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How to Use

Velocmd is built around speed and keyboard-first navigation. Once the app is running in your system tray, you rarely need to touch your mouse.

The Master Shortcut

To summon the Velocmd palette from anywhere in Windows, use the global shortcut:

Win + Shift + .

If this shortcut conflicts with another app, you can easily change it. Simply hit Tab to open the settings panel and select a new preset (like Alt + Space or Ctrl + Space).

Terminal Command Execution

Fallback Shortcuts

If your chosen shortcut (or the default) is already in use by another application, Velocmd will automatically fallback and assign the next available hotkey from its preset list, ensuring you can always access the launcher.

Basic Navigation

Once the command palette is open, just start typing. Velocmd instantly searches your apps, files, and folders.

  • ↓ / ↑ : Navigate through search results.
  • Enter : Open the selected file, folder, or application.
  • Esc : Clear the search bar. Pressing it a second time hides the launcher.
  • Tab : Toggle the Settings menu.

Click Away

Velocmd is built to stay out of your way. Clicking anywhere outside the search bar will instantly hide it and return focus to your previous app.

Smart Tag Filtering (Chips)

To narrow down thousands of files instantly, type an / or @ followed by a category. This converts your query into a Smart Chip, filtering the results underneath.

Tag What it searches Example
/apps Only executable applications /apps discord
/folders Only directories /folders downloads
/files Only documents and standalone files /files budget.xlsx
/C: Only items located on your C: drive /C: system32
/settings Only Windows System Settings /settings shutdown
/tabs Currently open windows and browser tabs /tabs github

Terminal Command Execution

Chaining Tags

You can stack tags for precision. Typing "/D: /folders work" will instantly show you all folders named "work" specifically on your D: drive.

Fast Chip Autocomplete

If you type the start of a chip (like /ap) and the /apps tag is highlighted as the first result, pressing Enter will automatically lock it in as a Smart Chip and clear the text box for your actual query!

Terminal & Web Commands

Velocmd routes specific tags to external tools, allowing you to bypass your browser's address bar or the Windows Run prompt entirely.

Quick Terminal

Use the !cmd tag to instantly pass a command to the Windows command prompt.

  • Example: Type !cmd ping google.com and hit Enter. A terminal window will pop up executing the ping.

Terminal Command Execution

Skip opening a new tab. Use these tags to push your search query directly to your default browser:

Search Engine Tag
Google Search /google [query]
DuckDuckGo /duck [query] or /duckduckgo [query]
Microsoft Bing /bing [query]

Keeping Your Index Updated

Because Velocmd runs entirely in memory to maintain its lightning speed, it needs to periodically sync with your hard drive to learn about new files.

  • Automatic Refresh: Velocmd silently rescans your drives and updates its index in the background every 15 minutes.
  • Manual Refresh: If you just installed a new application or downloaded a file and need it to appear immediately, you can force a resync. Simply type /velo and select Velo: Refresh Index (or just search Refresh), then hit Enter.

Built-in System Controls

Velocmd integrates directly with Windows, giving you instant access to system-level actions without lifting your hands from the keyboard. Simply type these commands into the bar:

  • Shutdown : Prompts a fast system shutdown.
  • Restart : Prompts a fast system reboot.
  • Show Desktop : Instantly minimizes all open windows (like Win+D).
  • Media: Play/Pause : Toggles your current media player.
  • Media: Next Track : Skips to the next song.

Terminal Command Execution

Check for Updates

Velocmd automatically checks for updates on startup - with an added button to check for updates manually from the settings panel.