The Actions page
The Actions page lists the actions of one app group at a time and edits the one you select. The configuration window opens on this page.
① The app group whose actions the list shows. ② The actions, in the order they are checked. ③ The action's name, switch and labels. ④ Its triggers. ⑤ What it does.
Choosing an app group
An action always belongs to exactly one app group. The App group drop-down at the top of the page picks which group's actions the list shows:
- All first, then the Global group, then every enabled app group A–Z, then the disabled groups A–Z. Ignore groups are not listed, because they hold no actions.
- The page opens on the Global group, so a new action never lands in another group by accident.
- With All, every group's actions are listed under a heading with the group's name, in the order of the App groups page, with Global last. + New then asks you to select an app group first, because a new action needs a definite group.
- If the group you are viewing is deleted or turned into an ignore group, the page falls back to All.
How a window is matched to an app group is described in App groups.
The action list
The list shows the group's actions in match order: when the trigger of more than one action in the same group matches, the one higher in the list runs. One exception: of two gesture triggers that both match, the one limited to fewer region cells wins (Regions). The full rules are in Matching.
- Each row shows the action's name, up to two triggers and its category:
- The first mouse trigger (a gesture, after a mouse icon) with any modifiers it needs held as small keys, for example Ctrl or LMB for the left button. Hover a short key to see its full name.
- The first keyboard trigger (a hotkey's keys after a keyboard icon, or the typed text of a text expansion), whatever its place in the trigger list.
- A count such as +1 after the last one when the action has more triggers.
- The category, after a folder icon.
- A disabled action stays in its place, dimmed, with · disabled after its name.
- A row with a conflict is marked; select it to see the details at the top of the editor.
- The Filter… box searches names, hint notes, categories, triggers and the text of what the action does.
- Text-expansion items you made on the Text expansion page are listed there, not here (Text expansion).
Creating, duplicating and deleting
- + New adds an action named New action at the end of the selected group, which is the lowest priority there. It has no triggers and no steps.
- The duplicate button beside + New copies the selected action, triggers and all, just below the original, named "name (copy)".
- The delete button on a row deletes that action after a confirmation that says how many triggers and steps go with it.
Nothing takes effect until you apply your changes (The configuration window).
The action card
The first card is the action itself. Its header shows the app group the action belongs to.
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Name | The name in the list, the hint window and the logs. Names don't have to be unique. |
| Enabled | Off means the action never runs. Its triggers still appear here, and nothing is lost. |
| Category | A label for sorting and filtering in this window only. It suggests the categories already in use. The engine ignores it. |
| Hint note | Shown under the action's name in the hint window while its gesture is drawn (Hints and messages). |
Changing the order
Move up and Move down move the action past the next action listed in the same group. Because list order is match order, this changes which action wins when two of them match.
Moving or copying to another group
Move or copy opens a menu with Move to app group and Copy to app group, each listing every other app group. The action (or a copy with the same name) is added at the end of that group, so it has the lowest priority there, and the page follows it.
Region cells belong to a group's grid. When the other group's grid has a different shape, a Clear region cells? confirmation says the cells chosen on this action's gesture triggers will be cleared. Clear and continue moves or copies the action; cancelling leaves everything as it was.
Problems with an action
Under the action card, a banner appears for each problem with the action's triggers. Each banner names the other action involved, if there is one, and says which one wins. The page reports:
- another action in the same group with the same gesture, keys or typed text (the one higher in the list wins);
- the same keys used by a reserved hotkey in one place and a passively watched hotkey in another (both may run);
- a hotkey with no key, a hotkey on the stop-all shortcut, a reserved hotkey on Ctrl+Break, exactly Ctrl+Alt on a character key (AltGr on many keyboard layouts), and keys another program holds;
- a gesture that isn't in the library, has no drawings, needs a draw button that isn't turned on, or has no region cell (or a cell outside the grid) in a group that uses regions;
- typed text that can never expand, and text expansion being turned off.
