typst

Typst

This skill targets Typst 0.15+ by default. For Typst 0.14.2, use the typst-0.14.2 repository tag for the previous skill snapshot, typst query for CLI introspection, or --channel 0.14.2 with API search.

Compilation

typst compile document.typ              # compile once → PDF
typst compile document.typ output.pdf   # explicit output path
typst compile document.typ -f png       # export as PNG image
typst compile src/main.typ --root .     # set project root for /path imports
typst watch document.typ                # recompile on change
typst eval --in document.typ 'query(heading).len()'  # Typst 0.15+ introspection

For command options beyond this quick reference, see cli.md.

Agent verification — choose by what you need to check (see debug.md for details):

Method	Command	Best for
HTML export	typst compile doc.typ /dev/stdout -f html --features html 2>/dev/null	Text content, structure, headings, tables
PNG export	typst compile doc.typ page-{p}.png -f png	Visual layout, alignment, spacing, fonts
pdftotext	typst compile doc.typ && pdftotext doc.pdf -	Fallback for page-specific content

Minimal Document

#set page(paper: "a4", margin: 2cm)
#set text(size: 11pt)

= Title

Content goes here.

Writing Documents

Starting a new document? Copy the closest recipe from Examples below — it's faster than starting blank and each row names the docs to read next.

When you need to...	Read
Learn syntax, imports, functions, control flow	basics.md
Learn data types, operators, string/array methods	types.md
Style pages, headings, figures, layout	styling.md
Tables, grids, cell spans, borders, data tables	tables.md
Academic papers, bibliography, theorems, equations	academic.md
Convert from Markdown or LaTeX	conversion.md
Use Typst CLI commands and build options	cli.md
Extract data from documents, multi-pass builds	query.md

Developing Packages and Templates

When you need to...	Read
State, counters, in-document query(), XML	advanced.md
CLI introspection, metadata export, multi-pass	query.md
Create a reusable template function	template.md
Create or publish a package	package.md
Verify output (HTML/PNG/pdftotext, repr)	debug.md
Profile performance (--timings, hotspots)	perf.md

basics.md and types.md are also the foundation for developers.

Finding Packages

Search the embedded index of Typst Universe packages (updated weekly):

python3 scripts/search-packages.py "what you need"
python3 scripts/search-packages.py "chart" --category visualization
python3 scripts/search-packages.py --category cv --top 5
python3 scripts/search-packages.py --list-categories

Common Errors

Error	Cause	Fix
"unknown variable"	Undefined identifier	Check spelling, ensure #let before use
"expected X, found Y"	Type mismatch	Check function signature in docs
"file not found"	Bad import path	Paths resolve relative to current file
"unknown font"	Font not installed	Use system fonts or web-safe alternatives
"maximum function call depth exceeded"	Deep recursion	Use iteration instead
"can only be used when context is known"	Missing context wrapper	Wrap in context { ... }
"unexpected argument"	= instead of : for args	Named args use : syntax: func(name: value)
"variables from outside are read-only"	Mutating captured variable	Use loop accumulation or state() — see advanced.md
"expected content, found string" (or vice versa)	Content/string type mismatch	Use [#str-var] to embed string in content
set/show rule has no effect	Rule placed after content	Place set/show rules before the content they target

Examples

Copy the closest starter, adjust, compile. For CVs, letters, or slides, search packages: python3 scripts/search-packages.py --category cv (or letter, presentation).

Example	Start here when you want...	Next read
basic-document.typ	A short note or memo	basics.md, styling.md
styled-document.typ	A multi-section report with page styling	styling.md, tables.md
template-report.typ	A reusable template for a series	template.md
tables-showcase.typ	A data-heavy doc (tables, CSV/JSON)	tables.md, types.md
academic-paper.typ	A paper with citations, theorems, math	academic.md
query-export.typ	Metadata export or multi-pass builds	query.md
package-example/	A publishable package	package.md

Dependencies

• typst CLI 0.15+ recommended: Install from https://typst.app or via package manager
  • macOS: brew install typst
  • Linux: cargo install typst-cli
  • Windows: winget install typst
• pdftotext (optional): For text-level output verification
• Python 3.10+ (optional): For package search and validation scripts
• jq (optional): For parsing JSON output from typst eval or typst query in shell scripts

API Reference Search

Search the embedded index of Typst API functions, methods, and constructors:

python3 scripts/search-api.py "image width fit"
python3 scripts/search-api.py "color lighten" --kind method
python3 scripts/search-api.py --name str.position -v
python3 scripts/search-api.py "rightarrow" --kind symbol   # LaTeX names work
python3 scripts/search-api.py "path" --channel 0.14.2      # legacy Typst 0.14 API
python3 scripts/search-api.py --list-categories

Ecosystem Tools

Ecosystem tools: tinymist (LSP/editor), typstyle (formatter), typst-package-check (package validator), tytanic (visual test runner). For package tooling details, see package.md.