How to Configure Polish Shortcuts and Custom Prompts

Last updated: July 10, 2026

Available on: Mac, Windows

Highlight any text and rewrite it instantly with a custom AI rule — fix grammar, shift tone, translate, or reformat with a single keystroke. This guide walks you through creating your first Polish shortcut in under 2 minutes.

How to set up a Polish shortcut

  1. Open Flow settings. Click the Flow icon in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows), then click Settings.

  2. Open the Hub and go to the Transforms page in the sidebar.

  3. Click Create New (or the Create your own card with the + icon). This option is hidden once all custom transform slots are filled.

  4. Name the shortcut — for example, "Fix Grammar" or "Make Formal."

  5. Write a custom rule in the Customize prompt field describing how Flow should rewrite the selected text. See How to write effective rules below for tips.

  6. Assign a keyboard shortcut. Click the shortcut field (it reads "Click to add a shortcut") and press your desired key combination. Recording starts on the first click. Mouse-button shortcuts are recorded immediately on click; keyboard shortcuts are saved on key release. A "Shortcut saved" confirmation appears once it's set.

  7. Verify it works. Highlight any text in a text field and press your shortcut. The text is replaced with the polished version. If nothing happens, see Still stuck? below.

Note: Changes to the name and prompt auto-save shortly after you stop typing — an indicator in the top-right shows the save status. Shortcut changes save immediately. Your shortcut becomes active once the name, prompt, and keyboard shortcut are all set.

Important: Keyboard shortcuts must include at least one modifier key and use no more than 3 keys total.

  • Valid modifiers on Mac: Cmd, Ctrl, Opt, Alt, Shift, or Fn.

  • Valid modifiers on Windows: Ctrl, Alt, Shift, or Win. Fn cannot be used in shortcuts on Windows.

  • Mouse buttons: Middle click and Mouse 4–10 can satisfy the modifier requirement on their own, or be combined with keyboard modifiers (e.g., Cmd + Middle Click). Left- and right-click are not allowed.

  • Not allowed: Shortcuts that conflict with another assigned shortcut, or that use both the left and right versions of the same modifier at once. Invalid combinations show an error message.

How to write effective rules

  • Be specific: "Rewrite this in a professional tone for a client email" works better than "Make it better."

  • State the output format: If you want bullet points, a single paragraph, or a specific structure, say so in the rule.

  • Include constraints: Add limits like "Keep it under 50 words" or "Don't change technical terms" to get exactly what you need.

  • Use one rule per task: Create separate shortcuts for grammar fixes, tone changes, and translations instead of combining them.

Default and custom rules

The base Polish configuration includes the following toggleable default rules:

  • Make more concise

  • Reword for clarity

  • Reorder for readability

  • Add structure for readability

  • Maintain your tone

Each rule can be toggled independently. You can also add your own custom rules in the base Polish configuration modal.

How to manage your transforms

The Transforms page carries a Beta badge and has a top control row containing an Opt in toggle and a "to view changes" shortcut pill (the diff-view keyboard shortcut). Clicking the pill opens a rebind modal titled See changes in diff.

  • Edit a transform: Click the transform card on the Transforms page to update its name, prompt, or shortcut. Changes save automatically.

  • Add writing samples: Each custom transform supports up to 5 writing samples (50–500 words each) for voice personalization. Configure them in the transform's modal after the name, shortcut, and prompt are set. Renaming a custom transform preserves its writing samples. Deleting or resetting a transform deletes its writing samples.

  • Reset to defaults: Click Reset to defaults on the Transforms page. A confirmation modal appears before built-in transforms are restored. Resetting also deletes writing samples tied to removed custom transforms.

  • Turn off transforms: Toggle Opt in off on the Transforms page to disable the feature and hide the Polish wand button from the Flow Bar. Turning Opt in off also removes Polish's keyboard shortcuts from your system. Re-enabling restores default shortcuts — any custom keyboard bindings you had assigned to individual transforms will need to be re-set. Your saved transforms and prompts themselves are preserved. The wand button is also hidden during active meeting recordings, regardless of the Opt in setting.

  • Open the Auto-Polish picker: Click the wand button on the Flow Bar (visible in the Ready and Context Menu states). The picker contains an Auto-Polish toggle, the default Polish option, Prompt Engineer, your saved custom transforms, and a Configure Transforms link. Prompt Engineer appears as a standalone item only if it isn't already saved as a custom transform; if you've saved Prompt Engineer to a custom slot, it appears in the custom transforms section instead.

Warning: Resetting to defaults permanently removes all of your custom transforms and cannot be undone. Turning the Opt in toggle off does not delete custom transforms — they return when you re-enable the toggle.

