> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.4thewords.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # The Writing Editor > Find your way around the editor: the header, the side panels, formatting, shortcuts, find and replace, and fullscreen. The editor is where your words become weapons. Every word you type deals damage to your active [battle](/writing/writing-battles/overview), counts toward your streak and goals, and saves as you go. Your job is to write. The editor keeps track of the rest. > **Where to find it:** Left sidebar → **Writing** → open any file [Open in 4TW ↗](https://app.4thewords.com/writing/files) ## The editor at a glance * **File tree (left).** All your files and projects, so you can hop between them without leaving the editor. See [Writing Home](/writing/documents-and-editor/writing-home#the-file-tree). * **Header (top).** Your file's title, its project, your counters, and the file actions menu (**⋯**). * **Writing space (middle).** Just you and the page. * **Right panel.** Four tabs: **Battle**, **Pages**, **Comments**, and **Statistics**. ### The header Click the title to rename your file. Press Enter to save or Esc to cancel. Under the title, a project chip shows where the file lives, or **Unassigned** if it isn't in a project. Click the chip to add it to one. Your counters: * **Saved.** A small icon that switches to **Saving** while your latest words are on their way. * **Words.** The total for the whole file. * **This page.** The words on the page you're on. It appears once your file has two or more [pages](/writing/documents-and-editor/pages). * **Time.** How long you've spent writing in this file. Want less on screen? Click **Hide bar** to fold the header away. A small **Show bar** pill brings it back. ### Classic or minimal header Open the **⋯** menu and switch **Header: classic** to **Header: minimal** for a quieter screen. The minimal header keeps your counters on one slim line. The formatting toolbar appears when you hover over the top of the page. Choose **Pin toolbar** from the **⋯** menu to keep it in view. ### The right panel Click **Show panel** on the right edge to open it. The panel floats over your text. Click **Lock panel in place** to push your text aside instead, and drag the panel's edge to resize it. | Tab | What it's for | | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Battle** | Your active battle, your battle list, and the **Monsters**, **Quests**, **Daily**, and **Recap** views | | **Pages** | Add, rename, reorder, and delete the pages in this file | | **Comments** | Notes on your text, and conversations with collaborators | | **Statistics** | Your pace, the words you typed, deleted, and pasted, and your file goal | While the panel floats, the Battle tab closes as soon as you start typing, so it never covers your words. Lock the panel in place if you'd rather watch the monster's health drop as you write. ## Battles while you write Your active battle sits in the row above the editor, showing the monster, the words (or defense) left, and the time remaining. Click it to open or close the **Battle** tab. Hover over it for quick controls: **Autostart**, **Loop**, and **Throw a potion**. Your words hit the monster a second after you pause, and every ten seconds while you keep going. [Co-op battles](/writing/writing-battles/co-op-battles) show here too, as **Co-Op battle in progress**. ## Formatting your text The toolbar sits in the header. Anything that doesn't fit on your screen tucks under **More tools**. * **Paragraph style.** Normal text, or **Heading 1** to **Heading 4**. * **Text styles.** Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, superscript, and inline code. * **Color.** **Text color** and **Highlight color**, each with a button to clear it. * **Lists.** Numbered, bullet, and **Task list** with checkboxes. * **Indent and alignment.** Indent, outdent, and align left, center, right, or justify. * **Insert.** Blockquote, **Collapsible section**, horizontal rule, table, and image. * **Tools.** **Find & Replace**, **Add comment**, and **Clear formatting**. On desktop, select some text and a small bubble pops up with the styles you use most, plus **Add comment**. ### The slash menu Type `/` anywhere to open a menu of every block and style. Keep typing to narrow it down, then press Enter. It also has one extra the toolbar doesn't: **Code block**. Prefer to type without it? Turn it off in [Editor Settings](/writing/documents-and-editor/editor-settings). ### Moving blocks around Hover over any paragraph to see a grip handle (⋮⋮) on its left. Drag it to move the whole block. Click the **+** beside it to add a new line below. Dragging a block to a new spot counts as a paste. Whether those words count again follows your [pasted-words setting](/writing/documents-and-editor/editor-settings#pasted-words). ### Tables Click **Insert table** from the toolbar or the slash menu. The column and row menus let you add, move, or delete columns and rows, or delete the whole table. ### Images Add an image from a link to a picture that's already online. 