How to automate AutoHotkey to boost your productivity

Automate AutoHotkey For performing various tasks, scripting has become one of the most powerful tricks for getting the most out of a Windows PC without spending a penny and without installing monstrous enterprise software. If you spend your day dealing with emails, spreadsheets, web forms, or management programs, you're probably repeating the same clicks and keystrokes over and over again… And all of that can be delegated to scripts.

AutoHotkey (AHK) is a lightweight scripting languageAHK is an open-source tool designed so that any user (even non-programmers) can create keyboard shortcuts, text expansions, and complex automations that control applications, windows, files, the clipboard, the browser, or even websites like the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT). In this article, we'll break down everything you can do with AHK to boost productivity, from very simple cases to truly advanced workflows that many consultancies and offices already use daily.

What is AutoHotkey and why is it so useful for productivity?

AutoHotkey is a tool for creating and running scripts for Windows. Scripts are simple text files with the extension . .ahk that contain instructions: keyboard shortcuts that are triggered by pressing certain keys, functions that manipulate windows, commands that write text for you, that move the mouse, or that open programs and web pages.

Each script can contain multiple “hotkeys” and “hotstrings”A hotkey is a keyboard shortcut that triggers an action (for example, Ctrl+Alt+M to write your email). A hotstring is a shortened string that, when typed, becomes another string (for example, writing mimensaje1 and expand into a full paragraph of business copy). You can save multiple separate scripts or group everything into a single master file, for example AutoHotkey.ahk.

If you save that main file in your Documents folder and configure AHK to open when Windows starts, you'll have all your shortcuts available as soon as you turn on your PC. They're very lightweight scripts: each one typically uses around 2 MB of RAM, so you can have several running without noticing any impact.

Basic installation and first steps with AHK scripts

To start automating AutoHotkey, all you have to do is download the installer Download it from its official website (autohotkey.com) and install it using the default settings. From there, any file with the extension .ahk It will be associated with the interpreter, and will be executed by double-clicking.

Create your first script It's as simple as this:

1. In any folder, right-click.
2. Select "New".
3. Select "Text Document" and rename it to something like productividad.ahk (make sure the extension is .ahk, not .txt) and edit it with your favorite editor (Notepad itself is fine).

A typical example of "Hello world" in AutoHotkey It's about displaying a message box when a key combination is pressed. For example, we could decide that Ctrl+Shift+Alt+U display a pop-up message:

Example: ^+!U:: ; ctrl + shift + alt + U
MsgBox, 0, Hola, Soy AutoHotkey, Aquí empieza la magia
return

La syntax The modifier keys are very straightforward: ^ It's Control, + is Shift, ! is Alt and # It's the Windows key. The double colon. :: marks the beginning of the code block associated with the shortcut, and return This indicates the end. With that, you can literally map any key combination to any action you want.

Advanced local automation

Where AutoHotkey really shines is in automate real work processesIt's not just isolated tricks. In offices and tax consultancies, it's being used to speed up processes that are a pain to do manually: generating documents from local programs, uploading files to web platforms, identifying oneself with digital certificates, and archiving supporting documents.

A very clear example is the submission of forms and declarations to the AEATTraditionally, the manual process was something like this: open the accounting software, generate the form file, go to the Tax Agency website, select the correct digital certificate, upload the file, sign it, and then save the receipts in the corresponding client's folder.

With AutoHotkey you can chain all of that together a single flowThe script launches the local program, navigates its menus using shortcuts and simulated clicks to generate the file, opens the browser to the AEAT URL, selects the client's digital certificate, uploads the file, waits for the receipt, saves it to the correct local location, and records the result. For the user, the "task" is reduced to pressing a shortcut or a button.

The result, in environments with many clients and recurring models, is a huge time saving and a substantial reduction in human error (selecting the wrong certificate, uploading the wrong file, forgetting to save the receipt, etc.). Here we are already talking about "serious" automation built on an extremely lightweight tool.

