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# kCTTrackingAttributeName

The tracking for the text.

```
let kCTTrackingAttributeName: CFString
```

## Discussion

The value associated with this attribute must be a <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/CoreFoundation/CFNumber> float. The default is `0` (no tracking).

Tracking adds space, in points, between the specified [character cluster](https://unicode.org/reports/tr29/#Grapheme_Cluster_Boundaries). A positive value increases the spacing between characters, while a negative value brings the characters closer together. For example, setting [`kCTTrackingAttributeName`](/documentation/CoreText/kCTTrackingAttributeName) to 0.1 adds 0.1 point of spacing between each character of the text.

The effect of this attribute is similar to [`kCTKernAttributeName`](/documentation/CoreText/kCTKernAttributeName), but it treats tracking as trailing whitespace and a nonzero amount disables nonessential ligatures, unless overridden by the presence of [`kCTLigatureAttributeName`](/documentation/CoreText/kCTLigatureAttributeName).

> Important:
> If you apply both ``doc://com.apple.coretext/documentation/CoreText/kCTTrackingAttributeName`` and ``doc://com.apple.coretext/documentation/CoreText/kCTKernAttributeName``, ``doc://com.apple.coretext/documentation/CoreText/kCTTrackingAttributeName`` supersedes ``doc://com.apple.coretext/documentation/CoreText/kCTKernAttributeName``.

## See Also

[`kCTKernAttributeName`](/documentation/CoreText/kCTKernAttributeName)

The amount to kern the next character.

[`kCTLigatureAttributeName`](/documentation/CoreText/kCTLigatureAttributeName)

The type of ligatures to use.


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