Getting Started

Installation

1. Download Wordy from getwordy.app
2. Move Wordy to your Applications folder
3. Launch Wordy

Granting Accessibility Permission

On first launch, Wordy will ask for Accessibility permission. This is required for Wordy to detect your typing across all applications.

1. Click Open System Settings when prompted
2. Navigate to Privacy & Security → Accessibility
3. Enable Wordy in the list
4. Return to Wordy—you're ready to go!

Keychain Access

On first launch, you may see a macOS prompt asking Wordy to access your Keychain. This is how Wordy securely stores your license key using macOS's built-in encryption. Just click Always Allow so you won't be asked again.

No data leaves your Mac — Keychain is the same secure storage that Safari uses for your passwords.

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Creating Snippets

Basic Snippet Creation

1. Click the Wordy icon in your menu bar
2. Select Add New Snippet... (or press ⌘⇧N)
3. Fill in the fields:
   • Title: A descriptive name (e.g., "Email Signature")
   • Trigger: The text you'll type to expand (e.g., ;sig)
   • Replacement: The text that will be inserted
4. Click Save (or press ⌘↩)

Tips for Triggers

• Use a prefix like ; or // to avoid accidental expansions
• Keep triggers short but memorable
• Minimum 2 characters recommended
• Wordy warns you if a trigger is already in use

Organizing with Folders

Create folders to organize related snippets:

1. Click the folder + button in the toolbar
2. Name your folder
3. Assign snippets to folders using the dropdown in the snippet editor

Right-click folders to rename, change color, or delete them.

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Regex Triggers

For power users, Wordy supports regular expressions as triggers. This lets you create dynamic triggers that capture parts of what you type and use them in the replacement.

Overview

Regular expression (regex) triggers let you create powerful, flexible shortcuts. Instead of a fixed trigger like ;sig, you can match patterns like ;hi(Alice) where "Alice" is captured and inserted into your replacement.

How to enable

1. Create or edit a snippet
2. Check "Use as regular expression" below the trigger field
3. The Trigger field shows what you'll type (e.g., ;jira<project>-<number>[space])
4. The Pattern field shows the actual regex with named capture groups
5. Reference captures as {{name}} in your replacement

Terminators

Patterns ending with + or * (like \d+ or \w+) fire as soon as the minimum match is found. To let you type the full value, add a terminator at the end:

Examples with space terminator

Pattern	Trigger	Type this	Get this
;jira(?<project>[A-Z]+)-(?<number>\d+)\s	;jira<project>-<number>[space]	;jiraPROJ-1234 (with space)	Jira link
;gh(?<user>\w+)/(?<repo>\w+)\s	;gh<user>/<repo>[space]	;ghapple/swift	GitHub link
;mail(?<user>\w+)\s	;mail<user>[space]	;mailjohn	john@company.com

Common terminators

• \s (space) — most natural, displays as [space] in the hint
• Parentheses ) — when input is wrapped, e.g., ;hi\((?<name>\w+)\)
• Semicolon ; or period . — when space wouldn't be natural

Examples

Delimiter terminators

These patterns use parentheses, brackets, or other delimiters as natural terminators:

Common Patterns

Pattern	Matches
\w+	Letters, numbers, underscores
\d+	Numbers
[a-zA-Z]+	Letters only
[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+	URL-safe characters
.+	Any characters
\s	Whitespace (space, tab, newline)

Tips

• Escape special characters with \ (parentheses, brackets, etc.)
• The pattern field uses syntax highlighting to help you read complex patterns:
  • Yellow — capture group names (ticket in (?<ticket>...))
  • Teal — capture group syntax ((?<...> and ))
  • Cyan — escape sequences (\s, \d, \w, etc.)
  • Orange — character classes ([A-Z], [0-9])
  • Pink — quantifiers (+, *, ?)
• The trigger field shows validation errors for invalid patterns
• Regex triggers work with all other features (fill-ins, cursor, etc.)
• Use the Test button to preview expansion with placeholder capture group values
• Always add a terminator when your pattern ends with + or * — otherwise it fires too early

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Global Variables

Global variables let you define values once (like your name, company, or email) and use them across all your snippets. Unlike fill-in fields, global variables expand automatically—no popup form needed.

