AutoHotkey Tutorial

AutoHotkey is a keyboard macro software for Microsoft Windows. It is free.

For example, you can:

• Set F8 to launch browser, and just switch to it if it is already running.
• Set F3 to Copy, F4 to Paste, F12 to close a browser tab.
• Swap Alt and Ctrl keys.
• Disable ❖ Window key, but not when pressed with another key.
• Disable CapsLock, NumLock, ScrollLock keys, or make them do something useful.
• Set a key to insert today's date.
• Set a key to insert template text, such as your address.

Download AutoHotkey

Download at http://www.autohotkey.com/

Just run the installer to install it.

Create Script

To create a AHK script, type the following text into a file, save and name it test.ahk

; launch Notepad
Run Notepad

AutoHotkey language words are not case sensitive. Run is the same as run.

Run Script

To run ahk script, double click it.

Exit AutoHotkey

Right click on the AutoHotkey icon and pull a menu to exit the script. If you exit, your hotkeys will not work anymore.

Launch App, Open File

; launch app by name
Run Notepad

; launch app by path
Run "C:\Windows\explorer.exe"

; open file
Run "%HOMEPATH%\Documents\todo.txt"

; open folder
Run "%HOMEPATH%\Documents"

; launch a app with a parameter
Run "%HOMEPATH%\Downloads\emacs-27.1-x86_64\bin\runemacs.exe" "-Q"

Set Key to Launch App

Here's how you create a keyboard shortcut for launching Notepad:

; make Win+n start Notepad
#n::Run Notepad

Save the above in a file. Then, double click on it. Then, pressing ❖ Window+n will launch Notepad.

More examples with different keys:

; assign a hotkey to launch a app
#n::Run Notepad     ; Win+n
!n::Run Notepad     ; Alt+n
^n::Run Notepad     ; Ctrl+n

F6::Run Notepad     ; F6
^F6::Run Notepad    ; Ctrl+F6
^!n::Run Notepad    ; Ctrl+Alt+n

Key Syntax

AutoHotkey Key Syntax

Sending Text and Keystrokes

You can define a hotkey, so that, when pressed, it sends some other typing or keystrokes.

; pressing F9 to insert your signature
F9::
Send Best,{Enter}{Enter} Mary Jane
Return

Note that AutoHotkey does not support Unicode well as of 2021-02-14. That means, if the text you want to insert is Chinese, or emoji 😂 , it won't work.

Start AutoHotkey when Windows Starts

Create a link to your script and put the link in $AppData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Hold down Alt and drag you AutoHotkey script file to the folder. This will create a link shortcut to your Startup folder.

AutoHotkey mode for Emacs

If you use Emacs, you can use a AutoHotkey mode i wrote. It fixes some problems i found in the bundled ahk mode. Get it at Emacs AutoHotkey Mode (xahk-mode) .

Useful AutoHotkey Scripts

AutoHotkey Example Scripts .