Text Snippets
Text Snippets let you type or say a short trigger word and have TalkWriter automatically expand it into a longer block of text. Think of them as text shortcuts -- a few characters become an entire sentence, paragraph, or template.
Why Snippets Exist
You type the same things over and over: your email signature, your mailing address, common replies, disclaimers, meeting invites. Each time, you either type it from memory (slow) or find it somewhere to copy-paste (also slow). Snippets eliminate this entirely. Define the text once, assign a short trigger, and from that point forward you never type it again.
How Snippets Work
A snippet has two parts:
- Trigger -- a short keyword you type or dictate (e.g.,
/sig) - Expansion -- the full text that replaces the trigger (e.g., your email signature)
Whenever TalkWriter detects the trigger during dictation or typing, it swaps in the expansion instantly.
Practical Examples
| Trigger | Expansion | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
/sig | Best regards, Jane Smith, VP of Marketing, Acme Corp | Email signature |
/addr | 123 Main Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10001 | Mailing address |
/ty | Thank you for your email. I will review and get back to you shortly. | Quick reply |
/meet | Let's schedule a meeting to discuss this further. Please share your availability. | Meeting request |
/disc | This document is confidential and intended solely for the named recipient. | Disclaimer |
/ooo | I'm currently out of office and will return on Monday. For urgent matters, please contact support@company.com. | Out of office |
/intro | Hi, I'm Jane Smith, VP of Marketing at Acme Corp. I'd love to connect and discuss how we might collaborate. | Introduction |
Creating a New Snippet
- Click the TalkWriter menu bar icon and select Settings.
- Navigate to the Snippets tab.
- Click + New Snippet.
- Enter your Trigger -- keep it short and unique (we recommend starting with
/to avoid accidental matches). - Enter your Expansion -- this can be as long as you need, including line breaks.
- Click Save.
Prefix your triggers with a symbol like / or ; so they never match normal words. For example, use /sig instead of sig -- the word "sig" could appear in normal speech and trigger accidentally.
Editing and Deleting Snippets
- Edit: Click the pencil icon next to any snippet, update the trigger or expansion, and click Save.
- Delete: Click the trash icon and confirm the deletion.
Using Snippets During Dictation
When you dictate and TalkWriter transcribes your trigger word, the snippet expands automatically. You can also type triggers directly in the Scratchpad or any application where TalkWriter inserts text.
Snippets work in both the Scratchpad and in any application where TalkWriter is active.
Real-World Scenario
Scenario: You are a customer support agent who sends similar replies dozens of times per day.
-
Create these snippets:
/ack= "Thank you for reaching out. I've received your request and will look into it right away."/resolved= "Great news -- the issue has been resolved. Please let me know if you experience any further problems."/escalate= "I've escalated your case to our engineering team. You'll receive an update within 24 hours."/refund= "I've processed your refund. Please allow 3-5 business days for it to appear on your statement."
-
Now when you dictate a support reply, say: "Hi thanks for letting us know /ack I've looked into the issue and /resolved"
-
TalkWriter expands both snippets inline, producing a full, professional reply.
You just turned a 2-minute reply into a 10-second dictation.
Build your snippet library gradually. Every time you catch yourself typing the same thing for the third time, stop and create a snippet for it. Within a month, you will have a library that saves you hours per week.
FAQ
Can snippets span multiple lines? Yes. The expansion field supports line breaks. Press Enter in the expansion box to add new lines.
What if two snippets have the same trigger? TalkWriter warns you if a trigger already exists. Each trigger must be unique.
Are snippets case-sensitive?
Yes. /Sig and /sig are treated as different triggers.
Is there a limit to expansion length? No practical limit. You can paste entire paragraphs as an expansion.
Do snippets sync across devices? Yes. Snippets sync with your TalkWriter account, so they are available on every Mac where you are signed in.
Was this helpful? Let us know at support@talkwriter.ai