Setting Up Global Variables

1. Click Global Variables in the sidebar (or from the menu bar)
2. Click the + button to add a new variable
3. Enter a Name (e.g., Name, Company, Email)
4. Enter the Value (e.g., John Smith, Acme Corp, john@example.com)

Variables are saved automatically as you type.

Using Global Variables in Snippets

Use the {{#VariableName}} syntax in your snippets:

Placeholder	Output
{{#Name}}	John Smith
{{#Company}}	Acme Corp
{{#Email}}	john@example.com

Example: Email Signature

Best regards,
{{#Name}}
{{#Title}} | {{#Company}}
{{#Email}} | {{#Phone}}

Expands instantly to:

Best regards,
John Smith
Product Manager | Acme Corp
john@example.com | (555) 123-4567

Tips & Common Use Cases

• Variable names are case-insensitive ({{#name}} = {{#Name}})
• Undefined variables show as [#VariableName?] to help you spot typos
• Global variables sync with iCloud (if enabled)

Recommended Variables

Variable	Example Value
Name	Your full name
FirstName	Your first name
Company	Your company name
Email	Your email address
Phone	Your phone number
Title	Your job title
Address	Your mailing address
Website	Your website URL

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Placeholders

Placeholders add dynamic content to your snippets. Insert them using the Insert Placeholder menu in the snippet editor.

Date & Time

Placeholder	Output
{{date:short}}	1/26/26
{{date:medium}}	Jan 26, 2026
{{date:long}}	January 26, 2026
{{time}}	3:30 PM

Date Math

Add or subtract time:

Placeholder	Output
{{date:+1d}}	Tomorrow's date
{{date:-1d}}	Yesterday's date
{{date:+1w}}	One week from now
{{date:+1m}}	One month from now
{{date:-1y}}	One year ago
{{date:+1d:long}}	Tomorrow in long format

Time Math

Placeholder	Output
{{time:+1h}}	One hour from now
{{time:-30M}}	30 minutes ago

Units: d (days), w (weeks), m (months), y (years), h (hours), M (minutes)

Custom Date Formats

Use Unicode date format patterns for full control over date output:

Placeholder	Output
{{date:yyyy-MM-dd}}	2026-01-29
{{date:HH:mm:ss}}	14:30:45
{{date:yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss}}	2026-01-29T14:30:45
{{date:EEEE}}	Wednesday
{{date:MMMM d, yyyy}}	January 29, 2026
{{date:MMM yyyy}}	Jan 2026
{{date:E, d MMM}}	Wed, 29 Jan

Combining with date math

Placeholder	Output
{{date:+1d:yyyy-MM-dd}}	Tomorrow in ISO format
{{date:-1w:EEEE, MMMM d}}	Last week's day and date
{{date:+1m:MMM yyyy}}	Next month

Common format tokens

Token	Meaning	Example
yyyy	Year (4 digits)	2026
yy	Year (2 digits)	26
MMMM	Month name (full)	January
MMM	Month name (short)	Jan
MM	Month (2 digits)	01
dd	Day (2 digits)	29
d	Day	29
EEEE	Weekday (full)	Wednesday
EEE	Weekday (short)	Wed
HH	Hour 24h (2 digits)	14
hh	Hour 12h (2 digits)	02
mm	Minute	30
ss	Second	45
a	AM/PM	PM

Uses Unicode Date Format Patterns.

Clipboard

Placeholder	Output
{{clipboard}}	Current clipboard contents

Text Transforms

Placeholder	Output
{{uppercase:hello}}	HELLO
{{lowercase:HELLO}}	hello
{{titlecase:hello world}}	Hello World

Cursor Positioning

Placeholder	Effect
{{cursor}}	Places your cursor here after expansion

Only the first {{cursor}} is used if multiple are present.

Counters

Auto-incrementing numbers that persist across sessions:

Placeholder	Output
{{counter:invoice}}	1, 2, 3... (increments each use)
{{counter:ticket:100}}	Starts at 100 if new
{{counter:invoice:reset}}	Resets to 1

Each counter name is independent—use different names for different sequences.

