flow-launcher/flow.launcher

★ 14,759C#Audience · generalComplexity · 2/5ActiveLicenseSetup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Flow-Launcher))
    Inputs
      Typed query
      Hotkey
      Plugins
    Outputs
      App launch
      File results
      Web search
      Calculator output
    Use Cases
      Open apps faster
      Search files everywhere
      Run web queries
      Drive Windows settings
    Tech Stack
      CSharp
      WPF
      Windows
      Everything

mindmap root((Flow-Launcher)) Inputs Typed query Hotkey Plugins Outputs App launch File results Web search Calculator output Use Cases Open apps faster Search files everywhere Run web queries Drive Windows settings Tech Stack CSharp WPF Windows Everything

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Launch any installed Windows app with a few keystrokes from a global hotkey

USE CASE 2

Search file contents across the disk using the Everything indexer

USE CASE 3

Run a quick calculator or shell command without leaving the keyboard

USE CASE 4

Extend the launcher with a custom plugin in C# or Python

Tech stack

C#WPFWindowsEverything

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

First launch may trigger a Windows SmartScreen prompt because the build is not code-signed.

MIT lets you use, modify, and ship this in commercial products as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

Flow Launcher is a quick file search and application launcher for Windows. Instead of clicking through the Start menu or File Explorer, the user opens a small search bar with a keyboard shortcut, types a few letters, and Flow shows matching apps, files, and other actions to run. The README compares it in spirit to Alfred on macOS and presents it as community-driven and open-source. Installation is offered in several ways. There is a regular Windows 10 or later installer, a portable version that runs without installing, and one-line commands for the popular Windows package managers Winget, Scoop, and Chocolatey. An early access build is also available through a separate prereleases repository. The README warns that the first launch may trigger a Windows security prompt because the build is not code-signed. The features section lists what Flow can search and do. It finds applications, files, and file contents, working with the Everything indexer or the built-in Windows Index, and it understands environment variable paths. It can run web searches, open URLs, and find browser bookmarks. It exposes Windows system commands like shutdown, lock, and settings, runs a built-in calculator whose result can be copied to the clipboard, and runs batch or PowerShell commands, including a Ctrl Shift Enter shortcut to run as Administrator. More practical features include saving file and folder locations for quick access, jumping to a path inside an Open or Save As dialog, dragging a result into File Explorer or Discord with Ctrl or Shift to switch between copy and move, and a preview panel toggled with F1 that shows media files as large images and other files with an icon and full path. Plugin result order can be reordered by priority. Flow can be customized in look and behavior. The README mentions adjustable window size, animations, sounds, dark mode, and many themes that users can also write themselves. It supports many languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Dutch, Polish, and several others, with Pinyin search for Chinese, and accepts translation contributions through Crowdin.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Give me a 5-minute install guide for Flow Launcher on Windows with Winget

Prompt 2

Show me how to configure Flow Launcher to search file contents via the Everything indexer

Prompt 3

Walk me through writing a simple Flow Launcher plugin that converts currencies

Prompt 4

How do I change the global hotkey and add a custom web search keyword in Flow Launcher

Prompt 5

Explain how the Ctrl Shift Enter shortcut runs a command as Administrator and when to use it

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