fzf Preview Windows, Key Bindings, and Actions

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Use previews, key bindings, execute actions, and dynamic UI changes to build powerful interactive pickers.

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## Preview window

Preview file contents with bat

↗#

fzf --preview 'bat --style=numbers --color=always --line-range :200 {}'

# Render a syntax-highlighted preview for files.

Place preview on the right

↗#

find . -type f | fzf --preview 'head -100 {}' --preview-window=right,60%

# Move the preview window and size it.

Toggle preview visibility

↗#

find . -type f | fzf --preview 'bat --color=always {}' --bind 'ctrl-/:toggle-preview'

# Start with the preview hidden and toggle it on demand.

Scroll the preview pane

↗#

find . -type f | fzf --preview 'bat --color=always {}' --bind 'ctrl-u:preview-half-page-up,ctrl-d:preview-half-page-down'

# Add custom preview scrolling bindings.

## Bind actions

Select all items with a key binding

↗#

seq 100 | fzf -m --bind 'ctrl-a:select-all'

# Bind a key to select all results in multi-select mode.

Clear all selections

↗#

seq 100 | fzf -m --bind 'ctrl-x:deselect-all'

# Bind a key to deselect all marked entries.

Run a command on the current item

↗#

find . -type f | fzf --bind 'enter:execute(vim {})'

# Open the selected file without leaving fzf permanently.

Replace fzf with another process

↗#

find . -type f | fzf --bind 'enter:become(vim {})'

# Turn the selection directly into a new foreground program.

Change the prompt dynamically

↗#

printf '%s
' files dirs | fzf --bind 'ctrl-f:change-prompt(Files> ),ctrl-d:change-prompt(Dirs> )'

# Update the prompt based on a key or event.

Update the header dynamically

↗#

printf '%s
' alpha beta gamma | fzf --bind 'focus:transform-header:echo Focused on {1}'

# Modify informational text in response to events.

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