Nested Snippets

Reuse other snippets inside your snippets:

Placeholder	Effect
{{snippet:sig}}	Inserts the snippet with trigger "sig"

Supports up to 10 levels of nesting. Circular references are detected and prevented.

JavaScript Expressions

Run JavaScript code in your snippets:

Placeholder	Output
{{js:1+1}}	2
{{js:Math.PI.toFixed(2)}}	3.14
{{js:random(1,100)}}	Random number 1-100
{{js:uuid()}}	Generated UUID

Available helpers

• now() — Current date and time
• today() — Current date
• time() — Current time
• random(min, max) — Random integer
• uuid() — Generate UUID

Shell Commands

Run shell commands and insert their output:

Placeholder	Output
{{shell:whoami}}	Your username
{{shell:date +%s}}	Unix timestamp
{{shell:git branch --show-current}}	Current git branch
{{shell:echo "Hello, World!"}}	Hello, World!
{{shell:python3 -c "print(2**10)"}}	1024
{{shell:hostname}}	Your Mac's hostname
{{shell:sw_vers -productVersion}}	macOS version

Details

• Commands run via /bin/zsh as the current user
• 5-second timeout — commands that take longer return [Shell Timeout]
• Failed commands return [Shell Error] or [Shell Error: message]
• Trailing newlines are automatically trimmed from output

Open URL / App / File

Open URLs, launch apps, or open files as a side effect of snippet expansion. The placeholder resolves to an empty string — it performs the action without inserting any text.

Placeholder	Effect
{{open:https://google.com}}	Opens a URL in your default browser
{{open:/Applications/Calculator.app}}	Launches an app
{{open:~/Documents/report.pdf}}	Opens a file in its default app

Dynamic URLs with nested placeholders

Combine with other placeholders to build URLs dynamically:

{{open:https://jira.com/browse/{{clipboard}}}}

This opens a Jira ticket based on your clipboard contents.

Details

• Opens via macOS — works with https:// URLs, file paths, and .app bundles
• Resolves to an empty string — combine with text insertion or use standalone
• Multiple {{open:...}} per snippet allowed
• Tilde paths (~/Documents/...) are expanded automatically
• Works with fill-in forms, quick search, and direct expansion
• Available in the Insert Placeholder menu under Advanced → "Open URL / Path..."
• Syntax highlighted in brown in the snippet editor

Example: Open a URL and insert text

Ticket {{clipboard}} opened in browser.
{{open:https://jira.com/browse/{{clipboard}}}}

This inserts a confirmation message and opens the Jira ticket — all from a single snippet.

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Fill-in Fields

Fill-in fields create an interactive form that appears when you expand the snippet, letting you customize the output each time.

Text Field

{{field:Name}}
{{field:Name:John}}           // With default value
{{field:Name::required}}      // Required field
{{field:Name:John:required}}  // Default + required

Multiline Text Field

{{textarea:Notes}}
{{textarea:Notes:Enter details here}}
{{textarea:Notes::required}}

Dropdown

{{dropdown:Priority:High,Medium,Low}}
{{dropdown:Status:Draft,Review,Published:required}}

Options are comma-separated. The first option is selected by default.

Optional Sections

Include or exclude content based on a checkbox:

{{?:Include Greeting}}Hello {{field:Name}},

{{/?}}Here is the information you requested...

When expanded, you'll see a checkbox. Uncheck it to remove that section entirely.

Date Picker

Show a graphical calendar in the fill-in form for date selection:

{{datepicker:Due Date}}
{{datepicker:Birthday:yyyy-MM-dd}}              // Custom date format
{{datepicker:Start Date::required}}              // Required field
{{datepicker:Deadline:MMMM d, yyyy:required}}    // Format + required

When expanded, the form shows a native macOS calendar picker instead of a text field. The selected date is formatted according to the specified format (or medium date style like "Feb 15, 2026" if no format is given).

