A versatile design strategy is presented towards new monoanionic pincer luminophores, showing that cyclometallating C^N^N ligands can yield phosphorescent Pt(ii) complexes even if a neutral 1,2,3-triazole ring is inserted by click chemistry. The overall charge, intermolecular interactions and excited state properties can be manipulated and controlled by varying the nature of the ancillary ligand, and its effect on the structural and the triplet state characteristics can be thoroughly investigated and correlated by means of theory and spectroscopy.