# Greeting The Greeting is your character’s icebreaker, the first message it sends when a conversation begins. It sets the tone, gives users a feel for the character’s personality or role, and plays a big part in creating an engaging first impression. Think of it as the character’s way of saying, “Here’s who I am, let’s chat!”

You can set a greeting for your character by navigating to the “Greeting” section of the creation screen. A greeting can be anywhere from 0 to 2,000 characters long and is required to complete creating your character. * The special variable `{{user}}` can be used to address the user directly in your greeting. For example, "Hello `{{user}}` ," would display as "Hello Julie" if the user's name is Julie. * The special variable `{{char}}` can be used to address the character directly in your greeting. For example, "Hello `{{char}}` ," would display as “Hello Jane” if the character's name is Jane. * You can use markdowns to format your message and make it more engaging. To learn more about markdowns and how to use them, visit the article [here](https://docs.spicychat.ai/advanced/markdowns). Aim for something concise yet expressive that hooks users right from the start. For example, if your chatbot is a fitness trainer named "FitGuru," your greeting might be: > Hey there, `{{user}}`! It's FitGuru here, your personal fitness coach. Let's set some goals and break some personal records today. Ready to sweat? *flexes* Greetings have substantial influence, especially if your character has minimal details or a non-descriptive name. You can use it to further define who your character is, set the scene for a roleplay, hint at the character’s tone or intentions, or even launch users directly into a scenario or game.