HomeSetup & toolsKeyboard shortcuts for faster drafting
§Setup & tools

Keyboard shortcuts for faster drafting

Drafting speed is about not stopping. A handful of clipboard shortcuts removes the most common stalls — starting with the mouse.

§ 1 Keep your hands on the keys

Drafting speed isn't about typing faster; it's about not stopping. Every reach for the mouse is a small stall. A handful of clipboard shortcuts removes the most common stalls in legal and professional writing.

§ 2 The core four

Learn these and little else:

  • + + C — open the clipboard history. Start typing to filter it.
  • + 1 + 9 — paste a recent item by number, without opening the list.
  • Pin — keep a reused clause or snippet at the top permanently.
  • Plain-text paste — drop text without its formatting, so it matches your document.
Paste-by-number is the one that changes the day: the thing you copied four copies ago is a single chord away.

§ 3 Why plain-text paste matters in law

Legal documents are formatting-sensitive: a pasted clause carrying the source's font, size or styling creates cleanup work and, worse, can drag hidden artefacts along. Defaulting to plain-text paste — or keeping it a keystroke away — keeps your document clean. Configure it in Maccy\’s settings; the full shortcut list lives in the shortcuts reference.

§ 4 Frequently asked questions

What are the most useful clipboard shortcuts for drafting?

Open history with ⇧⌘C and filter by typing; paste recent items by number with ⌘1–⌘9; pin reused clauses; and paste as plain text so content matches your document.

How do I paste without formatting?

Use your clipboard manager's plain-text paste option so the pasted text adopts your document's styling instead of the source's. In Maccy it's a setting you can default on.

Why does paste-by-number help so much?

It lets you paste something you copied several copies ago with a single chord, without opening or scrolling the history — ideal when assembling a document from many sources.