Autokey

AutoKey is an open-source desktop automation utility for Linux and the X Window System. It provides a framework for creating and managing keyboard-driven automations in the form of snippets, phrases, and scripts. Automations can be triggered by hotkeys or by typing abbreviations, enabling rapid insertion of text or commands.

Core features include a snippet library for inserting fixed text, a system of abbreviations that expands into longer phrases, and programmable scripts written in Python. Scripts can type text, manipulate the clipboard, run shell commands, or interact with graphical applications. AutoKey can launch applications, switch focus between windows, and insert dynamic content such as dates or user-defined variables. The tool is designed to help automate repetitive tasks across multiple applications and workflows.

AutoKey offers two graphical user interface frontends: autokey-gtk (GTK-based) and autokey-qt (Qt-based). Data is stored locally in an SQLite database and can be exported or imported to facilitate sharing configurations or migrating setups. The software runs as a background service or applet, responding to user-defined events and actions.

Licensing and platform support: AutoKey is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0. It is primarily maintained for Linux and the X11 environment, with no official Windows or macOS support provided by the project. Distribution and installation are available through many Linux package managers (for example, autokey-gtk or autokey-qt packages) and via Python packaging workflows in some environments.

Typical use cases include inserting boilerplate text or code templates, automating form filling, speeding up repetitive typing, and implementing small, scriptable workflows to interact with multiple applications.