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Send key sequence

This type of scheduled task is designed for sending a combination of keys (or a text fragment) to the selected application.

Window title
Title of a window where the key pressings (or the text) should be sent to.

All windows whose title begins with the specified text
Send keys to all windows whose title begins with the text specified under Window title.

All windows whose title ends with the specified text
Since version 6.0, send keys to all windows whose title ends with the text specified under Window title.

All windows whose title contains the specified text
Send keys to all windows whose title begins with the text specified under Window title.

Key sequence to send
A string to be sent. This string can be formatted using the following rules:

Key sequence formatting rules

Text Keys
[ascii characters] One or more characters represent each key. To specify a single keyboard character, use the character itself.
+ SHIFT key
^ CTRL key
% ALT key
$ Version 4.5 and later: WIN key
() To specify that Shift, Ctrl, and/or Alt should be held down while several other keys are pressed, enclose the keys in parentheses.
[] To specify text where all format characters are represented as keys.
{} Special format.

To specify one of special characters (+^%$()[]{}), enclose it inside square brackets. For example, to specify the plus sign, use [+].

The following commands can be enclosed in the braces ({}):

{[Key]} [Key] - keyboard characters or not displayed character code.
{[Key] n} Repeat [Key] n times.
{DELAY n} Pause before sending next keystrokes for n milliseconds.
{ACTIVATE [Window title]} Activate [Window title].
{LOCALE [Locale name]} Activate keyboard locale [Locale name].
{DATETIME [Format]} Insert current date and/or time.

To specify characters that are not displayed when you press a key (such as Enter or Tab) and keys that represent actions rather than characters, use the following key codes:

BACKSPACE BACKSPACE key
BREAK PAUSE/BREAK key
CAPSLOCK CAPS LOCK key
CLEAR CLEAR key
DELETE DELETE key
ENTER ENTER key
ESCAPE ESCAPE key
EXECUTE EXECUTE key
HELP HELP key
INSERT INSERT key
NUM LOCK NUM LOCK key
PRINT SCREEN PRINT SCREEN key
SCROLL LOCK SCROLL LOCK key
SELECT SELECT key
SPACEBAR SPACEBAR
TAB TAB key
HOME HOME key
END END key
PAGE DOWN PAGE DOWN key
PAGE UP PAGE UP key
DOWN ARROW DOWN ARROW key
LEFT ARROW LEFT ARROW key
RIGHT ARROW RIGHT ARROW key
UP ARROW UP ARROW key
LEFT ALT Left ALT key
LEFT CTRL Left CTRL key
LEFT SHIFT Left SHIFT key
LEFT WIN Left Win key
RIGHT ALT Right ALT key
RIGHT CTRL Right CTRL key
RIGHT SHIFT Right SHIFT key
RIGHT WIN Right WIN key
APPS Applications key
Numeric keypad 0 Numeric keypad 0 Key
Numeric keypad 1 Numeric keypad 1 Key
Numeric keypad 2 Numeric keypad 2 Key
Numeric keypad 3 Numeric keypad 3 Key
Numeric keypad 4 Numeric keypad 4 Key
Numeric keypad 5 Numeric keypad 5 Key
Numeric keypad 6 Numeric keypad 6 Key
Numeric keypad 7 Numeric keypad 7 Key
Numeric keypad 8 Numeric keypad 8 Key
Numeric keypad 9 Numeric keypad 9 Key
Numeric Multiply Numeric keypad Multiply key
Numeric Add Numeric keypad Add key
Numeric Separator Numeric keypad Separator key
Numeric Subtract Numeric keypad Subtract key
Numeric Decimal Numeric keypad Decimal key
Numeric Divide Numeric keypad Divide key
F1 key F1 key
F2 key F2 key
F3 key F3 key
F4 key F4 key
F5 key F5 key
F6 key F6 key
F7 key F7 key
F8 key F8 key
F9 key F9 key
F10 key F10 key
F11 key F11 key
F12 key F12 key
F13 key F13 key
F14 key F14 key
F15 key F15 key
F16 key F16 key
F17 key F17 key
F18 key F18 key
F19 key F19 key
F20 key F20 key
F21 key F21 key
F22 key F22 key
F23 key F23 key
F24 key F24 key

The following format specifiers can be used to define DATETIME format:

space or underscore space
%d day in month
%w weekday (three letter abbreviation)
%W full weekday
%o month number 1..12
%m month (three letter abbreviation)
%M full month
%y two digit year number
%Y full year number
%h hour
%n minutes
%s seconds
%a am/pm
%A AM/PM
%z time zone abbreviation (default: current zone)
%z=±hh:mm - use time in specified time zone, but not add abbreviation
%z!±hh:mm - use time in specified time zone and add its abbreviation
±hh:mm - time zone, for example, "+3:00" or "-9:30".