AutoHotkey use cases for daily productivity

If you're new to AHK, the most practical thing to do is start with simple automations Use it several times a day. That way you'll get the hang of the language and, incidentally, you'll already be saving time each day. From there you can move on to more advanced things. A Below is an overview of some very common use cases:

Open web pages and perform searches with a shortcut

One of the most direct uses of AutoHotkey is open specific websites with keyboard shortcuts that are convenient for you. For example, launch your task manager, ERP, intranet, the tax authority website, or a news portal.

Suppose you want Ctrl+Shift+G to open your favorite siteThe hotkey would be as simple as:

Shortcut: ^+g::Run "https://www.tusitiofavorito.com"
return

If you prefer to use a function keySimply change the combination. For example, F2 it would be like F2::Run "https://www.tusitiofavorito.com"You could also mix it with modifiers (#F2 for Windows+F2, for example).

Another very useful variant is search on Google for text you have already copied in the clipboard. You copy any term and, instead of opening the browser and pasting, you press a shortcut and you're done:

Fragment: ^+c::
{
Send, ^c
Sleep 50
Run, https://www.google.com/search?q=%clipboard%
Return
}

Run and control Windows applications

AutoHotkey can be automated to launch any desktop application and assign it to a specific shortcut. For example, open Notepad with Windows+N to take quick notes without having to search for it in the Start menu:

Quick access: #n::Run notepad
return

If the program is not in the system PATHYou just need to put the full path to the executable, for example "C:\Program Files\TuPrograma\tuapp.exe"This way you can map, for example, your email client, your IDE, your accounting software, or your CRM.

Beyond opening programs, AutoHotkey can send them internal shortcutsA typical pattern is to reassign key combinations you don't like to others that are more comfortable, relegating the originals to the background. For example, using Ctrl+Q to open the Task Manager that you actually use Ctrl+Shift+Esc:

Remapping: ^q::
Send ^+{Esc} ; envía Ctrl+Shift+Esc
return

This allows you “standardize” your own keyboard Although each application has its own shortcuts, you can decide that a certain keyboard gesture will always perform actions such as "open search," "create new task," "register client," etc., and AHK will translate that into the necessary actions for each program.

Global control of volume, windows, and other system functions

If your keyboard doesn't have multimedia keys, or you simply want finer control, AutoHotkey lets you do that.ignore volume, mute, brightness, etc. to keys that you have at hand. A typical example:

Multimedia: +NumpadAdd:: Send {Volume_Up}
+NumpadSub:: Send {Volume_Down}
Break::Send {Volume_Mute}
return

In that script, Shift+Num key increases the volume, Shift+Decrease decreases it, and the Pause key toggles mute. Many people end up using these types of mappings because they are more convenient than the laptop's function keys.

Another productivity classic is keep a window always visible (“always on top”), ideal for notes, a PDF viewer with instructions, or a video call meeting that you want to keep on top while you work on something else. For example, with Ctrl+Space on the active window:

Window: ^SPACE:: Winset, Alwaysontop, , A
return

You can also Automate things like emptying the Recycle Bin with a shortcut and without annoying confirmations. For example, Windows+Delete to empty it instantly:

System: #Del::FileRecycleEmpty
return

Text expansion: autocorrect, templates, and “writing macros”

Text expansion (hotstrings) It is probably the most cost-effective use of automating AutoHotkey for those who write a lot: emails, reports, support responses, legal templates, business messages, medical notes, etc.

A hotstring automatically corrects misspelled words or replace a short keyword with a long text. For example, if you always type "out" instead of "greeting," or confuse the name of your own site:

Hotstring: :*?:salido::saludo
:*?:Genebta::Genbeta

The same idea applies to insert large blocks of text Simply type a keyword. Perfect for email signatures, FAQs, or legal texts you don't want to rewrite every time:

Template: :*?:mimensaje1::Estimado cliente, le escribo para informarle de que...

