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How to set up text shortcuts on a Mac

Typing the same email address, sign-off or reply over and over? A text shortcut turns a few letters into the whole thing. Here's how to set them up with what's built into macOS, how to pick shortcuts that never misfire, and when it's worth using a text expander instead.

By Jeyanth Kanagaraju · Updated

Option 1: macOS text replacements (built in, free)

  1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu and choose Keyboard.
  2. Under Text Input, click Text Replacements…
  3. Click +. In Replace, type the shortcut (for example ;addr); in With, type the full text.
  4. Click Done. In any app that supports it, type the shortcut followed by a space or punctuation and it's replaced.

On macOS Monterey and earlier the same list is in System Preferences → Keyboard → Text. Replacements sync to your iPhone and iPad through iCloud.

Choosing shortcuts that never misfire

The one rule: a shortcut must never be something you'd type by accident. Starting every shortcut with a character that rarely begins a word — a semicolon is the usual choice — makes that easy: ;sig, ;addr, ;ty. Plain-word shortcuts like omw work too, as long as the tool only expands whole words; otherwise “tomw” turns into nonsense.

Good first shortcuts: your email address, phone number, postal address, signature and a meeting link.

Where the built-in option stops

Apple's text replacements only work in apps that support them (look for Edit → Substitutions — Microsoft Word, for one, doesn't), and they only insert fixed text. There's no way to include today's date, put the cursor in the middle of a reply, paste the clipboard into a template, or ask for a name before inserting. If yours have stopped working, see how to fix text replacement.

Option 2: a text expander

A text expander watches for your abbreviations in every app and adds dynamic parts. With Textfold, for example:

  1. Download Textfold, drag it to Applications and open it. Allow the Accessibility permission when the welcome guide asks — that's how it notices your abbreviations.
  2. Open Edit Snippets… from the menu bar and press ⌘N. Type an abbreviation and the text.
  3. Add placeholders from the Insert menu: {date}, {date+7d}, {clipboard}, {cursor} or a {field:Name} that asks for a value.
  4. Type the abbreviation in the Try it box at the bottom of the editor to test it, then use it anywhere.

Already have Apple text replacements? Select them all in System Settings, drag them to the Desktop, and import the file into Textfold — details here.