How to draft schedules and documents for administrative assistants in 2026

Q: Which computers does QuickDictate run on?

It runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. It is delivered as an .exe file on GitHub, with a built-in updater that works silently; it can also be built from source.

A plain guide for administrative assistants to draft schedules and documents by talking instead of typing, with steps, tools to try and mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily · 2026-10-15

XP Daily is published by the makers of DaysAid, QuickDictate and YTSort, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Open the document or calendar you need to fill in, say what you want written, and review the text before you send it. You can type, use built-in dictation on your computer, or use a tool that connects to a speech service.

Option	How it gets text into your document	What it costs
Typing by hand	You write everything yourself	Not published
Built-in Windows dictation	Press Windows key and H to dictate into any text box; needs an internet connection	Not published
QuickDictate	You hold a key and talk, and it types into whichever window has focus ^[1] ^[1]	Free for personal and other noncommercial use; cloud providers bill you separately ^[1] ^[1]
QuickDictate with a local model	Choose Local in Settings, install a speech model, and dictate with no internet connection ^[1]	Free for personal and other noncommercial use ^[1] ^[1]

What you need before you start

Drafting schedules and documents by voice takes only a few things.

A window to type into. That means whatever you normally use: a calendar entry, a word processor, an email draft or a spreadsheet cell. Whatever has focus gets the text.
A microphone. Any headset or built-in mic works. A quiet room helps more than an expensive mic.
A speech service or a local model. If you use a cloud speech provider, you need an account with that provider and it bills you directly for what you use. If you work offline, you need a model installed on your computer first.
A list of terms you use often. Names, acronyms and project labels that a speech service gets wrong go on this list. Having it ready means you can add them before you start dictating.
A place to review what was typed. Read the text back before it goes to anyone. Voice typing can mishear, especially on names and numbers.

Set aside a few minutes to add your vocabulary list and test the microphone before you start on a real document.

Step by step

These steps work with any method, including typing.

Open the document or schedule entry you need to fill in. Make sure the window where text should go is the one with focus before you start talking.
Say the heading or title first. Start with the name of the document or the date and time of the schedule entry so it is at the top.
Dictate the body in short sections. Speak a sentence or two, pause, check what appeared, then continue. Short sections are easier to review than a long block.
Spell out names and unusual terms the first time. If the text on screen does not match what you said, type the correction by hand and add the term to your vocabulary list if the tool supports one.
Dictate numbers and times slowly. Times like 2:30 and numbers like 15 attendees are common in schedules. Say them clearly and check them against what you intended.
Use the format you need as you go. Say bullet points, line breaks and section labels as the tool you chose supports them. If it does not support voice formatting, add the formatting by hand after you finish dictating.
Pause or stop when you need to think. Holding a talk key while you speak, or pressing it once to start and once to stop, keeps the tool from picking up thinking-aloud comments.
Review the full text before sending. Read from top to bottom and fix anything the speech service misheard. Pay extra attention to names, dates and amounts.
Save or send the document. Once the text reads the way you want, save the file or send the email the same way you normally would.
Add new terms to your vocabulary list. If a name or project label was misheard, add it now so it is recognised next time.

Tools that can do it

Typing works fine for short items. Here are options to consider for longer drafts.

Typing by hand. You write everything yourself. Nothing is published here about cost because it depends on what you already own.

Built-in Windows dictation. Press the Windows key and H to start dictation in any text box. It uses the speech service built into Windows and needs an internet connection. Check Microsoft's own pages for what languages it supports and any limits.

QuickDictate. QuickDictate is made by the team that publishes this site. QuickDictate is one option. It is a Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using. ^[1] You hold a key while you talk, or press it once to start and once to stop, and you can change both keys. ^[1] What you say is typed into whichever window has focus, such as an editor, chat box, terminal or web form. ^[1] You can use ElevenLabs, Deepgram, OpenAI, AssemblyAI, DashScope or Google, and that provider bills you directly. ^[1] Choose Local in Settings and install a speech model such as Whisper Large v3 Turbo; dictation then needs no internet connection or API key. ^[1] You can list words and phrases that are sent to the provider to help it recognise them, and a replacement table fixes spellings such as "Chat GPT" to "ChatGPT". ^[1] Profiles can change the provider, language, vocabulary and formatting depending on which app is in focus. ^[1] It is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account; cloud providers bill you separately for their service. ^[1] It runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. ^[1] It is delivered as an .exe file on GitHub, with a built-in updater that works silently; it can also be built from source. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Dictating a long block without checking. Speak a sentence or two, then look at the screen. A long block is hard to review and fix.

Forgetting to add names and terms to the vocabulary list. Names, acronyms and project labels are the most common mishears. Add them before you start, not after the first mistake.

Talking over other people. Background voices and call noise confuse speech services. Dictate in a quiet moment.

Sending the document before reading it. Read the full text once before it goes to anyone. Voice typing can mishear numbers, dates and names even when the rest looks right.

Dictating into the wrong window. Make sure the document or schedule entry you want is the one with focus before you start talking.

Assuming the first draft is the final version. Treat dictated text as a first draft. Edit it the same way you would edit anything you wrote by hand.

Frequently asked questions

Can QuickDictate type into any program an administrative assistant uses?

What you say is typed into whichever window has focus, such as an editor, chat box, terminal or web form. ^[1] This means it works with the calendar, email, word processor or spreadsheet you already have open.

Does QuickDictate need an internet connection?

Choose Local in Settings and install a speech model such as Whisper Large v3 Turbo; dictation then needs no internet connection or API key. ^[1] If you use a cloud provider instead, that provider needs an internet connection and bills you directly. ^[1]

Can QuickDictate learn the names and terms an administrative assistant uses?

Yes. You can list words and phrases that are sent to the provider to help it recognise them, and a replacement table fixes spellings such as "Chat GPT" to "ChatGPT". ^[1] Profiles can change the provider, language, vocabulary and formatting depending on which app is in focus. ^[1]

What does QuickDictate cost for an administrative assistant?

It is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. ^[1] Commercial use needs a separate licence. ^[1] Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. ^[1]

Which computers does QuickDictate run on?

It runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. ^[1] It is delivered as an .exe file on GitHub, with a built-in updater that works silently; it can also be built from source. ^[1]

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. ^[1]

Try QuickDictate

Sources

QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)