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+---
+icon: lucide/git-branch
+tags:
+  - Extensions
+  - Authoring
+status: new
+---
+
+# Directives
+
+Directives let you build focused variants of a documentation site from one set
+of Markdown sources. Use them to select block content, insert values, and
+reuse whole source files for products, editions, deployment models, or other
+named variants.
+
+!!! info "Preview in Zensical Spark"
+
+    The Directives extension is currently available only in [Zensical Spark].
+    We will add more functionality based on feedback from Spark members.
+    You can explore our example project within Zensical Studio (see below).
+
+## See it in Zensical Studio
+
+[Zensical Studio] provides syntax highlighting and variant-aware Markdown
+previews for directives (click to enlarge):
+
+![shows switching between variants and how the source documents imports
+reusable content](../assets/images/directives.webp)
+
+You can explore our example project [deployment-guide example] directly in
+Zensical Studio. You do not need to install the Directives extension - or even
+Zensical itself.
+
+Switch between the `cloud` and `self-hosted` variants to see the exact content
+that each build produces. Follow links to explore how the project makes use of
+conditional directives and `@use` to reuse content and adapt it to ensure that
+each variant contains the appropriate content.
+
+## Installation
+
+Download the wheel provided within Zensical Spark, then install it into the
+Python environment that you use to build your site:
+
+``` sh
+pip install path/to/zensical_directives-0.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
+```
+
+## Configuration
+
+Enable the extension in `zensical.toml`:
+
+``` toml
+[project.markdown_extensions]
+zensical.directives = {}
+```
+
+Create `catalog.toml` in the project root. It declares the values that source
+files may use and the named variants that select them:
+
+``` toml
+default_variant = "cloud"
+
+[variables.deployment]
+values = ["cloud", "self-hosted"]
+
+[variables.authentication]
+values = ["single-sign-on", "local"]
+
+[variants.cloud]
+deployment = "cloud"
+authentication = "single-sign-on"
+
+[variants.self-hosted]
+deployment = "self-hosted"
+authentication = "local"
+```
+
+### The catalog
+
+`catalog.toml` gives directives a shared vocabulary and defines the build
+contexts that your documentation supports. It has three top-level parts:
+
+| Part              | Purpose                                                     |
+| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `default_variant` | Names the variant used when no environment override is set. |
+| `variables`       | Declares the values that source files may test or insert.   |
+| `variants`        | Names each build context and assigns its variable values.   |
+
+Each variable declares one string or a list of allowed strings. Every named
+variant must assign one allowed string value to every declared variable.
+
+Variable names must start with an ASCII letter and may then use ASCII letters,
+digits, and underscores. Names beginning with an underscore are reserved for
+built-in values; `_variant` is the built-in name for the selected variant. The
+condition keywords `and`, `or`, and `not` are also reserved as variable names.
+
+## Usage
+
+### Quick start
+
+Use the catalog values in your Markdown source:
+
+``` markdown
+# Deploy Acme Platform
+
+@if deployment = cloud
+
+    ## Set up the cloud deployment
+
+    Create an Acme Platform workspace. The service is managed for you.
+
+@elif deployment = self-hosted
+
+    ## Set up the self-hosted deployment
+
+    Provision a Linux host and install the server package.
+
+@use shared/deployment-overview.md
+
+This guide covers the **@var{deployment}** deployment.
+```
+
+Create the included source at `content/shared/deployment-overview.md`:
+
+``` markdown
+Read the deployment overview before configuring the service.
+```
+
+Build the catalog's default variant as usual:
+
+``` sh
+zensical build
+```
+
+Set `ZENSICAL_VARIANT` to build or preview another named variant:
+
+``` sh
+ZENSICAL_VARIANT=self-hosted zensical serve
+```
+
+`ZENSICAL_VARIANT` overrides `default_variant` when both are set.
+
+### Conditional content
+
+Use `@if`, `@elif`, and `@else` to select block content. A branch body starts
+four columns beyond its directive and may contain ordinary Markdown or nested
+directives:
+
+``` markdown
+@if authentication = single-sign-on
+
+    Configure the SAML or OpenID Connect connection.
+
+@else
+
+    Create the first administrator account locally.
+```
+
+Conditions compare a catalog variable, or `_variant`, with a value. Combine
+comparisons with `and`, `or`, and `not`, and use parentheses when needed.
+Unquoted values may contain ASCII letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens.
+You may quote a value, and must do so when it contains whitespace, punctuation
+other than hyphens, or non-ASCII characters:
+
+``` markdown
+@if deployment = self-hosted and authentication = "single-sign-on"
+
+    Configure the identity provider before inviting users.
+```
+
+### Insert a value
+
+Use `@var{name}` in ordinary Markdown text to insert a selected catalog value.
+The built-in `_variant` value is the selected variant's name:
+
+``` markdown
+This guide covers the @var{deployment} deployment for the @var{_variant} variant.
+```
+
+### Reuse a source file
+
+Use `@use` on its own line to include a whole source file:
+
+``` markdown
+@use shared/security-notice.md
+```
+
+The path is relative to `content_dir`, which defaults to `content` in the
+project root. Quote a path that contains whitespace:
+
+``` markdown
+@use "shared/security notice.md"
+```
+
+Included files use the same selected variant, may contain directives and nested
+`@use` directives, and must remain inside `content_dir`.
+
+Unlike a textual snippet, an included file retains its own source location.
+Relative links and images resolve from that file, then Zensical adapts their
+destinations for the page where the content appears. This also works through
+nested `@use` directives.
+
+### Use alongside snippets and macros
+
+Use directives when reuse and variation are part of the documentation model:
+the catalog defines the allowed values and variants, and each build contains
+only the selected content. Snippets remain useful for fixed source text, while
+macros suit generated text or template logic.
+
+Snippets and macros run on the original page before directives are parsed.
+Included source files are not passed through those textual extensions again.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+Like other Markdown extensions, directives do not stop a build when Zensical
+cannot resolve a catalog or directive problem. It emits a warning and leaves
+the unresolved directive visible in the output instead. We will add validation
+to Zensical Studio first, so authors can find and fix these issues while
+writing.
+
+[deployment-guide example]: ../assets/deployment-guide.zip
+[Zensical Spark]: https://zensical.org/spark/
+[Zensical Studio]: https://zensical.org/studio/
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index 9743493..78e6d5b 100755
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ nav:
       - Content tabs: authoring/content-tabs.md
       - Data tables: authoring/data-tables.md
       - Diagrams: authoring/diagrams.md
+      - Directives: authoring/directives.md
       - Footnotes: authoring/footnotes.md
       - Formatting: authoring/formatting.md
       - Grids: authoring/grids.md