{/if}}

The condition can be:

Condition	True when
a macro name - `{{if user}}`	the macro gives a value
a variable - `{{if .mood}}`, `{{if $chapter}}`	the variable has a value
a template variable - `{{if sceneSetting}}`	the variable has a value
a comparison - `{{if .hp > 20}}`	the comparison is true
any text - `{{if yes}}`	always, except for the falsy values
negation - `{{if !user}}`, `{{if !.mood}}`	the opposite

Falsy are an empty value and 0, false, no, off (any case). Everything else is true.

The short form {{if user::text}} prints text when the condition is true.
Only the branch that is taken is evaluated: a {{setvar}} in the other branch doesn't happen.
{{if}} blocks are dedented and trimmed like scoped macros, so they can be indented for readability. {{#if}} (the Handlebars if) keeps the whitespace.
A {{if}} without {{/if}} is printed as text.

Randomness

Macro	Result
`{{random::red::green::blue}}`	One of the options, different every time. Also `{{random:red,green,blue}}` and `{{random}}red, green{{/random}}`.
`{{pick::sword::axe::bow}}`	One of the options, but always the same one for the same book and the same place in the template. Use it for things that must stay consistent, like a randomly chosen name.
`{{roll::2d6+3}}`	A dice roll: `1d20`, `3d4-10`, `d100`; also `{{roll d100}}`, `{{roll:6}}` (one six-sided die). Invalid rolls give nothing.

Generation info

Macro	Result
`{{model}}`	The name of the inference provider of the book.
`{{maxContextTokens}}`	The context limit in tokens (protocol or provider, see Limits). Alias `{{maxContext}}`.
`{{maxResponseTokens}}`	The response limit in tokens. Alias `{{maxResponse}}`.
`{{maxPrompt}}`	Context minus response: the room for the prompt.
`{{lastGenerationType}}`	`normal` for a new part, `regenerate`, `swipe`, or `quiet` in summaries.

Utility

Macro	Result
`{{newline}}`, `{{newline::2}}`	One or more line breaks.
`{{space}}`, `{{space::4}}`	One or more spaces.
`{{trim}}`	Removes the line breaks around it. Useful after lines that only set variables.
`{{noop}}`	Nothing.
`{{reverse::text}}`	The text reversed.
`{{// comment}}`	A comment, removed. `{{//}}` ... `{{///}}` comments out everything between them, macros included.
`\{\{user\}\}`	Prints `{{user}}` literally.

SillyTavern-only macros

Macros that only make sense in SillyTavern chats - personas and character card fields ({{persona}}, {{personality}}, {{charPrompt}}, {{mesExamples}}...), instruct mode sequences ({{instructUserPrefix}}...), author's notes, swipe IDs, {{outlet}} and the like - are recognized and print nothing, so imported world info doesn't leak them into the prompt. {{isMobile}} and {{hasExtension}} print false.

A macro Marginalia doesn't know:

with arguments ({{fooBar::x}}) is printed as it is, like SillyTavern does;
without arguments ({{fooBar}}) is printed as Error, the same as an unknown template variable.