THE SHORT ANSWER
Roblox has released custom Quick Words, letting developers create game-specific preset chat phrases for players. Found in Creator Hub under Configure > Chat > Quick Words, creators can add up to three categories with 3-10 phrases each. Custom categories replace defaults while a General category stays available across all games. Phrases must be submitted in English, pass content review, and auto-translate to the player's chat language. Developers are asking for per-place customization, custom UI support, clearer rejection reasons, and dynamic phrase support.
- Custom Quick Words live in Creator Hub > Configure > Chat > Quick Words as of October 13, 2026
- Up to three custom categories per experience, each containing 3-10 phrases; replaces default Roblox categories
- General category remains available across all games; phrases auto-translate to player's chat language
- English-only submission with content review; no visibility into rejection reasons currently
- Developers request per-place customization, TextChatService API access, emoji support, and dynamic phrases
Roblox has shipped custom Quick Words, giving developers direct control over the preset chat phrases players use to coordinate during gameplay. The feature went live October 13, fulfilling a commitment made at this year's Roblox Developer Conference (RDC).
How it works
In Creator Hub, select an experience, then navigate to Configure > Chat > Quick Words. Developers can create up to three custom categories, each holding between three and ten phrases. These categories replace Roblox's default Quick Word sets for that experience, while a General category — containing universal phrases like "Yes," "No," and "Thanks" — remains available in every game.
Phrases must be entered in English. On publish, they enter a content review pipeline against Roblox's guidelines. Approved phrases appear automatically in the chat window, subject to regional availability. The system translates Quick Words into the player's selected chat language.
Limits and restrictions
Several constraints shape what developers can ship today. Only English input is accepted at submission time. Emojis and basic symbols are rejected — a point raised immediately in the announcement thread. There is no per-place or per-sub-place configuration; Quick Words apply at the experience level. For games with multiple sub-places featuring distinct gameplay (such as a train simulator with different routes and station names), this means a single phrase set must cover all contexts.
Developers also report opaque rejections. When a phrase fails review, the interface shows "Not Approved" without explaining which guideline triggered the rejection, forcing trial-and-error resubmissions.
Custom chat UI gap
The feature currently works only with Roblox's default built-in chat. Games using TextChatService or custom chat UIs cannot surface Quick Words, and there is no documented API to programmatically open the Quick Words menu or retrieve the approved phrase list. Multiple developers asked whether TextChatService integration is planned; Roblox staff have not yet responded.
Dynamic phrases and state awareness
Another open question: whether Quick Words can adapt to runtime state. One developer asked if a phrase like "Egg is ready" could dynamically insert a player's specific egg species. The current system appears static — phrases are fixed at publish time — but no official clarification has been given.
Context: chat safety and RDC
Quick Words exist because free-form chat remains restricted across age groups to protect younger users. Preset phrases provide a controlled communication layer that still lets players coordinate — calling positions, requesting trades, signaling readiness — without opening unmoderated text. The RDC promise was to make chat "livelier than ever before" within those guardrails. This release is the first developer-facing step toward that goal.
Rollout is global as of the announcement date, though regional availability may vary. Roblox has not published a timeline for the requested enhancements — per-place configuration, TextChatService hooks, rejection transparency, emoji support, or dynamic phrases.