The command palette (Ctrl+K)

Summary#

The command palette is a search box that opens over whatever you are doing, lists every tool in the product, and takes you to one with the keyboard alone. Press Ctrl + K (Cmd + K on a Mac), type a few letters of a tool name, and press Enter. It is faster than the rail for anything you can name, and it is the only practical way to reach a specific tool on a phone.

Purpose#

Two-column navigation is excellent when you know which of the thirteen sections holds what you want. It is slow when you do not. Someone looking for Gap Finder has to guess whether it lives under Keyword & Content or under Competitors & Backlinks, and guessing wrong costs two clicks and some confidence.

The palette removes the guess. It searches names directly, so you never need to know where something lives. It also remembers where you have been, so the tools you use most are one keystroke away with an empty search box.

Requirements#

• You must be signed in. The palette lives inside the dashboard, behind the sign-in gate.
• A keyboard, for the shortcut. Everything is also reachable with a mouse or by tapping the search box.

Permissions#

Available on every plan, including Free, with no setup. The palette lists every tool regardless of whether your plan can run it; choosing one opens its page, and the tool's own run button tells you the cost.

Navigation Path#

Anywhere in the dashboard → Ctrl + K

Or click the search box in the top bar, which reads "Search tools, domains, and actions…" and shows a Ctrl K hint at its right edge.

Step-by-Step Guide#

1. Open it. Press Ctrl + K, or Cmd + K on a Mac. The screen dims and a card appears near the top. Pressing the same shortcut again closes it.
2. Read the empty state. Before you type anything, the palette shows up to five entries under Recent, which are the sections you visited most recently, then a Popular list. Up to twelve rows are shown in total. If the tool you want is already there, you can skip straight to step 5.
3. Type. The input placeholder reads "Jump to tool, workflow, or type a question…". Start with the distinctive part of the name: gap rather than keyword, schema rather than structured.
4. Read the results. Each row shows the tool name on the left, its section underneath as a group label, and the tool's internal identifier in monospace on the right. Up to twenty matches are shown.
5. Choose one. Use Arrow Down and Arrow Up to move the highlight, then press Enter. Or click the row. Hovering a row highlights it too, so mouse and keyboard can be mixed freely.
6. You arrive at the tool. The palette closes, the rail and panel update to that section, and the breadcrumb trail reflects where you are.

Press Escape at any point to close without going anywhere.

What the keys do#

These hints are printed along the bottom of the card: ↑↓ navigate, ↵ open, ⌘K / Ctrl K.

What is in the Popular list#

With an empty search box, after your recents, the palette offers eight starting points chosen to cover the most common jobs:

How matching works#

Understanding the ranking makes searching feel predictable.

That last rule is worth learning. Typing initials or a compressed form usually works, so dov reaches Domain Overview and sch reaches Schema Tool.

Your recent sections are remembered in your browser, up to eight of them. The dashboard home screen is deliberately never recorded, so it does not crowd out the tools you actually chose.

Tips#

• The palette is the reliable navigation on a phone, where the tool panel is hidden below about 820 pixels wide and the rail's hover menu does not respond to touch.
• Clicking the top-bar search box is exactly the same as pressing the shortcut. There is no separate search behavior.
• The identifier shown in monospace on the right of each row is the tool's internal name. It also appears in the URL, so it is handy when you are writing down a link or reading an error report.

Troubleshooting#

FAQs#

Can I search for a domain rather than a tool? No. Despite the top-bar placeholder mentioning domains, the palette indexes tool and section names. To return to a domain you analyzed recently, use the star icon in the top bar, which opens Favorites & Recent and re-runs with the domain pre-filled. See Finding your way around.

The placeholder says I can type a question. Can I? You can type anything, but it is matched against tool names like any other text. For real questions, use Analyst AI (Analyst AI) or press Ctrl + / to open the floating assistant from any screen.

Does the palette run tools? No. It takes you to a tool's page. You still enter your input and press the run button, so nothing is ever charged by accident.

Can I change the shortcut? No, the shortcut is fixed. Every keyboard shortcut in the product is listed in Keyboard shortcuts.

Are my recents shared with my team? No. They are stored in your own browser and are not part of the workspace. Clearing your browser storage clears them.

Is there a way to see everything at once instead? Yes. All tools lists every tool, and Tool catalog and credit cost adds the credit cost of each.