Power Features

Composition queue, selection capture, execution history, iCloud sync, snippet packs, and more — the features that turn CommandIt into a workflow automation tool.

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Composition Queue

Chain multiple snippets into a single composed command and paste them all at once.

Snippet composition requires CommandIt Plus.

Adding Snippets to the Queue

1. Open the palette with your global hotkey (default Control+Space)
2. Search for a snippet
3. Press Command+Return to add it to the composition queue (instead of pasting immediately)
4. Search for another snippet and add it the same way
5. Repeat as needed — the queue shows all entries at the bottom of the palette

Join Strategies

Choose how your composed snippets connect:

Join	Symbol	Behavior
And	&&	Run next command only if previous succeeds
Or	||	Run next command only if previous fails
Then	;	Run next command regardless of result
Newline	\n	Stack commands on separate lines
Pipe	|	Pipe output of one command into the next

Managing the Queue

• Reorder entries with Command+Option+Left / Command+Option+Right (or drag to reorder)
• Remove individual entries by selecting and pressing Delete
• Clear the entire queue with Command+Delete
• Preview the composed result at the bottom of the queue

When you’re ready, press Enter to render all snippets, join them with your chosen strategy, and auto-paste the result.

Example

Build a Docker workflow by composing three snippets:

docker build -t my-api .  &&  docker stop my-api  &&  docker run -d --name my-api -p 8080:3000 my-api

Each snippet fills its own arguments independently, then they’re joined with && so each step only runs if the previous one succeeds.

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New Snippet from Selection

Turn any command you’ve highlighted into a templated snippet — instantly.

Free for all users. No Plus required for the hotkey or the parser.

How It Works

1. Highlight a command or text in any app — or copy it to your clipboard

2. Press Control+Shift+Space to open the New Snippet form

3. CommandIt auto-copies your selection (simulates ⌘C behind the scenes), then analyzes the text and auto-detects arguments — values you’d likely change each time:

   What It Detects	Example
   CLI flags with values	--name myapp → {name}
   Environment variables	$DB_HOST → {db_host}
   Ports and numbers	8080:3000 → {host_port}:{container_port}
   IP addresses	192.168.1.1 → {ip_address}
   URLs	https://api.example.com → {url}
   File paths	/var/log/app.log → {log_path}
   UUIDs	550e8400-... → {id}

4. Review the detected arguments — rename them, change their types or defaults

5. CommandIt also suggests a name and category for the snippet

6. Press Save to add it to your library

AI-Enhanced Detection

With AI configured, click Detect Args to run deeper semantic detection. AI can identify arguments that pattern matching alone would miss — like recognizing that node:18 is an image name or that localhost is a hostname.

AI arg detection is free
AI-powered argument detection works on the Free tier too. It uses up to one of your 5 monthly AI actions. See AI Argument Detection for details.

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Execution History

See every snippet you’ve pasted, when you pasted it, and re-run any of them with one click.

Execution history requires CommandIt Plus.

Viewing History

In the palette, select the History filter to see your paste history sorted by most recent. Each entry shows:

• The snippet name
• The rendered output (with arguments filled in)
• When it was pasted

Re-Running

Select any history entry and press Enter to paste it again with the same arguments — no need to fill them in again.

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iCloud Sync

Keep your snippets in sync across all your Macs — automatically, with no account to create.

iCloud Sync requires CommandIt Plus.

Enabling Sync

1. Open Settings > Sync
2. Toggle iCloud Sync on
3. That’s it — CommandIt uses your existing iCloud account, no separate login needed

What Syncs

Your entire snippet library syncs across devices:

• Snippets (name, template, type, description)
• Arguments and their defaults
• Categories and tags
• Execution history

Sync Status

The Settings > Sync panel shows your current sync status:

Status	Meaning
Idle	Everything is up to date — shows time since last sync
Syncing	Changes are being sent or received
Error	Something went wrong — check for details

Press Sync Now to trigger a manual sync at any time.

How Conflicts Are Handled

If the same snippet is edited on two devices before syncing, CommandIt keeps the most recently modified version. Your local database is always the source of truth — iCloud is a sync layer, not primary storage.

If You Downgrade

Sync pauses but your data is preserved — both locally and in iCloud. Nothing is deleted. If you resubscribe, sync resumes right where it left off.

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Snippet Packs

Browse and install curated community snippet collections to jumpstart your library.

Browsing Packs

Open Settings > Packs to see the pack catalog. Available packs include collections for Git, Docker, Kubernetes, API development, and more.

Packs marked with a New badge are ones you haven’t seen before.

Installing a Pack

Click Install on any pack to add all its snippets to your library. Pack snippets are read-only — they’re maintained by the community and stay consistent across updates.

Customizing Pack Snippets

Want to tweak a pack snippet to fit your workflow? Duplicate it to create an editable personal copy.

Duplicating pack snippets into editable copies requires CommandIt Plus. Free users can use pack snippets as-is.

Removing a Pack

Click Remove on any installed pack to remove its snippets from your library. Your personal snippets and any duplicates you’ve made are unaffected.

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Composable Filters

Combine a smart filter, a category, and tags for laser-focused results.

Composable filters require CommandIt Plus.

How It Works

Layer filters together for precise search results:

1. Start with a smart filter — Favorites, Recently Used, or Most Used
2. Add a category — type @Docker in search or click the folder icon
3. Add tags — type #production in search or click the tag icon

Active filters appear as dismissible chips below the filter bar. For example, show only Favorites in the Docker category tagged #production and #deploy.

Click Clear All to reset all filters at once.

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Shell Commands

Use dynamic shell variables that execute at paste time and insert their output into your snippet.

Shell commands in snippets require CommandIt Plus.

Syntax

Wrap a shell command in double curly braces with the shell: prefix:

echo "Deployed at {{shell:date +%H:%M}} by {{shell:whoami}} on {{shell:hostname}}"

When you paste this snippet, CommandIt runs each shell command and substitutes the output:

echo "Deployed at 14:32 by chris on MacBook-Pro.local"

Safety

Shell commands can run arbitrary code, so CommandIt shows a confirmation dialog before executing them. You’ll see exactly which commands will run and can cancel if anything looks wrong.

Review before running
Always review shell commands in snippets you import from others. CommandIt shows a confirmation dialog, but you should understand what each command does before approving.

Use Cases

Variable	What It Does
{{shell:date +%Y-%m-%d}}	Insert today’s date
{{shell:whoami}}	Insert your username
{{shell:hostname}}	Insert your machine name
{{shell:git branch --show-current}}	Insert the current Git branch
{{shell:pwd}}	Insert the current working directory

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What’s Next?

• AI Features — Generate commands from natural language, auto-detect arguments, and more
• Free vs Plus — Compare tiers and see everything Plus includes
• Keyboard Shortcuts — Complete shortcut reference