# Character quick start

> The fields a character actually requires, and how to get one working.

Source: https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/quick-start
Language: en

The character editor opens at `/app/characters/create`. It has four tabs and one save button that is repeated in every tab footer, so you can save from wherever you happen to be.

## What is actually required \[#what-is-actually-required]

The editor refuses to save without these four. Everything else on every tab is optional.

| Field                    | Tab               | Limit                | Notes                                                        |
| ------------------------ | ----------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Character Name**       | Basic Information | 1–50 characters      | —                                                            |
| **Character Bio**        | Basic Information | 10–500 characters    | Shown on character cards and the character page              |
| **Detailed Description** | Basic Information | 10–10,000 characters | Defines the character for the AI; other players never see it |
| **Character Categories** | Basic Information | 1–20 categories      | Chosen from Reverie's category list                          |

One more requirement applies only when you publish: a **public** character must have an avatar, and that avatar is checked before the save goes through. See [image guidelines](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/image-guidelines).

> A public character also needs a personality (or a description that does the
> job) and at least one opening greeting to appear in discovery at all. That is
> a separate gate from saving — see [the discovery
> checklist](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/publishing#the-discovery-checklist).

## The four tabs \[#the-four-tabs]

| Tab                       | Holds                                                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Basic Information**     | Name, gender, age, bio, creator notes, detailed description, avatar, banner, tags, categories                                                 |
| **Character Description** | Personality, appearance, relationship with the player, [preset personas](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/preset-personas)               |
| **Advanced Settings**     | Example conversations, starter dialogs, [prompt fields](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/prompt-fields), plugins, scenarios, world books |
| **General Settings**      | Visibility, NSFW content, reviews, community snapshots, AI model, voice                                                                       |

## Build one \[#build-one]

### Fill in the basics \[#fill-in-the-basics]

Name, bio and detailed description, then pick at least one category. Age is optional, but if you set one it must be **18 or over**.

Tags are optional too: up to **50**, each up to **100 characters**. Over-long tag lists are trimmed rather than rejected.

### Add the character's own detail \[#add-the-characters-own-detail]

On **Character Description**, write the personality, the appearance and the **Relationship with Player**. None of these are required to save, but the relationship is what most openings lean on.

### Write an opening \[#write-an-opening]

On **Advanced Settings**, add a **Starter Dialog**: one **Character Greeting** plus any number of **Suggested User Responses**. For an ordinary new chat, Reverie picks one of your Starter Dialogs at random; the player chooses from that opening's suggested responses. See [starter dialogs](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/advanced-settings#starter-dialogs) for scenario and shared-link overrides.

Without at least one greeting, a public character stays out of discovery.

### Test it \[#test-it]

The floating **AI Studio** button in the bottom-right corner opens a panel whose **Test** tab chats with the draft as it currently stands. It unlocks as soon as the form has a name and a description. See [test drive](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/test-drive).

### Set visibility and save \[#set-visibility-and-save]

Visibility lives on **General Settings**. New characters start as **Unlisted - Only accessible via link**; switch to **Public - Visible to everyone** when you are ready, or leave it unlisted and share the link.

The save button reads **Create Character** the first time and **Save Character** afterwards.

## Your unsaved work is kept locally \[#your-unsaved-work-is-kept-locally]

While you type, the editor autosaves the form to your browser and shows **Draft saved automatically**. Come back later and it offers \**Continue your unsaved draft?*\* with a choice of **Restore draft** or **Discard**.

That draft lives in the browser you typed it in, is not synced to your account, and expires after 30 days. It is not a status on the character — nothing exists on Reverie until you press save.

## Start from one of your characters \[#start-from-one-of-your-characters]

To try a new spin on a character you already made, open its editor and choose **Create variant** in the header.

The editor opens as **Create a Character Variant** with the saved version of that character filled in: profile, prompts, scenarios, preset personas, settings and attached world books. Gallery images, stickers and plugins are not copied.

Nothing exists until you press **Create Character**. The variant starts as **Private - Only you can see**, and it gets its own copy of the avatar and banner when you save. If a report limited the original's visibility or marked it NSFW, the variant can't undo that either.

## Faster starting points \[#faster-starting-points]

The editor header carries **Other ways to create**, with links to the two assisted builders, and — in create mode only — an **Import character card** button.

* [Conversational builder](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/conversational-builder) — answer questions, paste a chat log, let an assistant fill the draft.
* [Visual builder](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/visual-builder) — choose a look step by step, then have the profile and avatar generated.
* [Importing characters](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/import-characters) — fill the draft from a SillyTavern or CharacterHub card.

## Related \[#related]

* [Writing a character](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/writing-tips)
* [Advanced settings](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/advanced-settings)
* [Test drive](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/test-drive)
* [Publishing a character](https://reverie.im/en/docs/characters/publishing)