Command palette
A searchable launcher that lets users type to find and run actions, navigate, or jump to records.
⌕
- Create new project⌘N
- Open file⌘O
- Settings⌘,
- Toggle theme⌘T
- Invite teammate
- Sign out
No results
Triggered by a keyboard shortcut (commonly Cmd/Ctrl+K), the palette opens a search field with fuzzy-matched results. Originating in code editors, it's now standard in productivity apps (Linear, Notion, Slack, Figma) where keyboard-driven users need fast access to anything in the app.
Also called
command barcommand menuquick actions
When to use
- Power-user apps with many actions or many records to navigate
- Anywhere a keyboard shortcut beats hunting through menus
- Apps where users repeat the same actions across different contexts
When not to use
- Consumer apps where the audience won't discover Cmd+K
- Apps with only a handful of actions — a regular menu is enough
Related
Source
Vernacular term; popularized by Sublime Text's 'Command Palette' (2011-ish) and inherited by VS Code.