Raycast (macOS)
A Spotlight replacement covering app launching, clipboard history, window management, and snippets.
Raycast opens with ⌘Space and runs whatever you want after a few keystrokes. It does
more than launch apps — it removes most of the reasons your hand reaches for the
mouse.
Install
brew install --cask raycast
After installing, unbind ⌘Space from Spotlight (System Settings → Keyboard →
Keyboard Shortcuts → Spotlight) and give it to Raycast.
Four things to turn on immediately
| Feature | Why |
|---|---|
| Clipboard History | Go back and retrieve something you copied. The biggest single win |
| Window Management | Halve and quarter windows without a separate app |
| Snippets | Expand a short keyword into a phrase or address you type constantly |
| Quicklinks | Frequently opened URLs, with parameters |
Give Clipboard History its own shortcut, something like ⌥⌘C, and it’s ready to use.
Snippet examples
| Keyword | Expands to |
|---|---|
;email | Your email address |
;date | {date} inserts today’s date |
;sig | Your mail signature |
;pr | A pull request description template |
Quicklink examples
Put {query} in the URL and your input gets substituted.
https://github.com/search?q={query}&type=code
https://translate.google.com/?text={query}
jira://browse/{query}
Extensions
Install from the Raycast Store. The ones that earn their place:
- GitHub — search PRs and issues, check status
- Homebrew — search and install packages
- Kill Process — free up a port something is holding
- Color Picker — sample a colour from anywhere on screen
- Search Emoji
Script commands
Your own shell scripts can become Raycast commands.
#!/bin/bash
# @raycast.schemaVersion 1
# @raycast.title Restart dev server
# @raycast.mode compact
# @raycast.packageName Project
cd ~/projects/my-app && docker compose restart app
Make the file executable (chmod +x) and register its folder under Script Commands in
Raycast settings; it then appears in the list.
Elsewhere
| OS | Tool |
|---|---|
| Windows | PowerToys Run, Flow Launcher |
| Linux | Ulauncher, Albert, rofi |
Next
On Windows → PowerToys
Last updated 19 Aug 2026, 00:00 UTC.