Card Placeholders Reference

Tech term: Text Placeholder Resolution

Card placeholders insert card names from the current chat or prompt context.

They use double braces:

{{ai_card}}
{{this_card}}

Use this page when you need to know what a card placeholder becomes in a specific context.

Card placeholders

Placeholder	Meaning
`{{ai_card}}`	Cards selected for AI generation
`{{user_card}}`	Cards selected for user input
`{{user}}`	Legacy alias for `{{user_card}}`
`{{ctx_card}}`	Cards with context enabled
`{{char}}`	Legacy character placeholder; meaning depends on context
`{{this_card}}`	The current card when the context has one

How card placeholders resolve

Placeholder	Card Prompt Manager	Chat Prompt Manager	Chat messages
`{{ai_card}}`	AI-selected cards in the chat	AI-selected cards in the chat	AI-selected cards in the chat
`{{user_card}}`	User-selected cards in the chat	User-selected cards in the chat	User-selected cards in the chat
`{{user}}`	Same as `{{user_card}}`	Same as `{{user_card}}`	Same as `{{user_card}}`
`{{ctx_card}}`	Cards with context enabled in the chat	Cards with context enabled in the chat	Cards with context enabled in the chat
`{{char}}`	The card that owns the prompt	Same as `{{ai_card}}`	Card names attached to the message; falls back to `{{ai_card}}`
`{{this_card}}`	The card that owns the prompt	Empty	Card names attached to the message

Which one to use

If you need	Use
The current card inside a card prompt	`{{this_card}}`
AI participant names	`{{ai_card}}`
User participant names	`{{user_card}}`
Cards whose Prompt Manager is added to context	`{{ctx_card}}`
Legacy character-style text	`{{char}}`

For new prompt text, use the explicit placeholder when you know what value you want. {{char}} and {{user}} exists for compatibility and familiar tavern-style prompt text.

Examples

Card prompt:

{{this_card}} description

Chat prompt:

Write as {{ai_card}}:

Message text:

This message belongs to {{this_card}}.

Utility placeholders

These are not card placeholders, but they use the same double-brace syntax.

Placeholder	Meaning
`{{date}}`	Current date
`{{time}}`	Current time
`{{rand:N}}`	Random integer from `0` to `N`

Utility text:

Today is {{date}}. Roll: {{rand:20}}.

Getting Started for the TavernAI 2 prompt model.
Macros for dynamic prompt text and post-generation changes.
PM Scripts for interactive scene scripting.