Examples

Fix grammar and spelling

Rule: "Fix all grammar and spelling errors. Keep the original tone and meaning."

You highlight: "Their going to the meeting tommorow and there not prepared."

Flow outputs: "They're going to the meeting tomorrow and they're not prepared."

Make text more formal

Rule: "Rewrite in a professional, formal tone suitable for a business email."

You highlight: "Hey, just wanted to check if you got the thing I sent over."

Flow outputs: "I wanted to follow up to confirm you received the document I shared."

Translate to Spanish

Rule: "Translate this text to Spanish. Maintain the original meaning and tone."

You highlight: "The meeting has been moved to 3 PM."

Flow outputs: "La reunión se ha movido a las 3 PM."

Note: Polish always removes em dashes (—) from output, replacing them with commas.

Common issues

Bugs fixed in recent updates

The following Polish issues were resolved in recent versions of Wispr Flow:

  • Polish wand button visible after turning off transforms: The button could still appear when transforms were disabled. It now correctly hides when transforms are turned off and reappears when they are turned back on.

  • Links and URLs changed or removed during polishing: Polish would sometimes alter or strip plain-text URLs. Polish's post-paste formatting now automatically converts plain-text URLs into clickable links.

  • Adding a new shortcut required two clicks to start recording: Clicking the shortcut field opened the selector but didn't begin recording until a second click. Recording now starts on the first click.

  • Polished text not appearing — "paste your last transcript" prompt shows instead: Polished text was silently dropped instead of being inserted into the active text field. Affected apps included VS Code, ChatGPT, Word, Outlook, Cursor, and Chrome on both Mac and Windows.

  • Flow Bar stuck on a loading spinner after using a Polish shortcut: An empty response from a Polish rule left the Flow Bar in a loading state. It now dismisses correctly in all cases.

To get the fixes:

  1. Update Wispr Flow to the latest version.

  2. Restart Flow after updating.

FAQs

How many Polish shortcuts can I create?

You can create up to 8 custom transforms. The Create your own card is visible while any of the 8 custom slots remain empty, and is hidden once all slots are filled.

Can I edit a shortcut after creating it?

Yes. Go to the Transforms page, click the transform card, then update the name, prompt, or keyboard shortcut. Changes save automatically — there is no Save button.

Why is the Polish wand bubble missing from the Flow Bar?

The wand bubble is shown by default to existing users during an initial 7-day window from first eligible display. If you click it at least 3 times during that window, it remains visible permanently. Otherwise it is hidden after the window ends. New users who completed onboarding on or after July 2, 2026 do not see the bubble at all. You can still access Polish anytime via your keyboard shortcut or by right-clicking selected text.

The bubble can also be hidden if transforms are turned off. Go to the Transforms page and turn the Opt in toggle back on to restore it.

Does Polish work in every app?

Polish works in most text fields where Flow can detect selected text. Some apps with custom text editors may not be supported.

Will Polish change the links in my text?

Polish's post-paste formatting automatically converts plain-text URLs into clickable links. Preservation of Markdown link syntax [text](url) or HTML anchor tags <a> is not guaranteed in every case.

How do I review or undo a polish?

When polishing finishes, the Flow Bar shows "Done." with a clickable "See changes" link. Clicking it opens the diff viewer, which shows:

  • A change count pill

  • Additions highlighted in teal

  • Removals struck through

  • An Undo button labeled with your shortcut

  • Copy, Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, and Retry actions

  • A custom-instruction input field

  • An Upload writing example button

The Undo button is conditional: in Auto-Polish mode, an "Accept edits" button appears instead, and if you haven't completed Polish onboarding you'll see a "Configure Polish" button instead of Undo.

Re-polish presets available from the diff viewer are Prompt Engineer, Turn to list, Translate to English, and Empathize. The Retry action re-runs polish on the original text, while the re-polish preset pills operate on the already-polished result.

Limitations and notes

  • Polish is available on Mac and Windows only.

  • Text sent to Polish must be between 1 and 1,000 words. Longer selections show a notification and are not transformed.

  • You can create up to 8 custom transforms.

  • In Slack, nested-list formatting is stripped before polishing due to Slack's accessibility limitations.

  • The Polish wand bubble is not shown on the Flow Bar by default for all users. Polish is always accessible via keyboard shortcut or right-click context menu, regardless of whether the bubble is visible.

Still stuck?

Reach out to support if:

  • Your shortcut saves but does nothing when pressed, even with text selected.

  • Polish output is consistently ignoring your custom rule.

  • A specific app you rely on isn't recognizing selected text.

Include your platform (Mac or Windows), the app you're using Polish in, and the rule text you've written. Most issues are resolved in one reply.