Command palette
Also called: command menu, command bar, Cmd+K menu, quick actions, launcher.
A search box that opens over the page, usually with Cmd+K or Ctrl+K, and lists actions you can run. You type a few letters, pick an action with the arrow keys and press Enter.
A real one: open it, type to filter, use ↑ ↓ and Enter to run a command, and Esc to close. Ctrl+K (⌘K on a Mac) also opens it while the demo has focus.
- Switch to dark theme⌘ D
- Create new projectC
- Go to settingsG S
- Copy page link⌘ L
- Invite a teammateI
No commands match.
Closed
Say it in a prompt
Add a command palette that opens with Cmd+K (Ctrl+K on Windows): a 560px wide box 20% from the top over a dim backdrop, with a search input and a list of actions that filters as you type. Up and down arrows move the highlight, Enter runs the action, Esc closes it, and focus stays in the box while it is open. Seen on
- Linear: Cmd/Ctrl K opens a command bar where you search for an action and run it on the selected issues.
- Vercel Geist design system: Geist's Command Menu launches a set of actions as an overlay, and the docs suggest binding it to ⌘K or Ctrl+K.
You might describe it as
- search box that pops up when I press cmd k
- type to find any action in the app
- spotlight style search for commands
Not to be confused with
- Dropdown menu
A command palette is a search box for every action in the app; a dropdown menu is a short fixed list under one button.
- Modal
A command palette looks like a modal, but it is only a search box for actions and closes as soon as you pick one.