Using Dictato
Context capture
Give Dictato extra context about what you're doing
Dictato can pull extra context from your screen and clipboard so the transcription understands what you're talking about — not just the words. All capture toggles live in Settings → Transcription.
What can be captured
- Use screen text as context — runs OCR on what's visible and feeds it to the transcription or post-processing prompt.
- Capture text selection — grabs whatever is currently highlighted in another app.
- Capture copy (⌘C) — remembers your most recent clipboard copy.
- Capture paste (⌘V) — remembers what you last pasted.
- Capture app switches — notes when you change active app and window during the session.
- Circle gesture screenshots — the circle gesture detector.
Info
Captures are only used to improve your transcription. They stay local unless you've enabled cloud post-processing.
Vocabulary
Add brand names, jargon, or oddly-spelled words in Vocabulary so the transcription engine knows they exist. Comma- or line-separated — both work.
Example: Dictato, Claude, WhisperKit, Parakeet, Superset
Custom dictation prompt
A short free-form prompt that biases the transcription. Use it to describe your speaking style, your domain, or conventions you want Dictato to respect.