What is TextExpander? Everything you retype, a few keystrokes away
TextExpander is a text expansion app for individuals and teams. Save the words you type again and again as Snippets, then type a short abbreviation in any app on Mac, Windows, or Chrome, and TextExpander types the rest.
Free forever. No credit card required.
Hi Priya,
Thanks for reaching out! I’ll get back to you by end of day.
How text expansion works
Text expansion replaces a short abbreviation with a longer piece of text as you type. A text expander runs in the background on your computer, so it works in your email, chat, docs, help desk, browser and AI tools, with no copy and paste.
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1Save it once
Snippet
The text you save: a sentence, a full email, a signature, a form or an AI prompt.
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2Type a few keys
Abbreviation
The short trigger you type, like
;addroraddr1. Use any letters you like. Users often add a symbol or number so the Snippet doesn’t expand by accident. -
3The full text appears
Expansion
The abbreviation turns into the full Snippet, right where your cursor is, in any app.
A Snippet doesn’t have to be the same text every time
Add fill-ins for the parts that change, like a name or a choice from a menu. One Snippet covers every version of a message.
- Text fields, popup menus and optional sections
- Update it once and your whole team gets the new version
Why you need a text expander
Much of what you type at work you’ve typed before. Each repeat is small. Added up, they take a real share of your week.
Get time back
A few keystrokes replace whole paragraphs, so replies, notes and forms take seconds.
Stop the typos
Names, links, prices and account details come out spelled right every time.
Send your best answer every time
Save it once, so every reply gets the details right and you still add your own touch.
Quit the copy and paste
No more digging through old emails, docs and notes to find the text you wrote last time.
Everything TextExpander can do
Start with a simple Snippet. Add fill-ins, dates, formatting and more as you go. Here’s what’s inside.
Some features are only on paid plans. New accounts can try them free for 30 days. Compare plans
Snippets turn what you retype into a few keystrokes
A Snippet is text you save once and reuse anywhere. Give it a short abbreviation, and when you type it, TextExpander expands it into the full text.
- Save anything from a single word to a full email template
- Type the abbreviation to insert the full text, or search for it and click to insert
- Organize Snippet Groups by task, project, or team
Inline Search finds a Snippet when you forget the abbreviation
Press Command + / on Mac, Control + / on Windows or Control + Period in Chrome. Type any word you remember from the label, abbreviation or content, and the Snippet goes right where you’re typing.
- Searches labels, abbreviations and Snippet text
- Opens next to your cursor in the app you’re using
- The Command Menu (Command + K) finds any command or setting
Shared Snippets keep a whole team on message
Share Snippet groups with your team so everyone uses the same approved answers. Edit a Snippet once and every teammate gets the update right away. Free and Pro share with up to 5 people; Business removes the limit.
- Organization and Shared tabs keep official Snippets apart from team-made ones
- The Limited role controls who can add to the shared library
- Requests let anyone suggest a new or updated Snippet for review
Requests onBusinessEnterprise
Limited role onEnterprise
See how teams use TextExpander →Formatting, images and links come along for the ride
Snippets keep their bold, colors, fonts, links and images. Or set them to match the formatting of wherever you’re typing.
- Email signatures with logos and links
- Formatted templates, lists and tables
- Plain text when you want it to blend in
Date math does the calendar counting for you
Insert today’s date or time in any format, or pick any date from a calendar as the Snippet expands. With date math, add or subtract days, weeks or business days, so deadlines and follow-ups land on the right day.
- Date Picker fill-in for any past or future date
- Custom formats like “Wed, Jan 21” or “Q1 2026”
- Add or subtract days, months, hours or business days
Date math onProBusinessEnterprise
See how dates and times work →Small features that add up
Snippet Activity
See every change to a Snippet, restore deleted ones and roll back to an earlier version. History covers 24 hours on Pro, 7 days on Business and all time on Enterprise.
Available onProBusinessEnterprise
Learn more →Publish a Snippet
Turn a Snippet into a link anyone can open and add to their own library.
Learn more →Command Menu and repeat
Command + K finds any command. Command + 0 in Quick Actions repeats your last expansion, fill-ins and all.
Learn more →Keys, clipboard and timing
Drop in what you copied, press Tab or Return, place the cursor, and add a Delay so slow forms keep up.
Delay onProBusinessEnterprise
Learn more →Scripts
Run JavaScript, AppleScript or shell scripts from a Snippet to build dynamic text.
Available onProBusinessEnterprise
Learn more →Nested Snippets
Put one Snippet inside another, like your signature inside every reply, and update it in one place.
Available onProBusinessEnterprise
Learn more →Import and export
Bring Snippets over from a CSV, Google Sheets or other text expanders, and back up groups as files.
