Terminal Text Expander
A terminal-only, local-first text expander for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Define shortcuts from your terminal and expand them anywhere — browsers, forms, editors, job boards, chat apps, and desktop apps.
$ pip install text-expander$ text-expander installType ;l then press Space to expand your saved text.
// see it work
Type a trigger. Get the text.
Triggers expand when followed by Space, Enter, or Tab — anywhere on your system.
Space, Enter, and Tab all trigger expansion.
// built for repetition
If you type it twice, save it.
Developers
Repo links, issues, PRs, localhost URLs, bug templates, code review replies.
Job seekers
LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio, email, intro paragraphs — fly through job boards.
Support teams
Repeated replies, refund messages, troubleshooting steps, escalation templates.
Recruiters & sales
Outreach templates, meeting links, follow-ups, calendar URLs.
Everyday forms
Address, phone, bio, calendar links — never type the same details twice.
// features
Everything a text expander should be.
Terminal-only
No GUI to learn. Pure CLI.
Global keyboard listener
Works in every text input.
macOS · Windows · Linux
One tool, every platform.
Local JSON storage
Your data lives on your disk.
No cloud dependency
Works fully offline.
No account required
Install and go. Zero signup.
Auto-start on login
Runs quietly in the background.
Import / export / backup
Move snippets between machines.
Search, edit, delete
Manage shortcuts from the CLI.
Privacy-focused
No telemetry. No tracking. Ever.
// CLI reference
Commands
$ text-expander addAdd a new shortcut (interactive or direct).
$ text-expander listList all saved shortcuts.
$ text-expander edit ';l'Edit an existing shortcut.
$ text-expander delete ';l'Remove a shortcut.
$ text-expander search linkedinSearch triggers, replacements, and tags.
$ text-expander startStart the global keyboard listener.
$ text-expander stopStop the background daemon.
$ text-expander statusShow daemon status and file paths.
$ text-expander doctorDiagnose dependencies and permissions.
$ text-expander installRegister auto-start on login.
$ text-expander uninstallRemove auto-start registration.
// installation
Get started in 30 seconds
$ pipx install text-expander$ text-expander installIf text-expander is not found after install, you may need to add Python's Scripts/bin folder to your PATH. See the user guide →
// OS permissions
Per-platform notes
macOS
Requires Accessibility permission. Enable your terminal app under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
Windows
Make sure Python's Scripts folder is on your PATH. You can also run python -m text_expander as a fallback.
Linux
X11 sessions work best. Wayland may restrict global keyboard listeners by design.
// privacy
Local-first by design.
Your shortcuts never leave your computer. No servers. No middlemen. No surprises.
- All snippets stay local on your machine
- No cloud sync, ever
- No telemetry, no tracking
- No account required
- You own your data — it's just JSON