# Parentheses Not Appearing **URL:** \ **Category:** Have a question?\ **Created:** [June 4, 2025, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255 "2025-06-04T15:02:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelBritt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/user_avatar/community.textexpander.com/michaelbritt/32/346_2.png) [@MichaelBritt](https://community.textexpander.com/u/MichaelBritt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/1 "2025-06-04T15:02:48Z")
I have a snippet called “tin” which contains a number (tin stands for “Training Identification Number”) and there are times when I need this number to be written inside parentheses. I created a snippet called “tinp” that looks like this: (Snippet: tin). However, when I expand this snippet, the parentheses don’t appear. Why is this happening, and is there a work-around? Appreciate the help, Michael ---
**Author:** ![LarrySolesbee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a183cd/32.png) [@LarrySolesbee](https://community.textexpander.com/u/LarrySolesbee)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/2 "2025-06-04T17:21:26Z")
Just for grins try parenthesis inside parenthesis ---
**Author:** ![MichaelBritt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/user_avatar/community.textexpander.com/michaelbritt/32/346_2.png) [@MichaelBritt](https://community.textexpander.com/u/MichaelBritt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/3 "2025-06-04T17:25:42Z")
Hadn’t tried that yet, but I just did and - darn that doesn’t work either. ---
**Author:** ![josh.centers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/user_avatar/community.textexpander.com/josh.centers/32/8_2.png) [@josh.centers](https://community.textexpander.com/u/josh.centers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/4 "2025-06-05T14:34:36Z")
Try changing the abbreviation for `tinp` to `ptin` and see if that fixes it. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelBritt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/user_avatar/community.textexpander.com/michaelbritt/32/346_2.png) [@MichaelBritt](https://community.textexpander.com/u/MichaelBritt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 6:11pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/5 "2025-06-05T18:11:39Z")
Thanks, Josh, for your suggestion. I tried your suggestion and I think we’re a little bit closer, but it didn’t quite work. Here’s what happened: [https://app.screencast.com/NMYXbIIy7qwJD](https://app.screencast.com/NMYXbIIy7qwJD) ---
**Author:** ![josh.centers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/user_avatar/community.textexpander.com/josh.centers/32/8_2.png) [@josh.centers](https://community.textexpander.com/u/josh.centers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/6 "2025-06-05T18:21:26Z")
Thanks for the video. Super odd! A couple of things to try: 1. Check the content of your `tin` Snippet to make sure it’s just the number. 2. Put a semicolon in front of both Snippet abbreviations (be sure to update the embedded Snippet abbreviation also!). That way we’re not accidentally expanding another Snippet with `tin` in the abbreviation. This set up is working for me: ![Screenshot 2025-06-05 at 1.20.01 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/original/1X/c6422b0a5f1e628a7e505ad6914d7553558826da.png) ![Screenshot 2025-06-05 at 1.21.02 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/original/1X/b093dda9fe2820b074370a365062490d21eead69.png) ---
**Author:** ![MichaelBritt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/user_avatar/community.textexpander.com/michaelbritt/32/346_2.png) [@MichaelBritt](https://community.textexpander.com/u/MichaelBritt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/7 "2025-06-05T18:32:23Z")
That worked! Thanks so much. Why is it that doing this with a semicolon made this work? ---
**Author:** ![josh.centers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/user_avatar/community.textexpander.com/josh.centers/32/8_2.png) [@josh.centers](https://community.textexpander.com/u/josh.centers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/8 "2025-06-05T19:14:21Z")
Awesome! My guess is you have another Snippet with an abbreviation that starts with `tin` that is being triggered. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelBritt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/textexpander/user_avatar/community.textexpander.com/michaelbritt/32/346_2.png) [@MichaelBritt](https://community.textexpander.com/u/MichaelBritt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.textexpander.com/t/parentheses-not-appearing/255/9 "2025-06-05T19:33:32Z")
Interesting, okay, I’ll keep an eye out for that. Again, thanks Josh.