Examples:

abc+(abc){BACKSPACE} key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x63 (c)
key: SHIFT 0x61 (a)
key: SHIFT 0x62 (b)
key: SHIFT 0x63 (c)
key: 0x08 (.)
{a{+(o)}[+]} key: 0x61 (a)
key: SHIFT 0x6f (o)
key: 0x2b (+)
abc^(ab%(cd+ef))g key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x63 (c)
key: CTRL 0x61 (a)
key: CTRL 0x62 (b)
key: CTRL ALT 0x63 (c)
key: CTRL ALT 0x64 (d)
key: CTRL ALT SHIFT 0x65 (e)
key: CTRL ALT 0x66 (f)
key: 0x67 (g)
abc{BACKSPACE}{CLEAR[+] 5}[^]{$ 8} key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x63 (c)
key: 0x08 (.)
key: 0x0c (.)
key: 0x2b (+)
key: 0x0c (.)
key: 0x2b (+)
key: 0x0c (.)
key: 0x2b (+)
key: 0x0c (.)
key: 0x2b (+)
key: 0x0c (.)
key: 0x2b (+)
key: 0x5e (^)
key: 0x24 ($)
key: 0x24 ($)
key: 0x24 ($)
key: 0x24 ($)
key: 0x24 ($)
key: 0x24 ($)
key: 0x24 ($)
key: 0x24 ($)
{a{b 2} 5}{ENTER}[%[]^]{ENTER}text{ENTER} key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x62 (b)
key: 0x0d (.)
key: 0x25 (%)
key: 0x5b ([)
key: 0x5d (])
key: 0x5e (^)
key: 0x0d (.)
key: 0x74 (t)
key: 0x65 (e)
key: 0x78 (x)
key: 0x74 (t)
key: 0x0d (.)
{LOCALE English (United States)}English text{ENTER}{LOCALE German}German text{ENTER} command LOCALE(English)
key: 0x45 (E)
key: 0x6e (n)
key: 0x67 (g)
key: 0x6c (l)
key: 0x69 (i)
key: 0x73 (s)
key: 0x68 (h)
key: 0x20 ( )
key: 0x74 (t)
key: 0x65 (e)
key: 0x78 (x)
key: 0x74 (t)
key: 0x0d (.)
command LOCALE(German)
key: 0x47 (G)
key: 0x65 (e)
key: 0x72 (r)
key: 0x6d (m)
key: 0x61 (a)
key: 0x7e (n)
key: 0x20 ( )
key: 0x74 (t)
key: 0x65 (e)
key: 0x78 (x)
key: 0x74 (t)
key: 0x0d (.)
{DATETIME %d %w %W %o %m %M %y %Y %h:%n:%s %a %A %z}{ENTER} command DATETIME(%d %w %W %o %m %M %y %Y %h:%n:%s %a %A %z)
key: 0x0d (.)
TEXT1{DELAY 1000}TEXT2 key: 0x54 (T)
key: 0x45 (E)
key: 0x58 (X)
key: 0x54 (T)
key: 0x31 (1)
command DELAY(1000)
key: 0x54 (T)
key: 0x45 (E)
key: 0x58 (X)
key: 0x54 (T)
key: 0x32 (2)
{ACTIVATE Untitled - Notepad}{LEFT ALT}{DOWN ARROW}{DOWN ARROW}{DOWN ARROW}{DOWN ARROW}{ENTER}c:\filename.txt{ENTER} Activate "Untitled - Notepad" and perform "Save as..." command.

Returning codes
Error code: Error code of starting the command
Exit code: Error code of sending the keys

Categories: Manual, Shortcut type

September 29, 2014

One response to “Send key sequence”

  1. Southsoftware says:
    April 30, 2023 at 8:54 am

    The “Send key sequence” shortcut type simulates user input by passing keyboard activity to the Operating System. However, different applications processes user input in different ways, so you should test this feature with your application to make sure that your application accepts simulated keyboard input properly.

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