Helper Windows: Find and Insert Snippets Without Interrupting Your Work

Quick Access Window (Alt + C on Windows; ⌥ + C on macOS)

Quick Access is the fastest way to find and insert any snippet. Press the hotkey from anywhere on your desktop to open a searchable list of all your snippets, find the one you need, and paste it instantly — without leaving your current application.

What Makes It Fast

• Always One Hotkey Away: Alt+C on Windows (⌥+C on macOS) opens Quick Access from any focused application. No menus, no switching windows.
• Type-to-Search: Start typing and results filter instantly. Find the right snippet in seconds even if your library has hundreds of entries.
• Preview Before You Paste: See a snippet's full content before inserting it — useful for longer templates where you want to confirm you have the right one.
• Insert with One Action: Click or press Enter to paste the selected snippet directly into the app that was in focus. No copy-paste step.
• Works in Any Application: Quick Access works system-wide — email clients, word processors, code editors, browsers, chat apps, terminals, and anywhere else you type.
• Keyboard Navigation: Navigate with arrow keys, insert with Enter, dismiss with Escape. Fully usable without touching the mouse.

Using Quick Access

1. Press Alt+C (Windows) or ⌥+C (macOS) from any application to open Quick Access.
2. Type to filter your snippets. The list narrows as you type.
3. Navigate to the snippet you want and preview its content.
4. Press Enter or click to paste it into the active application.
5. Press Escape or click outside to close without pasting.

Replacement Window

The Replacement Window gives you a preview of a snippet's expanded content before it appears in your document. It's a safety net for longer or more complex snippets — see exactly what will be pasted, fill in any variable fields, and confirm before inserting.

What It Gives You

• Preview Before It Pastes: See the full expanded content — including formatting and variables — before it lands in your document.
• Edit on the Spot: Make last-minute adjustments to the content before inserting. Useful when a snippet is 90% right but needs a small tweak for this specific use.
• Variable Fill-In: Snippets with placeholder variables show them clearly so you can fill in the right values before pasting.
• Format Confirmation: See how the snippet looks with its formatting, line breaks, and spacing before it goes into your document.
• Cancel Without Pasting: Changed your mind? Close the Replacement Window and nothing is inserted.

Using the Replacement Window

1. Trigger a snippet by typing your shortcut inline or selecting it from Quick Access.
2. The Replacement Window opens showing the expanded content.
3. Review the content — check the text, formatting, and any variable fields.
4. Make any edits you need directly in the preview.
5. Click Paste to insert, or Cancel to close without inserting.

When the Replacement Window Is Most Useful

• Long Snippets: Preview a multi-paragraph email template or document section before committing it to the page.
• Snippets with Variables: Fill in placeholders — names, dates, project titles — before pasting to get the final version right.
• Formatting Verification: Confirm that line breaks, spacing, and special characters will appear correctly in your target application.
• Quick Customisation: Adapt a standard template for a specific recipient or context without editing the saved snippet itself.

Multiple Snippets Window

The Multiple Snippets Window is a persistent snippet browser — a convenient place to browse and insert from your full saved snippet collection at your own pace. Open it whenever you want to explore your library and pick the right snippet without relying on remembering a specific shortcut.

What It Offers

• Browse Your Full Library: See all your saved snippets in one place. Useful when you want to explore what's available rather than search by name.
• Search and Filter: Narrow down the list by keyword to find the snippet you need quickly.
• Insert at Your Cursor: Select a snippet and insert it into whatever application your cursor was last in.
• Stays Open While You Work: Keep the Multiple Snippets Window open alongside your work for convenient repeated access throughout a task.

Using the Multiple Snippets Window

1. Open the Multiple Snippets Window from within Lightning Assist.
2. Browse or search your snippet library to find what you need.
3. Select a snippet and use it at your cursor position.

When to Use It

• Exploring Your Library: When you know you have a snippet for something but can't remember its trigger, browse here instead of guessing.
• Repeated Insertions: Working on a document that draws on several different saved pieces of content? Keep the window open and pick as you go.
• Onboarding New Snippets: When you've just added new snippets and want to review and use them before their triggers are second-nature.
• Any App, Any Time: Accessible regardless of which application you're working in — a consistent home for your full snippet collection.

Frequently Asked Questions