Command line and power tools

fzf, the fuzzy filter

Updated 2026-07-31 · 4 min read

fzf turns any list into an interactively filterable one. Pointed at filenames, it becomes a keyboard-speed file picker.

Install and wire the key bindings

brew install fzf

Homebrew's fzf includes shell integration; enable it by adding to ~/.zshrc:

source <(fzf --zsh)

New shells then have the three bindings that matter.

The three bindings

⌃T — fuzzy-pick a file from the current tree and insert its path at the cursor. Type vim then ⌃T, sift, Return: editing a deeply nested file without typing its path.

⌃R — fuzzy-search shell history. This alone converts people; the command from three weeks ago is four keystrokes away.

⌥C (Esc-C in some terminals) — fuzzy-pick a directory and cd into it.

Fuzzy means fragment-friendly

Type invmar and invoices/march/inv-2026-03.pdf matches — characters in order, gaps free. Exactly right for half-remembered names.

Pair with fd

Make fzf's file source fd, so listing is fast and ignores noise:

export FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND='fd -t f'
export FZF_CTRL_T_COMMAND="$FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND"

Ad-hoc pipelines

fzf filters any stdin:

brew list | fzf
git branch | fzf | xargs git checkout
fd -e pdf | fzf --preview 'echo {}' | xargs open

The last one is a functioning document launcher in one line.

Scope, honestly

fzf filters lists it is given — a tree you point it at, not an index of the machine. For whole-disk instant lookup an index does that job; fzf owns the terminal-native, current- project, keyboard-flow niche, and owns it completely.

Common questions

What does Ctrl-T do with fzf installed?

Opens a fuzzy picker over files under the current directory and inserts the chosen path into your command line.

How do I make fzf use fd?

Set FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND='fd -t f' (and mirror it for CTRL_T) in your shell profile.