1. **Copy the link.** Right-click the image and choose **Copy image address**. 2. **Insert it.** Click **Insert image** and paste the link. 3. **Resize.** Drag the image's bottom-right corner. It keeps its shape. The image has to be public. A link to a private file, or to a page that shows the image instead of the image itself, won't load. You'll see **Image unavailable** where the picture should be. ## Keyboard shortcuts | Shortcut | What it does | | ------------------------ | -------------------------------- | | `Ctrl/Cmd + B`, `I`, `U` | Bold, italic, underline | | `Ctrl/Cmd + K` | Open the command palette | | `Ctrl/Cmd + F` | Find | | `Ctrl/Cmd + H` | Find and replace | | `Ctrl/Cmd + /` | Open the slash menu | | `Ctrl/Cmd + Enter` | Start a new page from the cursor | | `Tab` / `Shift + Tab` | Indent / outdent | | `Esc` | Leave fullscreen | The **command palette** (`Ctrl/Cmd + K`) finds any formatting tool, file action, or panel by name. Type what you want and press Enter. ## Find and replace Press `Ctrl/Cmd + F` to search, or `Ctrl/Cmd + H` to replace. Toggle **Case Sensitive** or **Whole Word** to narrow your results. Press Enter for the next match and Shift + Enter for the one before. Writing across several pages? Switch between **This page** and **All pages** to search the whole file at once. Replace works on one page at a time, even when you search **All pages**. Visit each page to replace its matches. ## Fullscreen Choose **Full screen** from the **⋯** menu to hide the app's navigation and the battle row. Both side panels start closed, and the arrows on each edge open them. Press Esc or click **Close full screen** when you're done. ## The file actions menu Open the **⋯** menu in the header for: * **Rename, tags, projects, and favorites.** **Rename**, **Add tag**, **Assign to project**, and **Add to favorites**. * **Share file.** Invite friends to read or co-write. See [Sharing & Collaboration](/writing/documents-and-editor/sharing-and-collaboration). * **Full screen and Editor Settings.** Make the editor yours. * **Export.** Download this file as Word, Text, Markdown, or HTML. * **Versions.** Browse and restore earlier snapshots. See [File Versions](/writing/documents-and-editor/file-versions). * **Archive.** Put the file away without deleting it. ## Saving The editor saves a moment after you stop typing, and again whenever you switch tabs or leave the page. Keep an eye on the **Saved** icon in the header. If you see **Couldn't save your latest changes**, keep the tab open and check your connection. Have the same file open in two browser tabs? The editor spots it and shows **Conflict detected**. Close one tab so your newest words win. ## On mobile On a phone, the side panels slide in from the edges of the screen and the toolbar sits at the bottom. Tap **Hide the editor bar** to give your words more room. You'll find spellcheck in the **⋯** menu. ## Frequently Asked Questions File actions like **Export** and **Versions** live in the **⋯** menu in the header. Spellcheck is in the command palette: press `Ctrl/Cmd + K` and search for it, or anything else, by name. Paste or type a web address and it turns into a link automatically. You can switch that off in Editor Settings. Links don't open when you click them in the editor, so you won't lose your place mid-sentence. Each Chinese character and each Japanese kana counts as one word. Korean, like English, counts words by the spaces between them. No. Undo and redo don't count as new words, so bringing back text you just removed won't add to your battle. Open the **Statistics** tab in the right panel and click **Add goal**. See [Writing Goals](/writing/goals). Press `Ctrl/Cmd + K`, search for **Spellcheck**, and check that it's on. The editor uses your browser's spellchecker, so its language follows your browser settings. Split very long pages into shorter ones. You'll see a heads-up once a page reaches 100,000 words. See [Pages](/writing/documents-and-editor/pages#page-word-limits). **Make the editor yours** Split a file into pages, reorder them, and search across all of them. Pick your font, colors, margins, and typing helpers. Every word you type in the editor deals damage.