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Overview

Snippet Expansion (also known as text expansion) lets you assign custom keyboard shortcuts to snippets that automatically expand when you type them. Type a short abbreviation like /email, and it instantly expands into your full email template-anywhere on your computer. This is Snippets AI’s TextExpander-style feature, supercharged with team awareness and workspace intelligence.

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Why Snippet Expansion Matters

Stop typing the same things repeatedly:
  • Speed: Type 5 characters instead of 500
  • Consistency: Same text every time, no typos
  • Universal: Works in every app (email, Slack, code editors, browsers)
  • Muscle Memory: Common snippets become automatic
  • Productivity Multiplier: Save hours per week

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How It Works

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Setting Up a Shortcut

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1. Open or Create Snippet

Navigate to the snippet you want to assign a shortcut to.

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2. Set Shortcut

In snippet editor:
  • Find “Shortcut” or “Abbreviation” field
  • Enter your shortcut (e.g., /hello)
  • Save snippet

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3. Use Shortcut Anywhere

In any application:
  1. Type the shortcut: /hello
  2. Shortcut is replaced with full snippet content
That’s it! The magic happens automatically.

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Shortcut Format

Recommended Format: 
/shortcut
Examples:
  • /email - Email template
  • /sig - Email signature
  • /addr - Address
  • /meet - Meeting notes template
  • /debug - Debug log snippet
Why / prefix?
  • Unlikely to type naturally in writing
  • Easy to remember and type
  • Visually distinct
  • Doesn’t conflict with normal punctuation
Alternatives:
  • :shortcut: - Slack-style
  • //shortcut - Comment-style
  • .shortcut - Dot prefix
  • @shortcut - Mention-style
Choose a convention and stick with it.

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Trigger Keys

Expansion happens when you type: Default Triggers:
  • Space - Most common
  • Enter / Return
  • Tab
Configurable: Settings → Expansion → Trigger Keys Some users prefer expansion only on Tab to avoid accidental expansions.

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Team-Specific Shortcuts

Important: Shortcuts are team-specific and workspace-specific.

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How It Works

Workspace A → Team 1:
  Snippet: "Hello Team 1"
  Shortcut: /hello

Workspace A → Team 2:
  Snippet: "Hello Team 2"
  Shortcut: /hello (same shortcut, different snippet)
When you’re in Team 1:
  • Typing /hello expands to “Hello Team 1”
Switch to Team 2:
  • Typing /hello now expands to “Hello Team 2”
Switch to Workspace B:
  • /hello may not work (different workspace)
  • Or expands to different snippet if defined there

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Why Team-Specific?

This design allows:
  • Context-Aware Expansion: Same shortcut, different content per context
  • No Conflicts: Each team can define own shortcuts
  • Flexibility: Reuse memorable shortcuts across teams

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Best Practices

Unique Shortcuts for Universal Snippets: If you want a shortcut to work the same way everywhere, use a unique shortcut name that you only define once.
Document Team Shortcuts: Maintain a list of shortcuts for each team so members know what’s available.
Namespace by Purpose: Use prefixes like /api-, /ui-, /prompt- to group related shortcuts.

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Example Use Cases

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Email Templates

Shortcut: /followup 
Hi [Name],

Following up on our conversation last week about [topic].

I wanted to check if you had a chance to review my proposal.
Happy to answer any questions or hop on a call to discuss further.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,
[Your Name]
Type /followup → Full email appears → Fill in bracketed fields.

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Code Snippets

Shortcut: /apiget 
const response = await fetch('https://api.example.com/endpoint', {
	method: 'GET',
	headers: {
		Authorization: `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
		'Content-Type': 'application/json',
	},
});
const data = await response.json();
Type /apiget in VS Code → Full API call appears.

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Frequently Used Commands

Shortcut: /docker 
docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d --build && docker-compose logs -f
Type /docker in terminal → Command appears, press Enter to run.

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Meeting Notes

Shortcut: /meet 
# Meeting Notes - [Date]

**Attendees:**

**Agenda:**

1.
2.
3.

**Discussion:**

**Action Items:**

- [ ]
- [ ]

**Next Meeting:**
Type /meet in Notion → Template appears → Fill in details.

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Customer Support Responses

Shortcut: /thanks 
Thanks for reaching out!

I've looked into your issue and [solution/next steps].

Let me know if you have any other questions-happy to help!

Best regards,
Support Team
Type /thanks in Intercom → Response ready.

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Personal Information

Shortcut: /addr 
123 Main Street
Apt 4B
San Francisco, CA 94102
Shortcut: /phone 
+1 (555) 123-4567
Fill out forms in seconds.

