Command Palette

The command palette is the fastest way to find anything in your library. Press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) from anywhere in Scholarly and start typing — your PDFs, pages, flashcard decks, recordings, podcasts, research reports, and chats all show up in one ranked list.

If you only learn one keyboard shortcut, this is the one.

Opening the Palette

• Mac: Cmd+K
• Windows / Linux: Ctrl+K

The palette opens over whatever page you're on. Hit Escape or click outside to dismiss it.

What You Can Search

A single query searches across every content type at once:

• Pages and notes — match by title.
• PDFs — match by file name.
• Flashcard decks — match by deck title.
• Recordings — match by recording title.
• Podcasts — match by episode title.
• Video lectures — match by lecture title.
• AI Slide decks — match by deck title.
• Research reports — match by report title.
• Chats — match by chat title.

Type a few characters and the list narrows immediately.

Navigating Results

• Arrow keys — move up and down the result list.
• Enter — open the highlighted result.
• Mouse — click any result to open it.
• Escape — close the palette without going anywhere.

The most recently opened or modified item that matches your query usually sits at the top, so the most likely result is one keystroke away.

When to Use the Palette vs. AI Chat

The palette is best when you know what you're looking for and want to get there fast. Type the title (or part of it) and press Enter — three keystrokes to switch between files.

AI Chat is better when you're not sure of the title or want to do something with the file. Ask things like "open my latest research report on protein folding" or "find my biology PDF from last week" — Chat searches the same library, then either opens the file or reads it into the conversation. See AI Chat and Voice Mode for more.

Tips

• Use partial titles. You don't need to type the whole name — "krebs" usually beats "Lecture 4 — The Krebs Cycle.pdf" by a long margin.
• It works from inside any document. Reading a PDF and want to jump to the matching flashcard deck? Cmd+K, type the deck name, Enter.
• Pin frequent files too. Pinned items sit at the top of the home page and the sidebar — pair the palette for "everything else" with pinning for "the files I touch every day."

Related

• Keyboard Shortcuts — every other shortcut Scholarly supports.
• Home and Library — the home dashboard and how pinning works.
• AI Chat and Voice Mode — natural-language library search and content actions.