Docs › Writing Studio › Quick actions on a selection
Quick actions on a selection
Last updated May 15, 2026 · 4 min read
No need to open the Coach chat or type — select text, click a button. The selection menu puts the four most-used AI actions right next to your cursor.
How to trigger
Select text (any length) in the editor → a moment after you release → the floating menu appears just above the selection:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Rewrite | Different wording, same meaning |
| Polish | Keep meaning, fix grammar / phrasing |
| Expand | Add detail to the existing passage |
| Shorten | Same point, fewer words |
| ? Custom | Type your own instruction for the selected text |
Click → AI shows options in place (doesn't overwrite immediately).
The four actions
Rewrite
"Same meaning, different wording" — for when you don't like the phrasing but the content's right.
Original: "He stepped into the room and saw a letter on the table."
Rewrite: "He entered the room; the letter on the table caught his eye."
Polish
"Keep the sentence structure, just fix grammar / word choice" — for sentences that are mostly right with one or two off bits.
Original: "He walked into in the room and saw there a letter."
Polish: "He walked into the room and saw a letter."
Expand
"Add detail, senses, interiority" — for thin passages that need more body.
Original: "He opened the letter."
Expand: "He slowly drew the letter from its envelope, the paper slightly curled from sea damp; his fingers paused on the fold before unfolding it."
Shorten
"Keep the point, cut filler / redundant description" — for bloated paragraphs.
Custom instruction
Next to the four preset buttons there's a "? Custom" button. Clicking it swaps the button row for a text input where you type your own instruction for the selected text — for example "make this more casual", "switch to first person", "translate into English", or "check this against my earlier worldbuilding".
Press confirm and the AI applies your instruction to the selection. The result appears as a preview, just like the preset actions (it doesn't overwrite immediately).
Lands in Change Review
Any button → AI shows a preview in place (doesn't overwrite):
- Accept ✓ → text is replaced
- Reject ✗ → original stays
- Try again → AI provides a different version
See: Change Review
Cost
Quick actions are "small AI operations" — cost is based on the tokens and model used, and is typically lower than a full chat.
See: AI cost & quota