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Prompt Engineering

Shortcut: /sys 
You are an expert software engineer with deep knowledge of [language/framework].

Your responses should:
1. Be clear and concise
2. Include code examples
3. Explain your reasoning
4. Suggest best practices

Always format code with proper syntax highlighting.
Type /sys in ChatGPT → System prompt inserted.

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Advanced Features

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Dynamic Fields

Some snippet managers support dynamic fields (variables): Date/Time: 
Today's date: {date}
Current time: {time}
Expands to: 
Today's date: 2025-10-12
Current time: 3:45 PM
Clipboard: 
Here's the link: {clipboard}
Expands and includes current clipboard content. Cursor Position: 
function {cursor}() {
  // Implementation
}
Cursor positioned at {cursor} after expansion. Check Snippets AI documentation for supported dynamic fields.

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Multi-Line Expansions

Shortcuts work with multi-line content: 
/header
────────────────────────────
PROJECT NAME
────────────────────────────
All formatting preserved.

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Nested Shortcuts

Expand one shortcut that contains another: 
Shortcut: /greeting
Content: "Hello {name},"

Shortcut: /email
Content: "/greeting\n\nEmail body..."
(Check if Snippets AI supports nested expansion)

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Managing Shortcuts

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View All Shortcuts

Settings → Snippets → Shortcuts See list of all active shortcuts:
  • Shortcut abbreviation
  • Snippet name
  • Team/Workspace
  • Last used

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Edit Shortcuts

Change shortcut without changing snippet:
  1. Open snippet
  2. Change shortcut field
  3. Save
Old shortcut stops working; new one activates immediately.

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Disable Expansion

Temporarily disable snippet expansion: Method 1: Global Toggle
  • Settings → Expansion → Enable Snippet Expansion (toggle off)
Method 2: Per-App Disable
  • Settings → Expansion → Excluded Apps
  • Add apps where expansion shouldn’t work (e.g., password managers)

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Shortcut Conflicts

If two snippets have same shortcut in same team:
  • Warning appears when saving
  • Last-saved shortcut takes precedence
  • Resolve by changing one shortcut

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Best Practices

Start with High-ROI Shortcuts: Identify things you type 5+ times per day. Those get shortcuts first.
Memorable Shortcuts: Use intuitive abbreviations. /email is better than /e1.
Consistent Prefix: Use / for all shortcuts. Makes them easy to remember and type.
Document Shortcuts: Keep a “Shortcuts Cheat Sheet” snippet that lists all your shortcuts.
Review Periodically: Check Settings → Shortcuts monthly. Remove unused shortcuts, add new ones.

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Snippet Expansion vs. Quick Access

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When to Use Snippet Expansion

✅ Use shortcuts when:
  • Typing same thing repeatedly
  • Need instant expansion mid-sentence
  • Muscle memory workflow (type without thinking)
  • Short, frequently-used snippets
Examples:
  • Email signatures
  • Personal info (address, phone)
  • Code boilerplate
  • Common responses

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When to Use Quick Access

✅ Use Quick Access when:
  • Snippets change frequently
  • Need to browse/search before inserting
  • Longer, less-frequent snippets
  • Want to preview before inserting
Examples:
  • Complex code snippets
  • Long-form templates
  • Infrequent use cases
  • Exploratory browsing

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Hybrid Approach

Use both:
  • Top 20 snippets: Assign shortcuts (muscle memory)
  • Everything else: Use Quick Access (search-driven)

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Troubleshooting

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Shortcut Not Expanding

If typing shortcut doesn’t expand:
  1. Verify Shortcut Set: Open snippet, check shortcut field is filled
  2. Check Team Context: Are you in the right team/workspace?
  3. Expansion Enabled: Settings → Expansion → Enabled?
  4. Trigger Key: Did you press Space/Enter after typing?
  5. App Permissions: Mac: System Settings → Privacy → Accessibility → Snippets AI

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Expansion in Wrong Places

If snippets expand when you don’t want:
  1. Change Trigger: Use Tab-only expansion (less accidental)
  2. Exclude Apps: Settings → Expansion → Excluded Apps
  3. Longer Shortcuts: Use longer abbreviations (less likely to type accidentally)

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Conflict with Other Apps

If using TextExpander, Alfred Snippets, or similar:
  • Disable Others: Use only Snippets AI expansion (avoid conflicts)
  • Or Different Prefixes: Snippets AI uses /, others use ::
  • Coordinate: Ensure no overlapping shortcuts

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What’s Next

Quick Access Overview

Learn Quick Access as an alternative to shortcuts for longer snippets

Switching Between Teams

Understand team context for snippet expansion

Creating Teams

Organize shortcuts by team for different contexts