Using the text and formula editor

Updated August 26, 2024 17:10

How to format the text of your emails, questions, and answers.

You can use our built-in text editor to add flair to your communications and questions. You can use tokens to autofill the names of your candidates in an invitation email, or insert a code box into a more technical custom question. This guide explains how. This article is for TestGorilla users with the Owner, Admin, or Recruiter roles.

Approx. reading time 4 minutes

Using the text editor for emails

The text editor toolbar is at the top of the textbox and can be used to style your text. Simply highlight the desired text and use the buttons to apply styling:

	Bold / Italic /Underline Applies this styling to your text.
	Insert a numbered or bulleted list.
	Position your text to the page's left, center, or right.
	Choose between 2 font sizes for your text — small or large.
	Use tokens — Use autofill tokens for names.
	Hyperlink highlighted text. This could link to your company webpage.
	Remove the formatting of highlighted text.

Using tokens

Tokens allow you to automatically fill the:

Assessment name - {assessment_name}
Candidate’s name - {candidate_name}
Customer name - {customer_name}
Company name - {company_name}

Using tokens, our default template includes the names of both the candidate and the person inviting them, along with the company's name.

To use tokens, you can either type the token manually — typing {assessment_name} for example — or by using the token button:

	Click on the part of the template where you want to place a token.
	Click the token button.
	Select your desired token from the dropdown list.

Your token will be placed straight away — have a look at the preview pane on the right side to see how it will look in action.

Adding links

To add hyperlinks to your invitation:

Highlight the desired text and click the button on the toolbar.

Enter your URL in the popup that appears.

Click Insert.

You will be returned to the text editor, with your hyperlink in place.

Using the text editor for custom questions/tests

As with emails, the text editor toolbar is found at the top of the textbox. It includes a more robust feature set, allowing you to incorporate audio, video functions, and the like:

	Bold / Italic /Underline / Size- Applies this styling to your highlighted text.
	Insert a numbered or bulleted list.
	Sub- and superscript
	Monospaced font. Used to help text stand out. You can also apply text emphasis using bold, italics, or underlining.
	Code snippet. Allows you to type multiple lines of code.
	Quotations. Creates a block quote
	Special characters. Choose from Greek letters, fractions, and symbols.
	Position your text to the left, center, right, or justified.
	Change the text direction to right-to-left. Useful for languages like Arabic and Hebrew.
	Insert a picture/video/audio file. This will be presented as part of the question.
	Hyperlink highlighted text.
	Remove the formatting of highlighted text.
	Insert/edit table. This will be presented as part of the question.

Code snippets

The best way to present code in a question is to actually write code. The code snippet function allows you to do exactly that:

Click the Code snippet button on the toolbar.

Type your code in the code box that appears. Your code will be color-coded automatically.

Using the text editor for answers

While writing the answer to a question, the editing toolbar will appear after you have clicked in an answer textbox :

	Bold / Italic /Underline- Applies this styling to your highlighted text.
	Sub- and superscript
	Change the text direction to right-to-left. Useful for languages like Arabic and Hebrew.
	Monospaced font. Used to help text stand out. You can also apply text emphasis using bold, italics, or underlining.
	Code snippet - allows you to type multiple lines of code.
	Quotations Present text as a block quote.
	Formula editor. Use LaTeX input conventions to enter mathematical formulae.
	Hyperlink highlighted text.
	Remove the formatting of highlighted text.

Note: Formatting will only apply to the text box you have selected.

Common questions

Can I include a file for download when writing a question?
We do not currently support this function. If additional files are required to answer your question, you could hyperlink a download link or external webpage that contains the required information.

Can normal keyboard shortcuts be used for these features?
Absolutely. You can use ctrl-B/I/U for bold/italic/underlined text, and ctrl-K to insert a hyperlink — rather than using the buttons on the toolbar. The standard shortcuts apply for copy, cut, paste, and undo as well.

What file types are supported for image, audio, and video?
All standard files of these types — such as AVI, MPEG, MP4, WAV, MP3, JPG, and PNG are compatible and able to be used.