Learn more →Statistics
See how many Snippets you’ve expanded and how much typing they’ve saved you. Admins see the same numbers across the whole Organization.
Learn more →Built-in security
SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR compliant, with encryption in transit and at rest.
Learn more →AI that works from your own Snippets
TextExpander brings the right Snippet to you as you write, and connects your library to the AI assistants you already use.
AI Recommendations
Open Inline Search in Chrome and TextExpander suggests the Snippets that fit what you’re writing, from your own library and your team’s. Hover to preview, click to insert.
- Runs locally with Gemini Nano, so your text never leaves your device
- No abbreviations to remember, even with thousands of Snippets
- Works in Chrome and Edge, and admins can turn it off for an organization
TextExpander MCP server
Connect your Snippet library to Claude, ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot. Ask in plain language and your assistant searches, creates, updates and organizes Snippets for you.
- Build a whole Snippet library from one conversation
- Check usage, like expansions and characters saved
- Uses the permissions you already have in TextExpander
Use Snippets for your AI prompts, too. Save the prompts that work and reuse them in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any AI tool with a few keystrokes.
See AI prompt templates →One library. Every app you type in.
TextExpander runs on your Mac or Windows computer itself, not inside a single app. Your Snippets work in email, chat, help desks, CRMs, docs, AI tools and web forms, with nothing to set up per app.
Most text tools only work in one place
- Always in syncSnippets sync across your computers automatically.
- Works offlineExpansion keeps working without a connection.
What changes once you stop retyping
4.8 out of 5 from 700+ reviews on G2
It took 12 hours to get through a day’s support requests before TextExpander. Now I handle 100 tickets in less than five hours.
As a teacher, I’m grading the same papers and making the same comments time and again. Being able to type abbreviations which turn into my usual comments has cut my grading time in half.
An incredible utility now that I’m using more AI browsers and prompts; TextExpander is invaluable.
Questions, answered
What is TextExpander used for?
People use TextExpander for anything they type more than once: email replies, support answers, sales follow-ups, clinical notes, meeting links, addresses, signatures, code and AI prompts. Teams use it to share approved wording so everyone sends accurate, consistent messages.
How does text expansion work?
You save a piece of text as a Snippet and give it an abbreviation, like ;thx. When you type that abbreviation in any app, TextExpander swaps it for the full text. You can also add fill-ins, dates and formatting.
Is TextExpander free?
Yes. The Free plan is free forever and needs no credit card. It includes unlimited Snippets with 5 active at a time, one Snippet swap every 2 weeks, AI Recommendations and the MCP server. Pro adds unlimited active Snippets, date math, nested Snippets, Conditional Sections, the Delay macro, scripts and Snippet Activity history. See plans
Can I manage Snippets from Claude or ChatGPT?
The TextExpander MCP server, in early access on every plan, connects your Snippet library to AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. Ask your assistant to search, create, update or organize Snippets, and it works within the permissions you already have. MCP server guide
How is TextExpander different from built-in text replacement or help desk macros?
Built-in tools are a good place to start: Mac text replacement and help desk macros are free and already approved. Each one works inside its own system, though: Mac text replacement on Apple devices, a macro only in its help desk. TextExpander works on Mac, Windows, and in Chrome, in the apps you already use, and adds fill-ins, formatting, and shared Snippets your team updates in one place.
Where does TextExpander work?
On Mac, Windows and in Chrome, in the apps you already use. Create Snippets on your computer and use them on iPhone, iPad and Android (beta) too. Download TextExpander
Does TextExpander log my keystrokes?
No. TextExpander doesn’t save or send your keystrokes. To spot abbreviations, it holds up to 30 recent keystrokes in memory (300 with Snippet Suggestions on) as an encoded hash, not readable text. It clears them when you switch apps, use a keyboard shortcut or arrow key, or quit, and it stops capturing keystrokes in fields that apps mark as secure, such as password fields. How TextExpander handles keystrokes
Is TextExpander secure?
Yes. Snippet data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2 or later) and at rest, and support staff can see your data only if you opt in. TextExpander is SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR compliant. For passwords and other credentials, use a password manager rather than a Snippet. Security
Does TextExpander use my data to train AI?
AI Recommendations in Chrome uses Gemini Nano, a model that runs on your computer, so your text never leaves your device. TextExpander does not use your data to train an AI model and never stores your keystrokes. Organization admins can turn AI Recommendations off. About AI Recommendations
Can my team share Snippets?
Yes. Share Snippet groups with your team, set who can use or edit them, and every change reaches everyone right away. Free and Pro share with up to 5 people; Business removes the limit and adds Snippet Requests. TextExpander for teams
Type it once. Reuse it everywhere.
Create your first Snippet in under a minute.
Free forever. No credit card required.