Use Autoformat in MathType Web

Autoformat helps you enter mathematical notation using your keyboard. As you type, MathType replaces certain characters with their mathematical equivalents and automatically adds closing delimiters.

Enter expressions with automatically formatted symbols and paired delimiters, and change a closing delimiter to create a mixed interval.

See it in action

Before you begin

Requirements

• MathType Web with Autoformat enabled.

Applies to

• MathType for Microsoft 365, MathType for Google Workspace, and MathType integrations in HTML editors.

Steps

Replace keyboard characters with mathematical symbols

Autoformat lets you type certain mathematical symbols directly from your keyboard without finding them in the toolbar.

1. Open the MathType editor and place the cursor where you want to enter your expression.
2. Type one of the keyboard characters shown below.
   

   

3. Continue entering your expression. MathType displays the mathematical equivalent immediately, so the original keyboard character is not displayed.
   

   

Insert paired delimiters

Automatic pairing adds the closing delimiter for you, helping you keep parentheses and other supported delimiters balanced.

1. Type an opening delimiter from one of the supported pairs shown below.
2. MathType automatically inserts the corresponding closing delimiter.
3. Enter the expression between the two delimiters.

Change the closing delimiter

Replacing the closing delimiter lets you create expressions with different opening and closing delimiters, such as an open-closed interval.

1. Type ( to insert a pair of parentheses.
2. Enter the interval endpoints, for example 0,1.
3. Place the cursor immediately before the automatically inserted closing parenthesis.
4. Type ] to replace the closing parenthesis and create (0,1].

This replacement behavior only applies to the closing delimiter. To use a different opening delimiter, insert a new delimiter pair with the opening character you need.

Verify it worked

• The supported keyboard characters appear as their mathematical equivalents as you type.
• Typing a supported opening delimiter adds its closing delimiter automatically.
• In the interval example, the final expression has an opening parenthesis and a closing square bracket: (0,1].

Options and variations

Configure Autoformat in your own integration

If you manage a MathType integration, you can enable or disable Autoformat using the autoformat editor parameter. See MathType Editor parameters for the parameter details and Configure MathType editor parameters for configuration instructions.

Common errors

Characters are not replaced, or closing delimiters are not added

Check that you are typing a character or delimiter supported by Autoformat, as shown in the examples above. In an HTML editor integration, Autoformat may be disabled. If you do not manage the integration, ask the integration owner to check the autoformat editor parameter.

A new closing delimiter is inserted instead of replacing the existing one

Place the cursor immediately before the automatically inserted closing delimiter, then type the closing character you want. The cursor position matters: typing elsewhere in the expression does not perform the replacement described above.

The opening delimiter does not change

The automatic replacement behavior applies only to the closing delimiter. If you need a different opening delimiter, insert a new pair using the correct opening character and enter your expression inside it.

Related articles

• MathType Editor parameters.
• Configure MathType editor parameters.
• JavaScript GUI API reference.