You can also Use hotstrings for special characters that are not readily available on the keyboard. For example, typing ++-- so that it becomes the plus/minus symbol:

Symbol: ; Inserta el símbolo ± al escribir ++--
:*?:++--::±

If you prefer working with hotkeys instead of hotstringsYou can assign, for example, Alt + “-” to insert an em dash (—) or any other Unicode character without having to use numeric ALT codes:

Character: !-::Send —

Automation with dates: months, times, and dynamic text

AHK includes date and time functions which can be combined with automatic text writing. It's very common to need the current month, the previous month, or a formatted date in emails, reports, or Excel cells.

For example, you can have a shortcut that writes the current month in Spanish using FormatTime with the appropriate regional settings (for example, L0x080a for Spanish):

Current date: ; Mes actual con Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F4
^+!F4::
time := a_nowutc
FormatTime, mes, %time%, L0x080a, MMMM
SendInput, %mes%
return

With a little imagination you can generate complete dates such as “Madrid, October 3, 2025”, timestamps, ranges “from March 1 to 31”, etc., without having to consult the calendar or think about whether last month had 30 or 31 days.

Integrations with Excel, Google Sheets and the clipboard

A very powerful combination is Use AutoHotkey in conjunction with spreadsheets as Excel or Google Sheets. The common pattern is: copy a cell, process the text with AHK, and paste the transformed result, all with a shortcut.

A real-world example: changing the name of the previous month to the current month in a cell containing text (for example, "September Sales Summary" to "October Sales Summary") without having to edit it manually. You could use a script like this:

Transformation: ^+!F6::
; mes actual
time := a_nowutc
FormatTime, mes_actual, %time%, L0x080a, MMMM
; mes anterior
date := (A_YYYY . A_MM . "01")
date += -1, days
FormatTime, mes_anterior, %date%, L0x080a, MMMM
; copiar contenido de la celda
Send, ^c
texto_clipboard := Clipboard
; reemplazar mes anterior por mes actual
texto := StrReplace(texto_clipboard, mes_anterior, mes_actual)
Clipboard := texto
; pegar resultado
Send, ^v
return

The same idea can be applied to other mass replacements: change a project name to another, update years, modify client codes, etc., all by playing with the clipboard, AHK text functions and the application's copy/paste shortcut.

Organizing files and repetitive desktop tasks

Although AutoHotkey is not a typical file manager, it can help you to Automate basic tasks that you repeat every day: move reports to a specific folder, rename batches of files with a clear structure, always open the same set of documents at the start of the day, etc.

With commands like Run, FileMove, FileCopy or Loop You can set up small robots that clean temporary folders, archive newly downloaded PDFs in each client's folder, or generate directory structures for new files with a single shortcut.

It is also common Automate AutoHotkey to improve window management: organize screens in tiles, maximize/minimize groups of applications at once, move windows between monitors with a shortcut, or quickly center a window that has become "lost" on one side.

In short, almost any repetitive task involving a mouse and keyboard It's a candidate for automation: the question is identifying what steals your time every day and translating it into a few commands in a script.

How to make your scripts start with Windows and how to compile them

To truly take advantage of AutoHotkey, it is advisable that your key scripts load on startupThat way you don't have to remember to open them manually every morning.

The classic trick in Windows is to use the Startup folderPress Win+R, writes shell:startup and press Enter. The folder of programs that run at login will open (something like C:\Users\TuUsuario\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup).

Inside that folder Create a shortcut to your .ahk script Main (right-click on the script > Create shortcut, then cut and paste that shortcut to the Startup folder). From then on, every time you start Windows, AHK will automatically load that script and you'll have all its hotkeys active.

If you like Take your automations to another PC without installing AutoHotkeyYou can "compile" the script into an executable. Simply right-click on the .ahk file and choose "Compile Script". A file will be generated. .exe standalone software that you can copy to any Windows machine and run without any further dependencies.

This option is very practical when you want share internal tools with colleagues who won't touch the code, or when you need to distribute a small automation program within the company.

Well said, Automating AutoHotkey allows you to turn a "normal" PC into a kind of optimized command center. where each key combination triggers a useful task: from opening critical websites and writing predefined texts to uploading tax documents with digital certificates without hardly moving the mouse. The key is to start with simple scripts, refine the processes you repeat most often, and gradually build your own ecosystem of automations that work for you while you focus on what truly adds value.