Importing and Exporting Snippet Groups

Importing Snippets Overview

If you want to add multiple Snippets to your library at once, importing them from a spreadsheet is a huge time-saver.

You can import the following types of files into TextExpander: 

• TextExpander (.textexpander)
• Comma-Separated Value (.csv)
• Google Sheet zipped HTML (.html)
  • Use this file type to preserve rich text formatting such as bolded font, hyperlinks, etc.

Your file must have a header row with column headers named “abbreviation” and “snippet”. You can also include an optional third column named “label” if you would also like to import a label for your Snippets.

Importing a CSV File

1. Create a CSV file from a spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets.
2. Add your Snippet abbreviations to the first column, and the Snippet content to the second.
3. Optionally, add a third column for a Snippet label.
4. Ensure the column headers are named “abbreviation,” “snippet,” and “label” respectively.
5. Export or save your spreadsheet as a CSV file.
   • The name of your file will be the name of the Snippet Group when imported.
6. Sign in to textexpander.com
7. From the sidebar, choose “Import/Export”
8. Click on the orange “Choose Files” button and select your CSV file
9. Verify the file name and click “Next”
10. Click on the down arrow to review the abbreviation and Snippet content to ensure they are correct
11. Click “Confirm Import”

Once your file is imported, you’ll find the Snippets in your “My Snippets” folder in the TextExpander web app, or in the “Just Me” folder on the Mac app, Windows app, and Chrome Extension. The imported file name will automatically become the name of the Snippet Group in your library.

Importing an HTML File from Google Sheets

You can import a Google Sheet as a Web Page (.html) file to keep rich text formatting like links, bold text, and colors intact. You can also use an HTML file from Google Sheets to import multiple Snippet Groups at once. Just create separate tabs in the same sheet and each tab will be imported as its own Snippet Group. Be sure to name each tab exactly as you’d like your Snippet Group to named once imported.

To download your sheet as a Web Page (.html) file:

1. Open your Google Sheet.
2. Go to File > Download.
3. Select Web Page (.html).

This will download your Google Sheet as a zipped HTML file, which you can select for import.

Once your file is downloaded, import it into TextExpander:

1. Sign in to textexpander.com
2. From the sidebar, choose “Import/Export”
3. Click on the orange “Choose Files” button and select your zipped HTML file
4. Verify the file name and click “Next”
5. Select which Snippet Groups to import and review the abbreviation and Snippet content to ensure they are correct
6. Click “Confirm Import”

After importing, your Snippets will appear in the “My Snippets” folder in the TextExpander web app, and in the “Just Me” folder on the Mac app, Windows app, and Chrome Extension.

How to Format Snippets with Multiple Lines for Import

Let’s say you have a Snippet that spans multiple lines. Enclose such lines in quotation marks (“). For example, here’s a multi-line snippet with an abbreviation of ‘sigsales’:

sigsales, "Cheers,

Lisa

---
Lisa ""Leslie"" Newton
Acme Labs Inc. Corp."

If your abbreviation, snippet content, or label already contains quotation marks, you simply double them, so “Leslie” becomes “”Leslie””. Both Numbers and Excel will automatically do this for you when exporting in CSV format.

How to Export Snippets

1. Sign in to textexpander.com
2. From the sidebar, choose “Import/Export”
3. Click on the “Export” tab
4. Click the “Export” icon to the right of a Snippet Group in the Download column

You can only export Snippet Groups where you have “Can Edit” or “Can Manage” permissions. If you have “Can Expand” permission, ask someone with “Can Edit” or “Can Manage” permissions to export for you or update your access.

To check a group’s permissions, log in to the TextExpander web app at app.textexpander.com, go to My Snippets, select the Snippet Group, and click Share.

TextExpander.com exports in comma-separated value (CSV) format.