Snippet Variables: Date, Time, Clipboard, and Cursor

SlashSnip has four public markers that act when a snippet expands: {{date}}, {{time}}, {{clipboard}}, and {cursor}. Use them for a date stamp, current clipboard text, or a cursor location; otherwise the snippet stays plain text.

The examples below show what each marker does, when it earns a place in a snippet, and when a plain template is clearer.

What does each marker do?

Variable	What it inserts	Good for
{{date}}	The current date at insert time	Dated notes, logs, "as of" references
{{time}}	The current time at insert time	Timestamps, meeting notes, status updates
{{clipboard}}	Clipboard text when the browser can read it	Wrapping a copied error, quote, or link in boilerplate
{cursor}	Nothing — it marks where your caret lands after expansion	Any snippet where one part changes every time

{{date}}, {{time}}, and {{clipboard}} are replaced with text when a snippet expands. {cursor} is a placement marker: put it where you want to continue typing, and it does not insert text. Add the marker directly to the snippet body; there is no separate setup.

{{date}} — stop typing today's date by hand

{{date}} inserts the current date wherever you place it. It is the simplest way to keep a recurring note, log entry, or dated reference accurate without checking a calendar or retyping the date every time you reuse the snippet.

Follow-up sent on {{date}}. Waiting on client response before next step.

Use it for:

• Dated notes. A daily status update or standup snippet that stamps itself with the day it was written.
• Logs. Support or QA notes where you want a quick visual record of when an entry was created, without a separate timestamp tool.
• "As of" references. Pricing, availability, or policy snippets where knowing the date the text was sent matters.

{{time}} — timestamp a note without leaving the field

{{time}} works the same way as {{date}}, but inserts the current time instead. It is most useful paired with {{date}} in the same snippet, or on its own inside a log where the date is already implied by context.

[{{date}} {{time}}] Escalated to on-call engineer.

Use it for:

• Timestamp logs. Incident notes, changelog entries, or support tickets where you need a quick "when did this happen" marker.
• Meeting notes. A snippet that opens a notes block with the current date and time already filled in.
• Multi-entry logs in one field. If you are appending several short entries to the same document over a session, {{time}} gives each one a distinct marker without manual typing.

{{clipboard}} — wrap whatever you just copied

{{clipboard}} reads text from your clipboard when the snippet expands. Copy an error message, a quote, a link, or a customer's original question, then expand a snippet that wraps it in a support reply, bug report template, or note format you reuse often.

Hi,

Customer report:

{{clipboard}}

Next action: {cursor}

Use it for:

• Support replies. Paste an error message or customer quote, then expand a template that acknowledges it and adds standard next steps.
• Bug reports. Copy a stack trace or console error, then drop it into a structured report snippet instead of retyping the format every time.
• Reference wrapping. Copy a link or quote and expand a snippet that adds attribution or context around it automatically.

{{clipboard}} works best when you copy the text immediately before expanding the snippet. If the browser cannot read the clipboard, the marker contributes no text.

{cursor} — control where the caret lands

{cursor} is different from the other three: it does not insert any content. It marks the exact position where your cursor should land once the snippet finishes expanding. That turns a fixed block of text into an editable starting point instead of something you have to click into and manually reposition.

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out. {cursor}

Best,
Alex

{cursor} is worth adding when:

• the opening and closing of a snippet are stable, but one line in the middle always changes;
• you want to avoid clicking or arrow-keying into the right spot after every expansion;
• the snippet is a starting point for a reply, not a finished message on its own.

If you leave {cursor} out of a snippet, your cursor lands at the end of the expanded text — the normal behavior for a static block with no marker.

Combining variables in one snippet

The four variables are not mutually exclusive. A single snippet can use more than one at once, as long as each one still earns its place:

[{{date}} {{time}}] Reviewed ticket. Original message:

{{clipboard}}

Resolution: {cursor}

This pattern — timestamp, pasted context, cursor for the custom part — covers a lot of support, QA, and status-update workflows without needing a separate variable for every possible field.

When to keep it simple

Variables are most useful when the base text around them is already stable. A snippet with one clear structure and one or two changing values is easy to trust; a snippet trying to handle five different scenarios with five different markers usually is not.

Good pattern: a short reusable structure, one or two variables, and a clear cursor landing spot. Weaker pattern: a long paragraph with several moving parts and no obvious owner for which pieces you are expected to edit by hand afterward. Start with a small template using a single variable, and only add more once the workflow proves it needs them — the same incremental approach covered in the guide to building a snippet starter pack.

Where variables fit into your trigger setup

Variables work with either insertion route. A direct //shortcut expands the snippet and resolves its markers. With ///, you browse the menu first, choose a snippet, and its markers resolve when you insert it. That can be useful while you are learning which templates use {{clipboard}} instead of a static block. The shortcut and trigger reference explains when to use direct insert or the browse menu.

Use the exact marker syntax

The full syntax reference — including the exact marker names and supported behavior — lives in the variables documentation. If you have not created a snippet yet, start with how to create text snippets in Chrome and add your first {cursor} marker once you have a template you reuse often.