AutoHotkey for Windows
AutoHotkey is a free scripting language for Windows. You write a few lines in a text file, run that file, and the keyboard and mouse start doing work you would otherwise repeat by hand. People come to it for one shortcut and stay because the same language also moves windows, fills forms, reshapes the clipboard and builds small dialogs.
Spelling varies in search boxes — auto hot key, auto hotkey, autokey, AHK — but they all point at the same tool. This page is the starting point for the rest of the material on this site.
What AutoHotkey can do
- Hotkeys. Attach any action to a key combination, from launching an app to pasting a block of boilerplate.
- Text expansion. Type a short trigger and let the script write the long version.
- Key remapping. Turn a key you never use into one you use constantly.
- Window control. Move, resize, activate or close windows by rule instead of by mouse.
- Macros. Record-style sequences of keystrokes and clicks for repetitive app work.
- Small interfaces. Build a dialog with a few controls when a script needs input.
A first script
Save the following as a .ahk file and double-click it. Ctrl+Alt+N then opens Notepad.
#Requires AutoHotkey v2.0 ^!n::Run "notepad.exe"
The symbols in front of n are modifiers: ^ is Ctrl and ! is Alt. The full set is on the AHK key list.
Windows 11 and Windows 10
The language targets the Windows desktop and behaves the same across Windows 10 and Windows 11. The differences you meet in practice come from applications, not from the operating system release: an elevated window ignores keystrokes from a script that is not itself elevated, and some games block synthetic input.
Two versions in circulation
Scripts on the web come in two dialects. Version 1.1 is the older syntax; AutoHotkey v2 is the current one and is what every example here uses. A v1 script rarely runs unchanged under v2, so check the top of any snippet you copy for a #Requires line.
Where to go from here
If you want a result in five minutes, follow the tutorials. If you would rather read finished code, the scripts and examples pages collect working snippets. For reference material, the commands and functions pages explain how the built-in library is organized, and the full manual lives under the v2 reference.
Frequently asked questions
What is AutoHotkey?
A free Windows scripting language used to create hotkeys, expand text, remap keys and automate repetitive desktop tasks.
Does AutoHotkey work on Windows 11?
Yes. Scripts behave the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10; limits come from individual applications, such as elevated windows ignoring input from a non-elevated script.
What can AutoHotkey automate?
Keystrokes, mouse actions, window management, clipboard handling, file operations and application workflows that follow a predictable sequence.
Is AHK the same thing as AutoHotkey?
Yes. AHK is the common abbreviation, and it is also the script file extension.