Replacely

· 4 min read

Mac text replacement not working in Google Docs

macOS Text Replacements often don't fire in Google Docs, even when they work elsewhere in the browser. Use Docs' own Substitutions list or an expander instead.

The short answer

Google Docs often ignores the Text Replacements you set in macOS, even in a browser where they work on other pages. Docs has its own list that does work. Go to Tools > Preferences > Substitutions and add your shortcuts there. If you want one list for Docs and every other app, use a text expander such as Espanso, Raycast or Text Blaze, and test it in Docs first.

What people run into

The clearest account I found is a January 2024 thread on Mac Power Users, "Mac Text Replacement not working in Google Docs". The original poster's shortcuts worked in a Safari reply window but not in Google Docs or Sheets. Text replacement was switched on in Safari. Another member tried Espanso in Docs, and it failed there too, though it worked in a different web editor. Their conclusion: "the problem isn't text replacement, Safari, or web apps. It's Google Docs."

Later in the same thread, a member reported that Espanso did work in Google Docs in Chrome, and said the issue "is specific to Safari." So the browser matters, and results vary between people.

I couldn't find anything from Google about macOS Text Replacements in Docs. One relevant change is that in 2021 Google moved Docs to canvas-based rendering, and warned that browser extensions relying on the page's HTML might stop working. Google didn't say anything about macOS substitutions, so I won't claim that's the cause. It does show that Docs handles text in its own way, unlike a plain web form.

Fix 1: use Google Docs' Substitutions list

This is the fix that works without installing anything. Google's help page on managing auto-correct in Docs gives the menu path and says you can only change these settings in Docs on a computer.

  1. Open any document in Google Docs.
  2. Go to Tools > Preferences and click the Substitutions tab.
  3. In the blank row at the top, type your shortcut under Replace and the full text under With.
  4. Click OK.

Zapier's guide to Google Docs autocorrect describes the same Replace and With rows for your own shortcuts. Make sure the Automatic substitution box stays ticked, because unticking it turns the whole feature off.

The downside is obvious. You now have two lists, one in macOS and one in Docs, and you have to keep them in step by hand. To get your macOS list out as a file you can copy from, see how to export your Mac text replacements.

Fix 2: try a different browser

Because results differ between Safari and Chrome, try your shortcut in Docs in the other browser. Check the per-app toggle as well. In Safari or Chrome, open Edit > Substitutions and make sure Text Replacement is checked. Apple's guide to text replacements describes that toggle. If shortcuts don't work anywhere in Chrome, our Chrome guide covers that separately.

Fix 3: use a text expander

A text expander inserts the text itself and doesn't rely on macOS substitutions. Test whichever one you pick in a real Doc before you move your whole list, because of the mixed Espanso reports above.

Dates in Google Docs

If what you really want is today's date, Docs has a built-in way. Google's help page on smart chips says you can type @today, @tomorrow, @yesterday or @date to insert a date chip, and change its format under Settings. For a shortcut that works outside Docs too, see how to insert today's date with a keyboard shortcut on Mac.

Summary