diff --git a/byg/src/DependencyGenerator.hs b/byg/src/DependencyGenerator.hs
index 51e5e03..3d96aaf 100644
--- a/byg/src/DependencyGenerator.hs
+++ b/byg/src/DependencyGenerator.hs
@@ -18,10 +18,13 @@ module DependencyGenerator
 
   , appendStrings
   , concatStrings
+  , appendTexts
+  , concatTexts
   , joinPaths
   , fileComponents
   , isImageExtension
   , applyTemplate
+  , toText
   , listDirectory
   , readTemplate
   , convertImage
@@ -41,6 +44,7 @@ import Types.Dependency (Action(..), Dependency, makeDependency)
 
 import Control.Monad.State (MonadState, State, runState, put, get)
 import Control.Monad.Writer (MonadWriter, WriterT, execWriterT, tell)
+import Data.Text (Text)
 
 newtype DepGenM a = DepGenM { unDepGenM :: WriterT [Dependency] (State Int) a }
   deriving (Functor, Applicative, Monad, MonadState Int, MonadWriter [Dependency])
@@ -167,6 +171,15 @@ appendStrings (a, b) = do
 concatStrings :: TokenableTo [String] a => a -> DepGenM' String
 concatStrings a = runFunction ConcatStrings =<< toToken a
 
+appendTexts :: (TokenableTo Text a, TokenableTo Text b) => (a, b) -> DepGenM' Text
+appendTexts (a, b) = do
+  a' <- toToken a
+  b' <- toToken b
+  runFunction AppendTexts $ TupleToken (a', b')
+
+concatTexts :: TokenableTo [Text] a => a -> DepGenM' Text
+concatTexts a = runFunction ConcatTexts =<< toToken a
+
 joinPaths :: (TokenableTo FilePath a, TokenableTo FilePath b) => (a, b) -> DepGenM' FilePath
 joinPaths (a, b) = do
   a' <- toToken a
@@ -179,12 +192,15 @@ fileComponents a = runFunction FileComponents =<< toToken a
 isImageExtension :: TokenableTo FilePath a => a -> DepGenM' Bool
 isImageExtension a = runFunction IsImageExtension =<< toToken a
 
-applyTemplate :: (TokenableTo Template a, TokenableTo String b) => (a, b) -> DepGenM' String
+applyTemplate :: (TokenableTo Template a, TokenableTo Text b) => (a, b) -> DepGenM' Text
 applyTemplate (a, b) = do
   a' <- toToken a
   b' <- toToken b
   runFunction ApplyTemplate $ TupleToken (a', b')
 
+toText :: TokenableTo String a => a -> DepGenM' Text
+toText a = runFunction ToText =<< toToken a
+
 listDirectory :: TokenableTo FilePath a => a -> DepGenM' [FilePath]
 listDirectory a = runFunctionIO ListDirectory =<< toToken a
 
@@ -197,7 +213,7 @@ convertImage (a, b) = do
   b' <- toToken b
   runFunctionIO' ConvertImage $ TupleToken (a', b')
 
-saveFile :: (TokenableTo String a, TokenableTo FilePath b) => (a, b) -> DepGenM ()
+saveFile :: (TokenableTo Text a, TokenableTo FilePath b) => (a, b) -> DepGenM ()
 saveFile (a, b) = do
   a' <- toToken a
   b' <- toToken b
@@ -215,5 +231,5 @@ copyFile' = runFunctionIO' CopyFile
 makeDir :: TokenableTo FilePath a => a -> DepGenM ()
 makeDir a = runFunctionIO' MakeDir =<< toToken a
 
-runPandoc :: TokenableTo FilePath a => a -> DepGenM' String
+runPandoc :: TokenableTo FilePath a => a -> DepGenM' Text
 runPandoc a = runFunctionIO RunPandoc =<< toToken a
diff --git a/byg/src/Evaluation/Function.hs b/byg/src/Evaluation/Function.hs
index 48e919d..1885833 100644
--- a/byg/src/Evaluation/Function.hs
+++ b/byg/src/Evaluation/Function.hs
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ evalFunction f x = case (f, x) of
   (ConcatStrings, List _) ->
     String undefined
 
+  (AppendTexts, Tuple (Text _, Text _)) ->
+    Text undefined
+
+  (ConcatTexts, List _) ->
+    Text undefined
+
   (JoinPaths, Tuple (String _, String _)) ->
     String undefined
 
@@ -21,8 +27,11 @@ evalFunction f x = case (f, x) of
   (IsImageExtension, String _) ->
     Bool undefined
 
-  (ApplyTemplate, Tuple (Template _, String _)) ->
-    String undefined
+  (ApplyTemplate, Tuple (Template _, Text _)) ->
+    Text undefined
+
+  (ToText, String _) ->
+    Text undefined
 
