---
title: What Yabar changes in yabai
description: Everything Yabar registers or changes in yabai, and how it is put back.
url: https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/yabar/reference/yabai
---

# What Yabar changes in yabai
Everything carries a `yabar-` label and is taken back out when Yabar quits:
- **Signals** `yabar-<event>` for window, application, space and display events. Each writes one line to Yabar's
  socket (`/tmp/yabar_$USER.socket`) with `nc`; it costs a few milliseconds and does nothing when Yabar isn't running.
- **A rule** `yabar-overlays` keeps yabai from managing Yabar's own indicator panels.
- **Rules** `yabar-scratchpad-<name>` for [scratchpads](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/yabar/moving-around/scratchpads).

Per space, as [profiles](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/yabar/layouts/profiles), [room for indicators](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/yabar/stacks/room), [columns](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/yabar/layouts/columns)
and [focus sizing](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/yabar/layouts/focus-sizing) ask:
- `space --padding`, `space --gap`, `space --layout`
- `config --space N split_type`, `config --space N auto_balance`
- `window --resize`, `--stack`, `--insert`, `--warp` as you work.

Only what differs from your `.yabairc` is sent. On quit (including `kill` and logout) every space Yabar changed goes
back to your `.yabairc`'s padding, gap, split type and auto-balance; after a crash, the next launch does it. A space's
layout is only ever reset when a profile set it: yabai rebuilds a space on every `--layout`.
Every few seconds Yabar checks its signals are still there: a yabai that restarted has none, and gets them back.