Importing Your Snippets from TextExpander, TypeIt4Me, and More
Bring your existing snippets into TypeSnap from TextExpander, TypeIt4Me, CSV, or JSON. All your macros are automatically converted.
Switching text expanders shouldn’t mean starting over. TypeSnap imports your existing snippets from TextExpander, TypeIt4Me, and standard file formats — macros, groups, and all.
Importing from TextExpander
TypeSnap reads TextExpander’s export formats and automatically converts macros to TypeSnap syntax.
How to Export from TextExpander
- In TextExpander, go to File > Export
- Choose your groups to export
- Save as
.textexpander(plist), CSV, or XML
How to Import into TypeSnap
- Open TypeSnap
- Go to File > Import Snippets… (or Cmd+Shift+I)
- Select your TextExpander export file
- Review the import preview
- Click Import
Your snippets appear in a new “Imported” group.
What Gets Converted
TypeSnap automatically translates TextExpander macro syntax:
| TextExpander | TypeSnap | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| `% | ` | {{cursor}} |
%clipboard |
{{clipboard}} |
Clipboard contents |
%D |
{{date:MMMM d, yyyy}} |
Long date |
%d |
{{date:MM/dd/yyyy}} |
Short date |
%Y |
{{date:yyyy}} |
4-digit year |
%m |
{{date:MM}} |
Month number |
%e |
{{date:d}} |
Day of month |
%H |
{{time:HH}} |
Hour (24-hour) |
%M |
{{time:mm}} |
Minutes |
%S |
{{time:ss}} |
Seconds |
%t |
{{time:h:mm a}} |
Short time |
%T |
{{time:HH:mm:ss}} |
Long time |
%@today |
{{today}} |
Today’s date |
%@tomorrow |
{{tomorrow}} |
Tomorrow’s date |
%@yesterday |
{{yesterday}} |
Yesterday’s date |
%fill:name% |
{{input:name}} |
Fill-in field |
%fillarea:name% |
{{textarea:name}} |
Multi-line fill-in |
%fillpopup:name:a:b:c% |
{{select:name=name:options=a:b:c}} |
Dropdown selection |
Date format strings using %@strftime{...} are fully converted to TypeSnap format codes, including %B (month name), %A (weekday), %I (12-hour), and %p (AM/PM) — these tokens are only recognized inside strftime blocks, not as standalone macros.
Duplicate Detection
TypeSnap checks for duplicate abbreviations during import (case-sensitive). If a snippet with the same abbreviation already exists, you’ll see a conflict dialog where you can choose to skip, replace, or keep both. This prevents accidental duplicates while giving you control over how conflicts are resolved.
Importing from TypeIt4Me
TypeSnap supports TypeIt4Me’s native formats.
Supported Formats
.typeit4meor.typeit4me.txt— TypeIt4Me’s tab-separated text format.plist— Property list format.csvor.txt— Comma-separated values or plain text
How to Export from TypeIt4Me
- In TypeIt4Me, go to File > Export Clippings
- Save as your preferred format
Macro Conversion
| TypeIt4Me | TypeSnap | What it does |
|---|---|---|
<cursor> or <|> |
{{cursor}} |
Cursor position |
<date> |
{{date}} |
Current date (long format) |
<time> |
{{time}} |
Current time (short format) |
<shortdate> |
{{date:MM/dd/yyyy}} |
Short date |
<year> |
{{date:yyyy}} |
Year |
<month> |
{{date:MM}} |
Month number (padded) |
<day> |
{{date:d}} |
Day of month |
<hour> |
{{time:HH}} |
Hour (24-hour, padded) |
<minute> |
{{time:mm}} |
Minutes |
<fill:name> |
{{input:name}} |
Fill-in field |
<textarea:name> |
{{textarea:name}} |
Multi-line fill-in |
<popup:a,b,c> |
{{select:a,b,c}} |
Dropdown |
TypeIt4Me’s strftime-style date formatting (using ⊢ and ⊣ delimiters) is also converted.
Encoding Support
TypeIt4Me files can use various encodings. TypeSnap handles UTF-8, UTF-16, macOS Roman, and ISO Latin-1 automatically, including byte order mark detection.
Importing from CSV
If you have snippets in a spreadsheet or plain CSV file:
- Format your CSV with columns:
Abbreviation,Label,Content - Import via File > Import Snippets…
Additional columns like Group, Enabled, and Tags are recognized if present.
Exporting from TypeSnap
TypeSnap exports in three formats:
JSON (Full Backup)
Includes everything: snippets, groups, metadata, version history. Use this for complete backups.
File > Export Snippets… > JSON
CSV (Simple)
Columns: Abbreviation, Label, Content, Group, Enabled, Tags. Opens in any spreadsheet app. Good for bulk reviewing or editing.
File > Export Snippets… > CSV
TextExpander Compatible
Exports in TextExpander’s plist format with macros converted back to TextExpander syntax. Useful for sharing with colleagues who use TextExpander.
File > Export Snippets… > TextExpander
Backup Strategy
A practical backup approach:
- Enable iCloud Sync for automatic cross-device backup to your own iCloud
- Export JSON monthly via File > Export for a local safety net
- Keep your original TextExpander/TypeIt4Me export file as an archive
TypeSnap stores everything locally in standard JSON files. You can also find your data at ~/Library/Application Support/TypeSnap/ and back up that folder directly.
After Importing
Once your snippets are in TypeSnap:
- Review the “Imported” group — Check that macros converted correctly
- Test a few snippets — Expand them to verify the output matches what you expect
- Reorganize if needed — Drag snippets into groups, rename, or adjust trigger modes
- Delete what you don’t need — Old or outdated snippets can be removed
The import is non-destructive. Your original files are never modified, and you can always re-import or manually adjust anything that needs tweaking.
Stop typing the same things over and over
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