Getting Started

Go from download to your first auto-paste in under five minutes.

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Install CommandIt

1. Download the latest .dmg from commandit.ai
2. Open the DMG and drag CommandIt to your Applications folder
3. Launch CommandIt from Applications (or Spotlight)

When CommandIt starts, a small icon appears in your menu bar — that’s your home base. CommandIt runs in the menu bar only; there’s no Dock icon.

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The Onboarding Wizard

On first launch, a setup wizard walks you through the essentials:

1. Welcome — a quick overview of what CommandIt does
2. Interactive Tutorial — try the hotkey for yourself (you’ll press Control+Space to summon the palette)
3. Permissions — grant Accessibility and Automation access for auto-paste
4. Pack Picker — choose starter snippet packs to install (Git, Docker, API, and more)
5. AI Setup — download the on-device AI model (Apple Silicon Macs only)
6. Plus Pitch — learn about CommandIt Plus and optionally start a free trial
7. Completion — you’re ready to go

You can skip any step
Every step is optional. You can always come back to configure permissions, AI, or packs later in Settings.

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Grant Permissions

CommandIt needs two macOS permissions to automatically paste snippets into your apps:

Accessibility

Accessibility permission lets CommandIt simulate keystrokes to paste into your active app.

1. When prompted (or from System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility), find CommandIt in the list
2. Toggle it on
3. You may need to unlock the padlock first

Automation (System Events)

Automation permission lets CommandIt send the paste command (Command+V) to your frontmost app.

1. When prompted (or from System Settings > Privacy & Security > Automation), find CommandIt
2. Enable System Events access

What happens without permissions?
CommandIt still works — it copies the snippet to your clipboard and shows "Copied to clipboard — paste manually with Command+V." Auto-paste just makes the workflow seamless.

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Set Your Hotkey

The default hotkey is Control+Space — press it from any app to summon the palette.

To change it:

1. Click the CommandIt menu bar icon
2. Open Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts
3. Click the hotkey recorder next to Show Palette and press your preferred combination

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Your First Paste

1. Press Control+Space to open the palette
2. Start typing to search — results filter as you type
3. Use Up/Down arrows to select a snippet
4. Press Enter to paste it into your active app

That’s it. The snippet is rendered, copied to your clipboard, and auto-pasted into whatever app you were using. Your previous clipboard contents are restored afterward.

Quick-paste by position
Press Command+1 through Command+9 to instantly paste the first nine results without navigating.

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Starter Snippets

CommandIt comes with 15 starter snippets covering common workflows:

• Git — commit, push, branch, stash
• Docker — run, build, compose
• API — curl requests with headers and auth
• Database — common SQL queries
• DevOps — deploy scripts, SSH
• AI Prompts — reusable prompt templates
• Text — meeting notes, email templates

You can also install additional snippet packs from Settings.

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What’s Next?

• Create your own snippets — press Command+N from the palette, or learn more in Snippets
• Browse and organize — open the Library with Command+L to manage categories, tags, and more (Core Features)
• Learn the shortcuts — see the full Keyboard Shortcuts reference
• Explore snippet packs — install curated collections from Settings > Snippet Packs