# Variable types and values

Every variable has a name, a type, a value and an optional description. The type is chosen when you create the variable and cannot be changed afterwards.

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## Types

| **Type**   | **What it accepts**                                                                                                                           | **How pages show it**                                                                                                                      |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Text**   | A single line of up to 500 characters.                                                                                                        | Exactly as entered.                                                                                                                        |
| **Number** | An optional minus sign, up to 15 digits, and optionally a dot followed by up to 10 decimal places. Use a dot for decimals, for example _4.2_. | Exactly as entered. _4.20_ stays _4.20_; nothing is rounded or reformatted.                                                                |
| **User**   | One person, chosen with **Choose a user**.                                                                                                    | As that person's name, for each reader. The account ID is never shown.                                                                     |
| **Date**   | A calendar day between the years 1000 and 9999, chosen with a date picker. No time and no time zone.                                          | Day, short month and year, for example _14 Oct 2026_ or _4 Oct 2026_. The same everywhere: on the page, in exports and on published sites. |

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## Names

* Free text, spaces and capitals included, up to 100 characters. Spaces at either end are trimmed and runs of spaces are collapsed to one.
* Cannot contain `<` or `>`.
* Unique within its scope, ignoring case. The check runs while you type.
* Pages show the value, never the name. Renaming a variable never breaks a page.

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## Descriptions

Optional, up to 250 characters. Descriptions are searchable in the catalogue, so they are a good place for context such as _Update on release day_.

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## Messages you may see

| **Message**                                     | **Meaning**                                   |
| ----------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Enter a name / Enter a value                    | The field is empty.                           |
| Use 100 characters or fewer                     | The name is too long.                         |
| A name cannot contain < or >                    | Remove those characters.                      |
| Use a single line / Use 500 characters or fewer | A Text value has a line break or is too long. |
| Enter a number, for example 42 or -4.25         | The Number value is not a valid number.       |
| Use a dot for decimals, for example 4.2         | A comma was used as the decimal separator.    |
| Choose a user / Choose a date                   | No person or date has been picked.            |
| Use 250 characters or fewer                     | The description is too long.                  |

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## A few things that catch people out

* The type is fixed. To switch a Text variable to a Number, create a new Number variable and point the pages at it.
* Numbers are not formatted for your locale. Type the value exactly as you want readers to see it.
* User values are not published on Capable Sites. See [Capable Sites](https://help.gocapable.com/variables/capable-sites.html).

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## Related

### [How a value appears on the page](https://help.gocapable.com/variables/how-a-value-appears-on-the-page.html)

What readers see.

### [The type cannot be changed](https://help.gocapable.com/variables/the-type-cannot-be-changed.html)

Why the type is locked.

### [Limits](https://help.gocapable.com/variables/limits.html)

Every number to plan around.

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_Four types, shown the same everywhere._