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Remove dashes and bullets from text

Copied lists often have a dash or bullet at the start of every line, and some writers put dashes everywhere. Remove bullets clears the start of each line. Remove dashes takes out every dash and hyphen, but leaves dates and phone numbers alone.

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My tools

Make your own buttons. A tool runs its steps in order, like removing every em dash and every $ sign, replacing & with “and”, or inserting “Dx: ” before CHF.

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    Saved in this browser only, and still here after you close it. Never sent anywhere.

    My words to replace

    When WriteKeys finds a word on the left, it changes it to the word on the right. Useful for words a PDF misreads the same way every time, like ESRO for ESRD.

    Whole words only. Lowercase finds any capitals (esro finds ESRO and Esro). A word typed with capitals matches exactly.

      No words yet. Add one above.

      Saved in this browser only, and still here after you close it. Never sent anywhere. Don't add patient names or anything else that identifies a person.

      Autocomplete

      As you type, WriteKeys suggests words and phrases from this list. Press Tab to use the suggestion, or tap it on a phone. The spell check counts the words on this list as spelled right.

      Press Enter to add. A comma stays part of the phrase. To add several at once, paste a list with one on each line, or press Shift+Enter between them. Suggestions start after you type 2 letters. Tip: select a word in your text before opening this window and it is ready to add.

        No words yet. Add the names, programs, and phrases you type most.

        Saved in this browser only, and still here after you close it. Never sent anywhere. Don't add patient names or anything else that identifies a person.

        Ignored words

        The spell check doesn't mark these words. A word goes on this list when you choose Always ignore in the spell check, or when you add it here. Delete a word to have it marked again.

        Separate several words with spaces. Capitals don't matter: lasix also covers Lasix.

        Saved in this browser

          No words yet. Click a word with a red line and choose Always ignore, or add one above.

          Saved in this browser only, and still here after you close it. Never sent anywhere. Don't save patient names here. For a name, choose Ignore in the spell check: it is forgotten when you close the tab.

          Templates

          Save text you start notes with, like a visit note outline, and put it in the text box with one click. It goes where your cursor is, or fills the box when it is empty. The first 3 on this list also have a button under the text box.

            No templates yet. Type or paste an outline in the text box, then press + New template to save it.

            Saved in this browser only, and still here after you close it. Never sent anywhere. Keep patient details out of templates; fill them in after you insert one.

            Remove bullets or Remove dashes?

            Remove bulletsRemove dashes
            ChangesOnly the start of each lineEvery dash in the text
            RemovesBullets, dashes, and list numbers at the start of a lineHyphens, en dashes, em dashes, and minus signs, plus dashes at the start of a line
            KeepsHyphens inside words, like follow-upA dash between two numbers, like 10-21-2026 and 555-201-3344
            Use it forA list you want to keep one item per lineText where dashes are used as separators
            Before
            - Follow-up with PCP on 10-21-2026
• Call back at 555-201-3344
2. Needs re-evaluation for DME - walker
            After: Remove bullets
            Follow-up with PCP on 10-21-2026
Call back at 555-201-3344
Needs re-evaluation for DME - walker
            Before
            - Follow-up with PCP on 10-21-2026
• Call back at 555-201-3344
2. Needs re-evaluation for DME - walker
            After: Remove dashes
            Follow up with PCP on 10-21-2026
• Call back at 555-201-3344
2. Needs re evaluation for DME walker

            What counts as a bullet

            Remove bullets clears any of these from the start of a line, along with the space after it: • ◦ ▪ ■ ● * + > ✓ ➢ ►, dashes of any length, numbers like 1. 2) (3), letters like a) and (b), the letter o that Word's hollow sub-bullet turns into, and the box or blank that bullets from PDF symbol fonts become. Indented bullets are cleared too.

            A number needs a space after it to count as a list number, so a line that starts with “1.5 mg” is left alone.

            Which dashes stay

            A single dash with a digit on both sides stays, because it is almost always part of a date, a phone number, or a range: 10-21-2026, 555-201-3344, 2-3 times a week. Every other dash becomes a space, so words don't run together: follow-up becomes follow up, and CHF - stable becomes CHF stable. Dashes at the start or end of a line are removed completely.

            Terms like COVID-19 lose their hyphen too (COVID 19), since a letter sits on one side of it. Press Undo to put it back, or select only the part you want to change before you press the button.

            Next: put the list on one line

            To turn a cleaned-up list into a single line, press Join with commas. It removes bullets by itself, so you can skip Remove bullets when that is your next step.

            Questions

            Will follow-up become followup?

            No. A hyphen between two words becomes a space, so follow-up becomes follow up. To keep hyphens inside words, use Remove bullets instead. It only touches the start of each line.

            Does it remove long dashes too?

            Yes. Hyphens, en dashes, em dashes, figure dashes, and minus signs are all removed, except a single dash between two numbers.

            Can I undo it?

            Yes. Press Undo, or Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac).