> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://botpress-pb-update-api.mintlify.site/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Variables > Containers for storing and reusing information in Botpress Studio. Variables let you **store information** from somewhere in Botpress Studio and **reuse it somewhere else**. Think of a variable like an **empty box**. You can fill it with any kind of information you want—like a name, a number, or a preference—and put it away for safekeeping. Then, when your bot needs that information again, it can open the box and access what's inside. ## Variable scopes You can use different types of variables to **scope** the information you store. This gives you control over where your bot can access a piece of information. For example, you might want some information to: * [Follow a user across all their conversations](/studio/concepts/variables/scopes/user) (for example, their name and address) * [Persist only throughout a single conversation](/studio/concepts/variables/scopes/conversation) (for example, items in a virtual cart) * [Be safely accessible across all your bot's activity](/studio/concepts/variables/scopes/configuration) (for example, API tokens and secrets) Select any variable scope below to learn more about it: Only available within the current Workflow Available for all conversations with a user Only available within the current conversation Available throughout all your bot's activity Available throughout all your bot's activity, but can't be displayed to users ## Create a variable Configuration variables have a different setup process. Check out the [configuration variables](/studio/concepts/variables/scopes/configuration) page for more information. Before you can store information in a variable, you need to create it: 1. Open any Workflow. 2. Select **+** in the **Variables** section at the bottom of the left navigation bar. 3. Choose a [Scope](#variable-scopes), [Type](#data-types-for-variables) and **Name** for your variable: Create a variable By default, variables are empty when created. However, you can create them with a default value if you prefer—just specify a **Default Value** in the **Additional Settings** menu. ### Assign a value to your variable A freshly created variable is like an empty box—you need put something inside it before you can use it. This is called **assigning a value** to your variable. Studio will usually indicate where you have the option to assign a value to a variable.. For example, in a [Capture Information](/studio/concepts/cards/capture-information) Card: Assign a value to a variable If you want more control over when and how you assign a value to a variable, you can [use code instead](/studio/concepts/variables/in-code). ### Read your variable When you need to access the information stored in a variable, you can **read** it. This is like opening the box and looking at what's inside. Each variable scope is read differently. Check out the [section for your variable's scope](#variable-scopes) for more information. ## Data types for variables Botpress variables are **typed**, meaning they're limited in what data they can hold. These data types are important to: * Ensure the code behind Botpress runs smoothly * Help AI tasks generate better results Here are the different data types available for Botpress variables:
Type Description
String Values that are treated as text. Strings can contain any amount of letters, numbers, or special characters.

Example uses: Storing a user's name, storing an AI task's generated message.
Boolean Variables can be true or false, with a lowercase 't' or 'f'.

Example uses: Storing if a user is a returning customer, storing whether the bot has greeted the user or not
Number Variables that are numeric, either with or without decimal places.

Example uses: Storing a user's phone number, storing an address's area code
Date Variables that are a single date or date and time. Botpress uses ISO 8601 date/time format, such as `20220921T10:34:14` for `21 September 2023 at 10:34 AM` (with 14 seconds).

Example uses: Storing when the user starts a chat, storing a user's appointment date
Object Variable that's a collection of key-value pairs. Useful when dealing with code and written like `{key: value}`.

Example uses: Storing a user's profile, storing the results of an API call
Array Variable that's a collection of other, similar variables. Arrays can contain strings, like `[“a”, “b”, “c”]`, or Objects like `[{key:value},{key:value}]`.

Example uses: Storing a user's past messages, storing options for the user to choose from
Enum Variable that can be one of a set number of choices.

Example uses: Storing days of the week, storing items available from a food menu
Pattern Variable that uses Regular Expressions/Regex to store a special pattern. This pattern can match certain words or numbers.

Example uses: Storing account numbers, storing flight numbers