Tips

• Use any Unicode date format pattern (same as Custom Date Formats above)
• The date picker defaults to today's date
• Great for meeting notes, invoices, contracts, and any snippet that references a specific date

Notes

Display read-only information in the fill-in form that won't appear in the final output:

{{note:Send to: john@example.com (sales), jane@example.com (support)}}

Notes are useful for:

• Reference information you might want to copy (email addresses, phone numbers)
• Instructions or reminders when filling out the form
• Context that helps you fill in the other fields

How notes work

• Displayed in the fill-in form with an info icon
• Text is selectable so you can copy it
• Completely stripped from the final expanded output
• Shown as italic gray text in the editor preview

Example

{{note:Contacts: alice@example.com (urgent), bob@example.com (general)}}

Dear {{field:Recipient}},

Thank you for contacting {{dropdown:Department:Sales,Support,Billing}}.

{{textarea:Message}}

Best regards

When expanded, the form shows the email addresses for reference at the top, but the final output contains only the filled-in message.

Remembering Field Values

Each fill-in field has a Remember checkbox. When checked, Wordy saves that field's value for next time.

How it works

1. Expand a snippet with fill-in fields
2. Enter your values
3. Check Remember next to fields you want to save
4. Click Expand

Next time you use that snippet (or any snippet with the same field name), the field will be pre-filled with your remembered value.

Tips

• Remembered values are per-field name, not per-snippet (so {{field:Email}} shares its value across all snippets)
• Uncheck "Remember" and expand with a new value to update the saved default
• Use this feature for values that change occasionally but not every time (e.g., project names, client names)

Combining Global Variables and Fill-in Fields

Global variables and fill-in fields work great together. Use global variables for values that never change, and fill-in fields for values you customize each time.

Example: Sales Outreach Email

Hi {{field:Recipient}},

Thank you for your interest in {{#Company}}.

{{?:Include meeting request}}I'd love to schedule a call to discuss further.
You can reach me at {{#Email}} or {{#Phone}}.

{{/?}}Best regards,
{{#Name}}
{{#Title}}

When expanded:

• {{#Company}}, {{#Email}}, {{#Phone}}, {{#Name}}, and {{#Title}} auto-fill from your global variables
• Only the {{field:Recipient}} field and the checkbox appear in the form

Example: Meeting Follow-up

Hi {{field:Name}},

Thank you for meeting with me {{dropdown:When:today,yesterday,last week}}.

{{?:Action Items}}Action items:
{{textarea:Items}}

{{/?}}{{?:Schedule Follow-up}}Let's schedule a follow-up for {{date:+1w:long}}.

{{/?}}Best regards,
{{#Name}}

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AI Snippet Generation

Wordy can use Claude AI to create new snippets or improve existing ones. Describe what you need in plain English and Wordy generates the trigger, replacement text, and placeholders automatically.

Setup

To enable AI features, you'll need an Anthropic API key:

1. Go to Settings → AI
2. Enter your Anthropic API key (get one at console.anthropic.com)
3. Choose a model:
   • Claude Sonnet 4.5 (default) — best quality, recommended for most users
   • Claude Haiku 4.5 — faster responses, lower cost
4. The AI buttons appear in the snippet editor once a key is saved

To remove AI features entirely, click the trash icon next to your API key in Settings. The AI buttons will disappear.

Create with AI

Use this to generate a new snippet from a natural language description.

1. Open a new or existing snippet in the editor
2. Click the sparkles button ("Create with AI") next to the Insert menu
3. Describe what you want in the prompt field
4. Click Generate
5. Review the suggestion — title, trigger, replacement, and regex status are all shown
6. Click Apply to use it, Refine to edit your prompt and regenerate, or Discard to cancel

