Troubleshooting

Start with the status pill and the configuration path shown in Settings. Abbrio edits Espanso’s files, while Espanso is a separate process; a problem in one does not always mean the other is unavailable.

Espanso or its configuration is not found

1. Open Settings → General and check the Espanso binary and configuration-folder paths.
2. Confirm that the selected folder is the one containing the configuration Abbrio should use.
3. If Espanso is installed but not running, use the engine control only when you intend to start that service.
4. Reopen the main window and check the status pill again.

An empty or missing match folder may show no sets even when Espanso itself is installed. Do not copy sample or unrelated YAML into the live configuration as a troubleshooting shortcut.

Paused, Secure Input, or no expansion

If the status is Paused, resume expansions from the menu-bar menu if that is what you intend. Secure Input is reported as probable; a secure field or another app may be holding input. Leave the secure field and re-check before changing settings. If the status is Not running, plain-text Quick Search items may still be pasted by Abbrio, but items that need Espanso cannot be expanded by the engine.

If Quick Search cannot read a selection, check whether macOS granted the requested Accessibility permission. Search still works with a query entered in its field; a selection-reading fallback may also be available depending on the action and macOS behavior.

A set or item cannot be read

Abbrio marks a file it cannot read and can keep complex or unknown YAML read-only in the form. Open the YAML view or inspect the file in an external editor to find malformed indentation, an incomplete value, or an unsupported structure. Make a separate copy before hand-editing configuration, and avoid editing the same file in both places while Abbrio has a draft open.

If a file changed on disk while an item was open, choose Load from Disk to discard the draft or Keep Mine to save the draft. Abbrio stores numbered write backups under .abbrio/backups/; compare a backup with the current file before restoring it.

A package or rule does not work

For a package failure, read Espanso’s output shown by Abbrio, check the package name and network connection, and retry only after reviewing the source and package files. If an install or update reports a duplicate trigger, resolve the overlap before using the package. A Git package is external and may contain commands or scripts; do not install it unless you trust its repository.

For a regular-expression rule, review Abbrio’s compatibility warnings and the Espanso log. Try It is a close approximation, not the Espanso regex engine, so a passing sample does not guarantee a live expansion.