# How to use variables/bbcode in a post?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-use-variables-bbcode-in-a-post/194226
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [June 17, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-use-variables-bbcode-in-a-post/194226 "2021-06-17T19:01:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![eviltrout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/eviltrout/32/5275_2.png) [@eviltrout](https://meta.discourse.org/u/eviltrout)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2021, 12:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-use-variables-bbcode-in-a-post/194226/2 "2021-06-21T12:58:33Z")

</div>

Have you looked at the placeholder theme component?

> [@Placeholder Forms](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-placeholder-forms-theme-component/113533):
>
> discourse2Summary Placeholder Forms will let you build dynamic documentation, by creating a form that replaces any occurrence of a =PATTERN= in your post with the value from a text or selectable input field.eyeglassesPreview [Preview on Discourse Theme Creator](https://discourse.theme-creator.io/theme/Discourse/placeholder-forms)hammer_and_wrenchRepository Link [https://github.com/discourse/discourse-placeholder-theme-component](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-placeholder-theme-component)open_bookNew to Discourse Themes? [Beginner’s guide to using Discourse Themes](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-using-discourse-themes/91966) Install this theme component …

It’s a less complicated version of what you are suggesting. Otherwise you are going to need to tap into our markdown engine to handle the replacements, but also make sure the engine has access to the information you need to replace on the client and server side. That part is tricky.

---

_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-use-variables-bbcode-in-a-post/194226)._