Example prompts

Prompt	What Claude generates
"Email signature with fill-in fields for name, title, and phone"	A snippet with {{field:Name}}, {{field:Title}}, {{field:Phone}}, and {{cursor}}
"Polite follow-up email with an optional action items section"	A snippet using {{field:Recipient}}, {{dropdown:When:today,yesterday,last week}}, and {{?:Action Items}}
"Insert today's date in ISO format"	A simple snippet with trigger ;iso and replacement {{date:yyyy-MM-dd}}
"Git commit message with type dropdown and scope field"	A snippet with {{dropdown:Type:feat,fix,docs,refactor,test}}, {{field:Scope}}, and {{field:Description::required}}
"Generate a UUID"	A snippet with trigger ;uuid and replacement {{js:uuid()}}
"Invoice number that auto-increments, starting from 1000"	A snippet using {{counter:invoice:1000}}
"Jira ticket link where I type the ticket number"	A regex trigger like ;jira\((?<num>\d+)\) with replacement https://jira.company.com/browse/PROJ-{{num}}
"Current git branch name"	A snippet with trigger ;branch and replacement {{shell:git branch --show-current}}

Improve with AI

Use this to enhance an existing snippet — the AI sees the current title, trigger, and replacement and suggests improvements.

1. Open a snippet that has content
2. Click the wand button ("Improve with AI")
3. Describe what you'd like to improve
4. Review and apply, refine, or discard

Example improvement prompts

Prompt	What happens
"Add a fill-in field for the recipient name"	Adds {{field:Recipient}} where appropriate
"Make the greeting optional"	Wraps the greeting in {{?:Include Greeting}}...{{/?}}
"Use date math for next Friday"	Replaces hardcoded dates with {{date:+...}}
"Add cursor positioning after the greeting"	Adds {{cursor}} at the logical editing point
"Make the trigger shorter"	Suggests a more concise trigger
"Add a dropdown for tone: formal, casual, friendly"	Adds {{dropdown:Tone:Formal,Casual,Friendly}} and adjusts the text
"Replace the hardcoded company name with a fill-in field"	Swaps static text for {{field:Company:Acme Corp}} with a sensible default
"Add an auto-incrementing reference number"	Adds {{counter:ref}} to the snippet

Tips

• Be specific: "Add a required dropdown for priority with options High, Medium, Low" works better than "add some options"
• You can specify placeholders: Tell Claude exactly which placeholder to use and where — e.g., "put {{cursor}} after the signature" or "use {{date:+1d:long}} for the deadline"
• Refine iteratively: Click Refine to go back and adjust your prompt if the first result isn't quite right. Claude remembers the previous suggestion and tries something different
• Regex triggers: You can ask for regex triggers — e.g., "create a regex trigger that captures a name from the trigger text"
• AI knows all placeholders: Claude is aware of every Wordy feature — dates, fill-ins, counters, JavaScript, shell commands, nested snippets, optional sections, and regex triggers

Privacy

• Your API key is stored in the macOS Keychain — it's never written to disk as plaintext
• Snippet content is sent to Anthropic's API only when you click Generate
• No data is stored on Anthropic's servers beyond the API request (see Anthropic's API data policy)
• Remove your API key at any time to fully disable AI features

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AI Translation

Translate selected text instantly from any app using Claude AI — without switching windows or opening a browser.

Setup

AI Translation uses the same Anthropic API key as AI Snippet Generation. If you've already set up your key in Settings → AI, translation is ready to use.

How to Translate

1. Select text in any application
2. Press ⌥T (Option+T) to open the translation panel
3. Choose your target language from the dropdown (28 languages available)
4. Click Translate (or press Return)
5. Choose an action:
   • Replace — Pastes the translation over your original selection
   • Copy — Copies the translation to your clipboard
   • Escape — Dismisses the panel without any changes

The Translation Panel

A floating Spotlight-style panel appears in the center of your screen showing:

• Original text — The text you selected (read-only)
• Language picker — Choose from 28 languages including Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and more
• Translate button — Starts the translation (also triggered by pressing Return)
• Translation result — The translated text appears here
• Replace / Copy buttons — Insert or copy the result

The panel auto-dismisses when you click outside it or press Escape.

Changing the Language

Select a different language from the dropdown and click Translate again. Your preferred language is remembered across sessions.

