Add a fixed indent, with empty-line and paragraph rules
Length is the number of indent units to insert. Indent With picks the unit: Spaces uses a literal space (the default), Tabs uses \t, Custom uses the first character of the Custom field. Length is bounded 1 through 40 in the registry.
Indent Empty on (the default) prefixes blank lines too, so an empty line in the input becomes a line of pure indent characters in the output. Turn it off to leave blank lines exactly as they were. Paragraphs on switches to paragraph-only mode: only the first line of each paragraph (split on two-or-more line breaks) gets the indent, like a typeset book paragraph.
Common uses: nesting a code block under another scope (Length 4, Indent With Spaces), converting tabs to a different unit by combining with unindent first, or producing email-style quoted replies (Indent With Custom, Custom > ... use add prefix for multi-character markers).
How to use indent every line
- 1Paste your text into the input panel on the left.
- 2Set Length to the number of indent units (1 to 40).
- 3Pick Indent With:
Spaces,Tabs, orCustom. - 4If
Custom, type a character into the Custom field. - 5Decide whether Indent Empty stays on (blank lines indented) and whether Paragraphs mode is enabled.
Keyboard shortcuts
Drive TextResult without touching the mouse.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl F | Open the find & replace panel inside the input Plus |
| Ctrl Z | Undo the last input change |
| Ctrl Shift Z | Redo |
| Ctrl Shift Enter | Toggle fullscreen focus on the editor Plus |
| Esc | Close find & replace, or exit fullscreen |
| Ctrl K | Open the command palette to jump to any tool Plus |
| Ctrl S | Save current workflow draft Plus |
| Ctrl P | Run a saved workflow Plus |
What this tool actually does
Three indent units, one default
Spaces uses a single space character per unit. Tabs uses \t per unit (so Length 1 is one tab, length 4 is four tabs). Custom reads Custom, takes the first character if any, and falls back to space if the field is empty.
Indent Empty controls blank-line behaviour
On (the default), every line including blank ones is prefixed with the indent string. Off, lines whose value is exactly empty (after the split on \r?\n) pass through unchanged.
Paragraphs indents only the first line
In paragraph mode the input is split on two-or-more line breaks. Each paragraph chunk gets the indent prepended once at its very start; the inner lines of the paragraph are not indented. Useful for typeset-style first-line indents.
Length is bounded 1 to 40
The registry caps Length between 1 and 40 to keep indents reasonable. Common picks: 2 for two-space code, 4 for four-space code, 1 with Indent With Tabs for one tab.
Reverse with the unindent tool
Unindent text is the natural inverse. Use Remove N Levels with the same indent symbol to strip exactly the indent you added.
Worked example
Length 4, Indent With Spaces, Indent Empty on, Paragraphs off. Every line gains four spaces at the start.
function greet(name) {
console.log('hello ' + name);
return name.toUpperCase();
}
function greet(name) {
console.log('hello ' + name);
return name.toUpperCase();
}
Settings reference
| Behaviour | Effect on output |
|---|---|
| Length (1-40) | Number of indent units inserted at the start of each line. |
Indent With = Spaces |
Each unit is a space character. |
Indent With = Tabs |
Each unit is a tab (\t). |
Indent With = Custom |
Each unit is the first character of Custom; falls back to space when blank. |
| Indent Empty on (default) | Blank lines are also indented (line of pure indent chars). |
| Indent Empty off | Empty lines pass through unchanged. |
| Paragraphs off (default) | Every line is indented. |
| Paragraphs on | Only the first line of each paragraph is indented (paragraphs split on 2+ line breaks). |
FAQ
How do I indent with two spaces?
2 and Indent With to Spaces. Every line will gain two leading spaces.Can I indent with a hyphen, asterisk, or other character?
Custom and put the character into Custom. Only the first character is used. For multi-character markers (like > for quotes) use add prefix to each line.What does Paragraphs mode do exactly?
How do I remove the indent later?
Remove All mode strips every leading whitespace character; Remove N Levels removes a fixed indent symbol N times.