Quick Filter (/)
The fastest way to narrow down the current directory view:
- Press / to activate the filter bar
- Type your search term
- The view instantly filters to show only matching files
- Press Escape to clear the filter
Once the filter is active, use n to jump to the next match and N (Shift+N) to jump to the previous match, just like Vim's search navigation.
Features:
- Case-insensitive matching
- Filters both files and folders
- Matches anywhere in the filename
- n/N to cycle through matches
Type-Ahead Search
Jump directly to a file by typing its name:
- Just start typing (no prefix key needed)
- The cursor jumps to the first matching file
- Continue typing to refine the match
This doesn't filter the view - it navigates to the match within the full listing.
Tip: You can disable type-ahead search in Settings > General if you prefer single letter keys reserved for commands. When disabled, use / to filter files instead.
Full Search (Cmd+F)
Search across directories with the search panel:
- Press Cmd+F to open the search panel
- Enter your search term
- Choose search options:
- Location: Current directory or custom path
- Include subdirectories: Recursive search
- Case sensitive: Match exact case
- Use wildcards: Enable * and ? patterns
- Press Enter or click Search
Search Results
Results appear in a list showing:
- File name
- Full path
- Size and date
Working with Results:
- Double-click: Navigate to file location
- Enter: Open the selected file
- Cmd+C: Copy selected files
Wildcard Patterns
When "Use wildcards" is enabled:
* | Matches any characters | *.txt matches all text files |
? | Matches single character | file?.txt matches file1.txt, fileA.txt |
Examples:
*.jpg- All JPEG imagesreport_202?.*- Reports from 2020-2029*backup*- Files containing "backup"
Go To Path (Cmd+G)
Jump directly to any location:
- Press Cmd+G
- Enter or paste the full path
- Press Enter
Supports:
- Absolute paths:
/Users/name/Documents - Home directory:
~/Downloads - Path with spaces (no escaping needed)
Deep Search (Pro)
Pro users get enhanced search capabilities:
- Content search (find text inside files)
- Regex pattern matching
- File type filters
- Date range filters
- Size filters
Turbocharge with fd and ripgrep
For blazing-fast search performance, install the Rust-based search tools via Homebrew:
brew install fd ripgrepWhen installed, Captain's Deck automatically uses:
- fd - For Deep Search (file name search), up to 10x faster than standard search
- ripgrep - For Content Search (text inside files), significantly faster on large codebases
If these tools aren't installed, Captain's Deck falls back to standard search methods.
Note: fd/ripgrep integration is only available in the Direct Download version, not the Mac App Store version due to sandbox restrictions.