Customizing the Hotkey

The default shortcut is ⌥T (Option+T). To change it:

1. Open Settings (⌘,)
2. Find the Global Hotkeys section
3. Click Record Shortcut next to "Translation"
4. Press your preferred key combination
5. Click Reset to Default to restore ⌥T

Requirements

• An Anthropic API key must be configured in Settings → AI
• If no API key is set, the translation hotkey is silently ignored
• Uses the same Claude model selected for AI Snippet Generation

Available Languages

Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese.

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Import & Export

Importing from TextExpander

Wordy can import your TextExpander snippets:

1. Export your snippets from TextExpander as CSV
2. In Wordy, go to Settings → Import
3. Select your CSV file
4. Review the import preview:
   • Choose a destination folder (or create a new one)
   • Handle duplicates: Skip, Replace, or Import as new
   • Review any conversion warnings
5. Click Import

Automatic placeholder conversion

TextExpander	Wordy
%clipboard%	{{clipboard}}
%filltext:name=X%	{{field:X}}
%fillarea:name=X%	{{textarea:X}}
%fillpopup:name=X:a:b:c%	{{dropdown:X:a,b,c}}
%snippet:trigger%	{{snippet:trigger}}

Undo Import

Changed your mind? Go to Settings → Recent Imports and click Undo next to the import batch.

Exporting Snippets

CSV Export (TextExpander compatible)

• Settings → Export as CSV
• Format: trigger, replacement, title
• Works with other text expanders

JSON Export (Full backup)

• Settings → Export as JSON
• Includes all snippets, folders, metadata
• Use for complete backups or migration

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Snippet Version History

Wordy automatically saves a snapshot of your snippet each time you edit it, so you can recover previous versions if needed.

How It Works

• Every time you save a snippet, Wordy stores the previous version (title, trigger, replacement, and regex setting)
• Up to 5 versions are kept per snippet (oldest are pruned automatically)
• History is persisted across app restarts

Restoring a Previous Version

1. Open a snippet in the editor
2. Click the History button in the top-right corner
3. Browse the list of previous versions (newest first)
4. Each entry shows the date/time, trigger, and a preview of the replacement text
5. Click Restore to load that version into the editor
6. Review the restored content and click Save to keep it (or close without saving to discard)

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Snippet Suggestions

Wordy can detect phrases you type repeatedly and suggest turning them into snippets — saving you even more time.

How It Works

1. As you type, Wordy analyzes your typing patterns in the background
2. When the same multi-word phrase (3+ words) appears 3 or more times, it becomes a suggestion
3. The menu bar icon changes to a lightbulb to let you know suggestions are available
4. Click Suggestions in the menu bar dropdown to view them

Viewing and Acting on Suggestions

The Suggestions sheet shows each detected phrase with:

• The repeated phrase
• How many times you've typed it
• A Create Snippet button to turn it into a snippet instantly
• A dismiss button (×) to remove suggestions you don't want

Clicking Create Snippet opens the snippet editor with:

• The phrase as the replacement text
• An auto-generated trigger (; + first letters of each word)
• You can customize the trigger and title before saving

Settings

Toggle snippet suggestions on or off in Settings → General → Snippet suggestions.

Privacy & Performance

• Detection runs entirely in-memory — no typing data is saved to disk or sent anywhere
• Suggestions reset when you quit the app
• The detection runs in a separate, isolated process from snippet expansion — it cannot interfere with your typing or trigger detection
• Minimal memory footprint: stores up to 50 recent text segments and 500 phrase candidates

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Settings

Access settings via the menu bar → Settings (or ⌘,).

General

Setting	Description
Launch at login	Start Wordy automatically when your Mac boots
Hide dock icon	Keep Wordy out of your Dock (still accessible via menu bar)
Play sound on expansion	Audio feedback when snippets expand
Snippet suggestions	Detect repeated phrases and suggest creating snippets

Updates

Wordy can automatically check for updates and notify you when a new version is available.

Setting	Description
Check for updates automatically	When enabled, Wordy periodically checks for new versions
Check for Updates Now	Manually check if a newer version is available

You can also check for updates from the menu bar → Check for Updates...

When an update is available, Wordy will show you the release notes and let you download and install the new version with one click.

iCloud Sync

Setting	Description
Sync snippets with iCloud	Keep snippets in sync across your Macs
Sync Now	Manually trigger a sync

Synced data is stored in your iCloud Drive and visible in Finder.

