Productivity with AutoHotkey
Most of the time AutoHotkey saves comes from small things done often. A shortcut that saves four seconds and fires eighty times a day is worth more than a clever script you run twice a month.
Stop retyping
#Requires AutoHotkey v2.0 ::teh::the ::recieve::receive ::@@::alex@example.com :*:;stand::Standing meeting notes —
Two groups here: silent typo corrections, and deliberate triggers prefixed with a character you never type by accident.
One key per destination
#1::Run "code.exe" #2::Run "chrome.exe" #3::Run A_MyDocuments "\projects"
Reusable clipboard slots
slots := Map()
^!1::slots["a"] := A_Clipboard
^+1::SendText slots.Has("a") ? slots["a"] : ""
A focus timer that stays out of the way
#t::
{
SetTimer Done, -1500000 ; single run, 25 minutes
ToolTip "Timer started"
Sleep 1200
ToolTip
}
Done()
{
MsgBox "Twenty-five minutes are up."
}
A negative interval means run once.
Keep what actually helps
Review your scripts every few weeks. Delete the bindings you never press, and promote the ones you reach for into easier key positions. A small set you remember beats fifty shortcuts you have to look up.
For heavier workflows, see Windows automation; for the syntax behind these snippets, see scripts and functions.
Frequently asked questions
What are good first AutoHotkey productivity scripts?
Text expansion for phrases you retype, single-key launchers for your main apps, and a clipboard helper that cleans pasted text.
Will many scripts slow Windows down?
No. Idle scripts use almost no CPU; they wait for their trigger.