   _ ->
     error "unexpected combination of function and argument type"
diff --git a/byg/src/Evaluation/FunctionIO.hs b/byg/src/Evaluation/FunctionIO.hs
index bcd7cbb..63a6a27 100644
--- a/byg/src/Evaluation/FunctionIO.hs
+++ b/byg/src/Evaluation/FunctionIO.hs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ evalFunctionIO f x = case (f, x) of
   (ConvertImage, Tuple (Tuple (String _, String _), ImageConversionSettings _)) ->
     pure $ Empty
 
-  (SaveFile, Tuple (String _, String _)) ->
+  (SaveFile, Tuple (Text _, String _)) ->
     pure $ Empty
 
   (CopyFile, Tuple (String _, String _)) ->
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ evalFunctionIO f x = case (f, x) of
     pure $ Empty
 
   (RunPandoc, String _) ->
-    pure $ String undefined
+    pure $ Text undefined
 
   _ ->
     error "unexpected combination of function and argument type"
diff --git a/byg/src/SiteGenerator.hs b/byg/src/SiteGenerator.hs
index 7c54666..396840b 100644
--- a/byg/src/SiteGenerator.hs
+++ b/byg/src/SiteGenerator.hs
@@ -4,19 +4,21 @@ module SiteGenerator (generateSite) where
 import Types
 import DependencyGenerator
 
+import Data.Text (Text)
+
 thumbnailImageFilename :: Token FilePath -> DepGenM' FilePath
 thumbnailImageFilename filename = do
   (base, ext) <- untupleDepGenM (fileComponents filename)
   appendStrings (appendStrings (base, inject "-thumbnail."), ext)
 
-makeImageHTML :: Token (FilePath, FilePath) -> DepGenM' String
+makeImageHTML :: Token (FilePath, FilePath) -> DepGenM' Text
 makeImageHTML t = do
   (thumbnail, actual) <- untupleDepGenM t
-  appendStrings (inject "<p><a href=\"",
-                 appendStrings (actual,
-                                appendStrings (inject "\"><img src=\"",
-                                               appendStrings (thumbnail,
-                                                              inject "\"></a></p>"))))
+  appendTexts (inject "<p><a href=\"",
+               appendTexts (toText actual,
+                            appendTexts (inject "\"><img src=\"",
+                                         appendTexts (toText thumbnail,
+                                                      inject "\"></a></p>"))))
 
 handleRecipeDir :: Token FilePath -> Token Template -> Token FilePath -> Token FilePath -> DepGenM ()
 handleRecipeDir outputDir template indexName dir = do
@@ -36,8 +38,8 @@ handleRecipeDir outputDir template indexName dir = do
     (ZipToken (imagePaths, thumbnailImagePaths))
   htmlBodyBase <- runPandoc (joinPaths (dir, inject "ret.md"))
   htmlBodyImages <- mapDepGenM makeImageHTML (ZipToken (thumbnailImageFilenames, imageFilenames))
-  imagesHtml <- concatStrings htmlBodyImages
-  htmlBody <- appendStrings (htmlBodyBase, imagesHtml)
+  imagesHtml <- concatTexts htmlBodyImages
+  htmlBody <- appendTexts (htmlBodyBase, imagesHtml)
   html <- applyTemplate (template, htmlBody)
   saveFile (html, joinPaths (recipeDirOut, indexName))
 
diff --git a/byg/src/Types/Function.hs b/byg/src/Types/Function.hs
index 56d319c..c72e3a4 100644
--- a/byg/src/Types/Function.hs
+++ b/byg/src/Types/Function.hs
@@ -6,9 +6,12 @@ import Language.Haskell.TH.Syntax (Lift)
 
 data Function = AppendStrings
               | ConcatStrings
+              | AppendTexts
+              | ConcatTexts
               | JoinPaths
               | FileComponents
               | IsImageExtension
               | ApplyTemplate
+              | ToText
   deriving (Show, Lift)
 
diff --git a/byg/src/Types/Values.hs b/byg/src/Types/Values.hs
index 8db11ca..e388a77 100644
--- a/byg/src/Types/Values.hs
+++ b/byg/src/Types/Values.hs
@@ -4,13 +4,14 @@ module Types.Values
   , Template(..)
   ) where
 
+import Data.Text (Text)
 import Language.Haskell.TH.Syntax (Lift)
 
 data ImageConversionSettings = ResizeToWidth Int
   deriving (Show, Lift)
 
-data TemplatePart = Literal String
-                  | KeyValue String
+data TemplatePart = Literal Text
+                  | KeyValue Text
   deriving (Show, Lift)
 
 data Template = TemplateParts [TemplatePart]