What each rule means is explained on Hotkeys, Text expansion, Drawing a gesture and Regions.
Triggers
The Triggers card holds one card per trigger. + Gesture, + Hotkey and + Text expansion add a trigger of that kind at the end; it opens ready to edit. An action runs when any of its triggers matches.
- Each card shows its kind (GESTURE, HOTKEY or EXPAND) and a one-line summary. On a closed gesture card, highlighted chips show what limits when it fires: the modifiers to hold (with their Modifier timing when it is not Either) and a specific draw button.
- Only one card is open at a time ①. Click a closed card ② to open it; the open one closes.
- Drag a card by its handle, or press Alt+Up / Alt+Down on its header, to change the order. When two triggers fit the same input, the first one is used, except in a group with regions on, where the fitting trigger with the fewest cells is used and the order only breaks ties (Scope and fallback rules). The same action runs either way, but the trigger that is used decides which settings apply: its Held modifier keys and, for a hotkey, its Swallow the final key.
- An action with no triggers shows This action has no triggers, so nothing can run it. in place of the note above the cards.
- The two buttons on a card duplicate it or remove it.
Gesture triggers
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gesture | The shape. Click the picture to open Choose a gesture, which lists the library with a search box. New… draws a new shape instead: give it a name and draw it three times the same way. If the drawings look like a gesture you already have, a warning names it and Use it picks that one; another warning says when the drawings don't match each other. Save adds the gesture to the library and uses it. A new gesture trigger starts with the first gesture in the library. |
| Draw button | Any draw button, or one specific button. Only the buttons turned on as draw buttons on the General page are offered. |
| Modifiers | Keys or mouse buttons that must be held for the gesture to count. |
The rules behind these fields are in Drawing a gesture, The gesture library and Modifiers and timing.
Advanced mode. A gesture trigger also has Timing under Modifiers (whether the modifier is held before drawing, while drawing, or either), Held modifier keys once a keyboard modifier is chosen (Release, then restore or Leave held), and Regions when the app group uses regions: the grid cells the gesture applies to (Regions).
Hotkey triggers
Key combination captures the keys you press: click it, then press the combination. The rules are in Hotkeys.
Advanced mode. A hotkey trigger also has Registered (on by default: reserved with Windows so no other program receives it; off: watched passively), Swallow the final key (passive hotkeys only), and Held modifier keys. In Simple mode every hotkey is reserved with Windows.
Text expansion triggers
Typed text is what you type to run the action. It is case-sensitive and expands when followed by Space, Tab or Enter, or by a period, comma, exclamation mark or question mark. The full rules, and the Text expansion page for plain replacements, are in Text expansion.
What it does
The What it does card holds the action's steps or script.
- Written as chooses Steps, Script or AutoHotkey. Each keeps its own content, and only the selected one runs (Steps, Script and AutoHotkey).
- In Steps, you build the action from steps (The Steps editor).
- In Script or AutoHotkey, you type the code in an editor with completion and syntax colors.
- The button at the card's top-right corner expands the card to fill the page, and collapses it again. Esc also collapses it.
In Simple mode, Written as appears only once the action already has a script or an AutoHotkey body. A new action in Simple mode is built from steps.
Profile restriction
Advanced mode. The Only in these profiles card limits the action to the profiles you pick. In any other profile the action is skipped, as if it weren't there. Leave every profile unselected for the action to work in all of them. See Profiles.
What Simple mode hides
Simple mode hides the gesture modifier Timing, Regions, how a hotkey is detected, Swallow the final key, Held modifier keys, the profile restriction, and in the Steps editor the code view and each step's script name and signature help. Every kind of step, variables, conditions and loops included, can be added in either mode. Hidden settings keep their values and keep working. A banner at the bottom of the page counts the hidden settings, says when any of them is not at its default, and has a Show advanced button.