📎 This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓
How many times a day do you type your email address, a standard reply, or today’s date? AutoHotkey is a free Windows tool that turns short abbreviations into full text and any key combination into an action.
Install and create a script
- Download AutoHotkey v2 from autohotkey.com and install it.
- Right-click the desktop → New → AutoHotkey Script, name it
my-shortcuts.ahk. - Right-click it → Edit, paste the script below, save, then double-click the file to run it.
A starter script
#Requires AutoHotkey v2.0
; ---- Text expansion: type the abbreviation followed by space or Enter
::@@::[email protected]
::brb::be right back
::thx::Thanks for the quick response — I will review and revert shortly.
; ---- Insert today's date when you type ;dt
:X:;dt::SendText FormatTime(, "dd-MMM-yyyy")
; ---- Hotkeys: ^ = Ctrl, ! = Alt, + = Shift, # = Windows key
^!e::Run "excel.exe" ; Ctrl+Alt+E opens Excel
^!n::Run "notepad.exe" ; Ctrl+Alt+N opens Notepad
#!c:: ; Win+Alt+C: copy selected text as plain text
{
A_Clipboard := ""
Send "^c"
if ClipWait(1)
A_Clipboard := A_Clipboard ; strips formatting
}How it works
::abbr::textis a hotstring: type the abbreviation and an ending key and it is replaced.:X:makes the hotstring execute code instead of typing text — here it types the formatted date.^!e::is a hotkey: the action after::runs when you press the combination.
💡 Put a shortcut to your .ahk file in the Startup folder (press Win+R, type
shell:startup) so it runs every time Windows starts.⚠️ Some company PCs block AutoHotkey. Check with IT first, and never put passwords in an .ahk file — it is plain text.
Try it yourself: step by step
- Install AutoHotkey v2, then download my-shortcuts.ahk.
- Right-click it → Edit (or open in Notepad) and change
[email protected]to your email. Save. - Double-click the file — a green “H” icon appears in the system tray.
- Open Notepad and type
@@then a space: it becomes your email. Type;dtand a space: today’s date appears. - Press Ctrl+Alt+N to open Notepad from anywhere. Right-click the tray icon → Exit to stop the script.
📎 Practice files for this article
- ⌨️Starter AutoHotkey scriptNeeds AutoHotkey v2. Edit the email and phrases, then double-click to run.⬇ AHK · 428 B
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.