Snippets

Everything about creating, editing, and using snippets — templates, arguments, dynamic variables, and more.

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Creating Snippets

There are several ways to create a new snippet:

• From the palette: Press Command+N
• From the Library: Press Command+N or click the + button in the toolbar
• From a selection: Highlight text in any app, then press Control+Shift+Space. CommandIt copies the selection, opens the New Snippet form with the template pre-filled, and auto-detects arguments like ports, paths, and URLs.
• From the clipboard: In the palette with an empty search, press Command+V to open the New Snippet form with the current clipboard contents pre-filled.

New Snippet from Selection is free for all users. No Plus required \u2014 just the hotkey.

Snippet Fields

Field	Description
Name	A short, descriptive label (e.g., “Docker Run Container”)
Summary	Optional one-line description — click the AI button to auto-generate one
Template	The command or text with {placeholder} arguments
Category	Organizational folder (e.g., Git, Docker, API)
Tags	Comma-separated labels for cross-cutting organization
Type	What kind of content: Command, Prompt, Query, Text, or URL

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Snippet Types

Choose a type that matches your content:

Type	Best For	Example
Code	Source code, boilerplate, editor snippets	struct {name}: Codable { ... }
Command	Shell commands, CLI operations	docker run -d --name {name} {image}
Prompt	AI prompts, templates for LLMs	Explain {concept} in simple terms
Query	Database queries, API calls	SELECT * FROM {table} WHERE {condition}
Text	Notes, messages, boilerplate	Meeting notes template
URL	Frequently used URLs	https://github.com/{org}/{repo}/pull/{number}

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Template Engine

Snippets aren’t just static text — they can have configurable arguments that you fill in each time you paste.

Placeholder Syntax

Wrap argument names in curly braces: {arg_name}

docker run -d --name {name} -p {host_port}:{container_port} {image}

When you paste this snippet, CommandIt shows a form where you fill in name, host_port, container_port, and image. The rendered command might look like:

docker run -d --name my-api -p 8080:3000 node:20-alpine

Arguments are auto-detected from {placeholder} tokens when you save the snippet.

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Argument Types

Each argument has a type that controls its input field:

text

Free-form text input. The default for most arguments.

git commit -m "{message}"

number

Numeric input only — digits are validated.

docker run -p {port}:80 nginx

select

Dropdown with predefined options. Great for values with a known set of choices.

kubectl get {resource} -n {namespace}

Set the options for resource to: pods, services, deployments, configmaps

boolean

A checkbox that controls whether a flag is included or omitted.

git push {force} origin {branch}

Set force as a boolean with flag --force. When enabled, the output includes --force; when disabled, it’s omitted entirely.

multiline

A text area for longer input — prompts, JSON bodies, config blocks.

curl -X POST {url} -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{body}'

secret

Masked input field — the value isn’t shown as you type and isn’t saved to history.

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" {url}

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CLI Flags on Arguments

Arguments can have a flag prefix that’s included only when the argument has a value:

• Flag + value: An arg with flag -p and value 8080 renders as -p 8080
• Boolean flag enabled: An arg with flag --verbose and boolean type renders as --verbose when checked
• Boolean flag disabled or empty arg: The flag and value are both omitted — no leftover spaces or dangling flags

This keeps your rendered commands clean. Empty optional arguments disappear completely instead of leaving blank holes in the output.

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Dynamic Variables

Dynamic variables auto-fill with live values at paste time. They use double-brace syntax {{variable}} and work alongside regular {arg} placeholders in the same template.

Built-In Variables

Variable	Output	Example
{{date}}	Current date	2026-03-20
{{time}}	Current time	14:30
{{datetime}}	Date and time	2026-03-20 14:30:00
{{date:FORMAT}}	Custom date format	{{date:MMMM d, yyyy}}
{{clipboard}}	Current clipboard contents	Whatever you last copied
{{env:NAME}}	Environment variable	{{env:HOME}}

Environment Variable Approval

The first time a snippet reads an environment variable, CommandIt asks for your permission:

• Allow — the variable resolves to its current value, and CommandIt remembers your choice
• Deny — the variable resolves to empty, and CommandIt remembers your choice
• Not Now — the variable resolves to empty this time, but CommandIt asks again next paste

Variables that look sensitive (API keys, tokens, passwords, AWS credentials) show a warning-style dialog. You can review and change all decisions in Settings > Security.

Shell Command Variables

Run a shell command at paste time and insert its output:

Variable	Output
{{shell:git branch --show-current}}	Current git branch
{{shell:whoami}}	Your username
{{shell:date +%Y-%m-%d}}	Today’s date via shell

Shell command variables ({{shell:...}}) require CommandIt Plus.

Example Template

# {{date}} Standup Notes

Branch: {{shell:git branch --show-current}}
Last commit: {{shell:git log --oneline -1}}

## What I did yesterday
{yesterday}

## What I'm doing today
{today}

## Blockers
{blockers}

When you paste, {{date}} and the {{shell:...}} variables fill automatically. You only type yesterday, today, and blockers.

Escaping Double Braces

If your snippet needs literal {{ characters (for Handlebars, Mustache, or Jinja templates), escape them with a backslash: \{{ produces {{ in the output.

Import Safety

When you import snippets that contain {{env:...}} or {{shell:...}} variables, CommandIt shows a confirmation dialog listing every referenced variable and command. This prevents imported snippets from silently accessing your environment or running commands.

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Argument Fill UI

When you paste a snippet that has arguments, a fill form appears:

1. Each argument shows the appropriate input control (text field, number field, dropdown, checkbox, or text area)
2. Default values are pre-populated when set
3. Required arguments are validated before submission
4. Fields auto-focus on the first argument
5. Press Enter on the last field (or click Paste) to submit
6. Press Escape to cancel and return to search

When a template contains dynamic variables, the form splits into two sections:

• Your inputs — editable argument fields
• Auto-filled at paste — read-only pills showing what {{date}}, {{clipboard}}, etc. will resolve to

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New Snippet from Selection

The fastest way to turn any text into a reusable snippet.

1. Highlight a command in any app (terminal, editor, documentation) — no need to copy it manually
2. Press Control+Shift+Space (or Command+V in the palette with empty search)
3. CommandIt auto-copies your selection and detects arguments — CLI flags, environment variables, ports, file paths, and more
4. Review the detected arguments
5. A name and category are suggested automatically
6. Save the snippet

Free for all users. The ⌃⇧Space hotkey and selection capture are available on the Free tier. Plus adds AI-powered suggestions (name, tags, improved commands) inside the same form.

AI-powered detection
Click Detect Args to run AI analysis alongside the built-in pattern detection.

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Favorites

Star your most-used snippets for quick access:

• Press Command+F in the palette to toggle favorite on the selected snippet
• Use the Favorites filter to see only starred snippets
• Favorites are also accessible from the Library sidebar

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Duplicating Snippets

Press Command+D to clone a snippet. The copy gets an auto-numbered name: “Docker Run” becomes “Docker Run (copy)”, and duplicating again creates “Docker Run (copy 2)”.

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Import and Export

Export

Export your snippet library as JSON from the Library toolbar. The export includes all snippet data and arguments.

Import

Import snippets from a JSON file. CommandIt validates the file format and handles older export formats automatically.

Safety checks
Imported snippets with {{env:...}} or {{shell:...}} variables trigger a confirmation dialog showing exactly which variables and commands are referenced.