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Quick Search

Quick Search lets you find and expand any snippet instantly from any app, without needing to remember its trigger.

Overview

Press ⌥Space (Option+Space) from any application to open the Quick Search panel. A floating search bar appears in the center of your screen.

Using Quick Search

1. Start typing to filter snippets by title or trigger
2. Use ↑↓ arrow keys to navigate results
3. Press Return to expand the selected snippet into the app you were working in
4. Press Escape to close without expanding

The search ranks results by relevance: exact matches appear first, then prefix matches, then partial matches.

How Expansion Works

When you select a snippet:

• The Quick Search panel closes
• The app you were previously working in regains focus
• The snippet text is injected at your cursor position
• If the snippet has fill-in fields, the fill-in form appears as usual

Customizing the Hotkey

The default shortcut is ⌥Space. To change it:

1. Open Settings (⌘,)
2. Find the Quick Search section
3. Click Record Shortcut and press your preferred key combination
4. The shortcut must include at least one modifier key (⌘, ⌥, ⌃, or ⇧)
5. Click Reset to Default to restore ⌥Space

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
⌥Space	Open Quick Search
⌘⇧N	New snippet
⌘,	Open Settings
⌘⇧P	Pause/Resume expansion
⌘Q	Quit Wordy
⌘↩	Save snippet (in editor)
⎋ (Escape)	Cancel/close
⌫ (Delete)	Delete selected snippet(s)

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Statistics

Track your productivity in Menu Bar → Statistics:

Lifetime Stats

• Total expansions
• Characters saved
• Time saved
• First expansion date

Last 7 Days

• Daily expansion chart
• Hourly usage distribution
• Top 5 most-used snippets

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Pause/Resume

Need to type a trigger literally without expansion? Pause Wordy temporarily:

• Menu Bar → Pause Expansion
• Or press ⌘⇧P

Resume the same way when you're ready.

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Secure Input Detection

macOS enables "secure input" mode when focus is in password fields, blocking keyboard monitoring for security. Wordy detects this and provides visual feedback so you know when expansions are temporarily unavailable.

How it works

• Menu bar icon changes to a lock icon when secure input is active
• Dropdown menu shows "Blocked by [AppName]" to identify which app enabled secure input
• Uses ioreg command to read kCGSSessionSecureInputPID from I/O Registry, then resolves to app name
• Falls back to frontmost app if I/O Registry doesn't provide the PID
• Automatic detection — Wordy checks every 0.5 seconds while running

When does secure input activate?

Secure input is typically enabled when you're typing in:

• Password fields in browsers and apps
• Keychain and security dialogs
• Some banking and payment apps
• Any field marked as secure by the app developer

This is a macOS security feature—Wordy automatically resumes normal operation once you leave the secure field.

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Troubleshooting

Snippets not expanding

1. Check accessibility permission: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → Wordy (enabled)
2. Check if paused: Look for "Resume Expansion" in the menu bar menu
3. Test in different apps: Some apps handle input differently

Fill-in form not appearing

• Ensure your snippet contains fill-in placeholders ({{field:...}}, {{textarea:...}}, {{dropdown:...}}, {{datepicker:...}}, {{?:...}}, or {{note:...}})
• The form only appears when there are fields to fill (or notes to display)

iCloud not syncing

1. Ensure you're signed into iCloud on your Mac
2. Check that iCloud Drive is enabled
3. Try Sync Now in Settings
4. Check the sync status indicator for errors

Global variable shows [#Name?]

This means the variable isn't defined:

1. Open the Global Variables window from the sidebar
2. Check if the variable exists (use search to find it)
3. Verify the spelling matches exactly (names are case-insensitive)
4. Create the variable if it doesn't exist

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Data Storage

Local data: ~/Library/Application Support/Wordy/

iCloud data (if enabled): ~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/Wordy/

Your snippets are stored as JSON files and can be backed up manually if needed.

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System Requirements

• macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
• Accessibility permission (required)
• iCloud account (optional, for sync)