Section · 1 guide

Automation

Making the computer do the repetitive part, on Mac and Windows, for people who type the same thing twenty times a day.

  1. A small stack of blank white index cards held by a black binder clip beside the corner of a beige keyboard on a pale oak desk
    Automation

    Best text expanders for Mac and Windows, free and paid

    Start with the Mac’s built-in Text Replacements, then choose Espanso, AutoHotkey, Raycast, TextExpander or Keyboard Maestro by system, price and what you need.

    By 11 min read

Much of what you type, click or file the same way every day can be handed to the computer: a snippet that expands from three letters, one key remapped to a whole sequence, a rule that sorts the inbox, a flow that moves data between apps. This section covers the tools for that, from text expanders to scripts and no-code platforms.

The easiest first step is a text expander. The best text expanders for Mac and Windows starts with the Mac’s built-in Text Replacements, then sorts the free and paid apps by system, price and what you need them to do.

Inside Text expanders, Snippets and templates, Keyboard remapping, AutoHotkey, Apple Shortcuts, Power Automate, No-code automation platforms, AI automations, Email rules and filters, Automating file chores, Browser automation

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