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Glide Browser includes a powerful command line interface for executing commands, similar to Vim’s ex command mode. Access it by pressing : in normal mode.

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Opening the Command Line

// Show command line
glide.keymaps.set("normal", ":", "commandline_show");

// Show with prefilled text
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader><leader>", "commandline_show tab ");

// Toggle command line
glide.excmds.execute("commandline_toggle");
Programmatically: 
// Show empty command line
await glide.commandline.show();

// Show with prefilled input
await glide.commandline.show({ prefill: "tab_new " });

// Show with custom options
await glide.commandline.show({
  title: "Select an option",
  options: [
    { label: "Option 1", execute: () => console.log("1") },
    { label: "Option 2", execute: () => console.log("2") },
  ],
});

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Command Line Navigation

Navigate completions in command mode: 
glide.keymaps.set("command", "<Tab>", "commandline_focus_next");
glide.keymaps.set("command", "<S-Tab>", "commandline_focus_back");
glide.keymaps.set("command", "<Down>", "commandline_focus_next");
glide.keymaps.set("command", "<Up>", "commandline_focus_back");
glide.keymaps.set("command", "<Enter>", "commandline_accept");
glide.keymaps.set("command", "<C-d>", "commandline_delete");
glide.keymaps.set("command", "<Esc>", "commandline_toggle");
Available commands:
  • commandline_show - Show the command line UI
  • commandline_toggle - Toggle command line visibility
  • commandline_focus_next - Focus next completion
  • commandline_focus_back - Focus previous completion
  • commandline_accept - Execute focused completion
  • commandline_delete - Delete focused completion

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Ex Commands Reference

Glide provides a comprehensive set of ex commands defined in browser-excmds-registry.mts:66-467.
  • :back - Go back one page in history
  • :forward - Go forward one page in history
  • :reload - Reload the current page
  • :reload_hard - Reload bypassing cache
  • :go_up - Go up the URL hierarchy
  • :go_to_root - Go to the root of the current URL
  • :go_next - Follow the link labeled next or >
  • :go_previous - Follow the link labeled previous or <
  • :scroll_top - Scroll to the top of the window
  • :scroll_bottom - Scroll to the bottom of the window
  • :scroll_page_down - Scroll down by 1 page
  • :scroll_page_up - Scroll up by 1 page
  • :scroll_half_page_down - Scroll down by half a page
  • :scroll_half_page_up - Scroll up by half a page

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Tab Management

:tab <index>          # Switch to tab at index
:tab_new [url]        # Create new tab with optional URL
:tab_close            # Close the current tab
:tab_next             # Switch to next tab
:tab_prev             # Switch to previous tab

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Mode Commands

:mode_change <mode> [options]  # Change to specified mode
Available modes: normal, insert, visual, op-pending, ignore, command, hint Options:
  • --automove=<left|endline> - Move cursor when entering insert mode
  • --operator=<d|c|r> - Set operator for op-pending mode
Examples: 
:mode_change insert --automove=left
:mode_change op-pending --operator=d
:mode_change normal

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Focus and Input

:blur                 # Blur the active element
:focusinput last      # Focus the last input element on page

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Hint Mode

:hint                         # Show hints for clickable elements
:hint --action=newtab-click   # Open hinted link in new tab
:hint --location=browser-ui   # Show hints for browser UI elements
:hint -e                      # Show hints for editable elements only
:hint -s "selector"           # Show hints for CSS selector
:hint --include "selector"    # Also include elements matching selector
:hint --auto                  # Auto-activate if only one hint
:hints_remove                 # Remove all hints and exit hint mode

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Clipboard Operations

:url_yank             # Yank current URL to clipboard
:copy                 # Copy from active notification to clipboard
:visual_selection_copy # Copy selected text and return to normal mode

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Editing Commands

:caret_move <direction>  # Move text caret
:undo                    # Undo the most recent edit
:redo                    # Redo the most recent undo
:r [character]           # Replace current character
Caret directions: left, right, up, down, endline

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Configuration Commands

:config_edit      # Open config file in default editor
:config_path      # Show the config file path
:config_reload    # Reload the config file
:config_init [location]  # Initialize new config
Init locations: home, profile, cwd

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Keymap Commands

:map                  # Show all mappings
:unmap <lhs>          # Remove mapping from normal mode
:nunmap <lhs>         # Remove mapping from normal mode
:iunmap <lhs>         # Remove mapping from insert mode

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System Commands

:quit                 # Close all windows
:clear                # Clear all notifications
:echo <args>          # Log arguments to console
:keys <keyseq>        # Synthesize key sequence
:repeat               # Repeat last invoked command

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Help and Documentation

:help                 # Open Glide documentation
:tutor                # Open the Glide tutorial
:repl                 # Start the config REPL

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Creating Custom Ex Commands

Define your own ex commands: 
// Simple command
const cmd = glide.excmds.create(
  { name: "my_command", description: "My custom command" },
  () => {
    console.log("Command executed!");
  }
);

// Register for TypeScript autocomplete
declare global {
  interface ExcmdRegistry {
    my_command: typeof cmd;
  }
}

// Execute your command
await glide.excmds.execute("my_command");

​
Commands with Arguments

const openUrl = glide.excmds.create(
  {
    name: "open",
    description: "Open a URL",
    args_schema: {
      url: { 
        type: "string", 
        required: true, 
        position: 0,
        description: "URL to open"
      },
      background: {
        type: "boolean",
        required: false,
        description: "Open in background"
      }
    }
  },
  async ({ args }) => {
    await glide.tabs.create({
      url: args.url,
      active: !args.background
    });
  }
);

// Usage: :open https://example.com --background

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Content Process Commands

Execute commands in the content (page) process: 
const focusBody = glide.excmds.create(
  { name: "focus_body", description: "Focus the page body" },
  glide.content.fn(() => {
    document.body?.focus();
  })
);

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Command Properties

Each command in the registry has these properties:
  • name - Command name (used after :)
  • description - Human-readable description
  • content - Whether command runs in content process
  • repeatable - Whether command can be repeated with .
  • args_schema - Optional argument validation schema
All built-in ex commands are defined in browser-excmds-registry.mts:66-467. Commands marked with content: true are executed in the page content process.

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Executing Commands Programmatically

// Execute string command
await glide.excmds.execute("tab_new https://glide-browser.app");

// Execute with function
await glide.excmds.execute(() => {
  console.log("Custom logic");
});

// Check if command exists
if (glide.excmds.is_known_command("my_command")) {
  await glide.excmds.execute("my_command");
}

​
Repeating Commands

Repeat the last repeatable command with . or :repeat: 
glide.keymaps.set("normal", ".", "repeat");
Repeatable commands include:
  • Tab operations (close, next, prev, duplicate, etc.)
  • Navigation (back, forward, go_next, go_previous)
  • Scrolling commands
  • Reload commands
Use :echo to debug values in your config: :echo glide.ctx.url