Variables, the %words%

A variable is a word with a value behind it. You type the word into a message, and when the action runs, Cuebot swaps the word for its value.

You type:      Thanks for the follow, %user%!
Chat shows:    Thanks for the follow, Bob!

There are three kinds, and you can tell them apart by the signs around the name:

Looks like	Kind	Lasts	Example
%user%	Variable of this run (also called an argument)	Only while this action runs	the name of the person who followed
~deaths~	Global variable	Between runs, and after a restart if you want	a death counter for your game
$math(2 * 5)$	Function: a little calculator	Worked out on the spot	10

Variables work in almost every text box of a sub-action (not in code boxes).

%Variables of this run%

When a trigger fires, it hands the action some values. A follow gives you %user%. A cheer gives you %user% and %bits%. A chat command gives you what was typed after it.

Where do I find the list? Click a trigger in your action and open Variables this gives your action. Every sub-action that adds new values has a Variables this adds for the next steps list too. The trigger reference lists them all.

Some common ones:

Variable	What it holds	Example
%user%	The viewer's display name	Bob
%message%	What they wrote in chat	hi everyone
%input%	Everything typed after a command	for !so bob hi: bob hi
%input0%, %input1%…	One word after the command (counting starts at 0)	for !so bob: %input0% is bob
%bits%	How many bits someone cheered	500
%platform%	Where it came from	Twitch

Capital letters do not matter: %User% and %user% are the same.

Built-in variables work in every action, whatever the trigger:

Variable	Gives you
%date%, %time%	Today's date and the time now
%datetime%, %longtime%	Date and time together; the time with seconds
%unixtime%	The time as one big number (seconds since 1970), handy for maths
%random%	A random whole number from 1 to 100
%random:1-6%	A random whole number from 1 to 6 (a dice roll)
%lf%	A new line

Make your own with the Set variable sub-action: give it a name and a value, then use it as %name% in later steps of the same run.

A word that is not a variable stays as it is

If Cuebot does not know a name, it leaves the text alone. So 100% and %nothing% are written just like that.

Making numbers and dates look nice

Add a colon and a format after the name:

You type	You get
%amount:c2%	$5.50 (money with two decimals)
%count:N0%	1,234 (with a thousands separator)
%date:yyyy-MM-dd%	2026-10-31
%time:HH:mm%	20:15 (24-hour clock)

The money sign and the separators come from Culture (your language and country), under Text formatting on the Settings page, tab Audio & text.

~Global variables~

A global variable remembers a value between runs. Use it for counters and anything you want to keep.

Example: a death counter.

1. Make an action Death with a command trigger for !death.
2. Add Set global variable: Variable name deaths, Mode Increment (add one), leave Value empty.
3. Add Send chat message (any platform) with: That is death number ~deaths~!

Every !death adds one and chat shows the new number.

Settings of Set global variable:

• Mode: Value sets it, Increment adds, Decrement takes away. Empty Value means 1.
• Keep after restart: ticked (the default) means the value is saved. Unticked means it is temporary and is gone when Cuebot closes.
• Auto type: store 5 as a number and true as a yes/no value, instead of as text.

To use a global's value inside a calculation or an If, you can also copy it into a run variable with Get global variable (it goes into Save in variable, then you use it as %deaths%).

Seeing and changing them

Automation > Variables shows every global variable, on the tabs Persisted (saved) and Temporary. You can type a Name and Value and click Set, or delete them. Press Ctrl+Alt+V to jump there from anywhere.

Viewer variables

A user variable belongs to one viewer. "Bob has 3 hugs, Alice has 7." They are not written with signs in text. Instead you use the sub-actions Get user variable, Set user variable and Delete user variable.

• Leave User id empty and Cuebot uses the viewer who started the action.
• Get user variable puts the value into a run variable, so you can write %hugs% in the next message.

The Users tab on Automation > Variables shows them.

Note

For a channel currency, use Points instead. It has earning, leaderboards and a store built in.

$Functions()$

A function does a small job with text or numbers. Write a $, the function name, the input in brackets, and a closing $.

You type	You get
$math(2 * %bits%)$	twice the bits
$math(round(%count% / 3, 1))$	a division, rounded to 1 decimal
$upper(%user%)$	BOB
$lower(%message%)$	the message in small letters
$length(%message%)$	how many letters the message has
$trim(%input%)$	the text without spaces at the start and end
$replace(%message%,cat,dog)$	the message with every "cat" changed to "dog"
$substring(%user%,0,3)$	the first 3 letters: Bob
$pick(Heads,Tails)$	one of them, at random
$urlencode(%input%)$	text made safe to put in a web link
$parse(line%i%)$	the value of the variable whose name is built while running, like %line2%

Example: a coin flip. Make a !flip command and send: %user% flips a coin... $pick(Heads,Tails)$!

Cuebot first fills in the %variables% and ~globals~, then works out the functions, inside ones first. What viewers type is never run as a function. If Bob writes $math(1+1)$ in chat, it stays plain text.

If a function has a mistake (like dividing by zero), Cuebot leaves it as written and puts a warning in the log.

Next: Words you will see.