Install Espanso (macOS) Using Homebrew
Open Terminal and install Espanso
brew install espanso
# Start the espanso service
espanso service register
espanso service start
# Check the status
~ ❯ espanso service status
espanso is running
# Restart the service if required
~ ❯ espanso service restart
espanso started correctly!
# Unregister and Register the service if required
~ ❯ espanso service unregister
service unregistered correctly!
~ ❯ espanso service register
service registered correctly!
Enable Accessibility Permission Is Enabled
Go to: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
Enable: Espanso and Terminal
Configure the file
Espanso config lives here:
~/Library/Application Support/espanso/match/base.yml
Set the code and save it
matches:
- trigger: ":critq"
replace: |
Please respond with critical thinking.
If something is incorrect, clearly point it out.
Challenge weak assumptions.
Be concise and technically precise.
- trigger: ":arch"
replace: |
Act as a senior AWS cloud architect reviewing this design.
Identify security risks, IAM misconfigurations, scalability issues,
cost inefficiencies, and operational weaknesses.
Do not assume correctness.
Suggest better alternatives where applicable.
- trigger: ":sec"
replace: |
Perform a strict security review.
Identify IAM risks, data exposure, injection risks,
privilege escalation paths, and compliance concerns.
- trigger: ":cost"
replace: |
Analyze for cost optimization opportunities.
Identify unnecessary services, over-provisioning,
and better pricing models.
- trigger: ":perf"
replace: |
Review for performance and scalability issues.
Identify bottlenecks, cold start concerns,
concurrency limits, and caching improvements.
Check the contents from the Terminal
espanso match list
Test It
Anywhere on your Mac:
-
Open Notes, VS Code, or Amazon Q chat
-
Type:
critq -
Press space
It should expand instantly.