Flow Launcher Guides: Setup, Search, Plugins and Fixes
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Installation
Install Flow Launcher on Windows: First Launch
Install Flow Launcher by checking the release package, running the Windows installer, and opening the search window with Alt+Space. Start with the.
Flow Launcher Portable: ZIP Setup and User Data
The portable package lets you run Flow Launcher from an extracted folder. Keep its application files together and locate the active UserData directory.
Install and Update Flow Launcher with WinGet
WinGet can install Flow Launcher by package identifier. Inspect the matching package before installation and use the same manager for later updates. This.
Flow Launcher with Scoop: Install and Maintain
Scoop is one of the installation methods listed by the Flow Launcher project. Use an existing, trusted Scoop setup, inspect the Flow-Launcher manifest.
Flow Launcher with Chocolatey: Setup and Updates
Chocolatey is another package-manager route documented by Flow Launcher. Review the package details and source, install it through your existing.
Update Flow Launcher Without Losing Your Setup
Before updating Flow Launcher, back up the active UserData folder and record how you installed the app. Update through that same installation method, then.
Uninstall Flow Launcher and Keep a Recoverable Backup
To remove Flow Launcher, first exit it and preserve any settings you may want later. Uninstall through the method that installed it, then check startup.
Flow Launcher First Setup: A Practical Baseline
A useful first setup keeps Flow Launcher small: select a reliable hotkey, check Program and Explorer, and add only the plugins you need. Use a few known.
Flow Launcher Requirements: Windows and Plugin Runtimes
For the current Flow Launcher 2.x branch, plan on Windows 10 or Windows 11. The project publishes self-contained app packages, while some community.
Verify a Flow Launcher Download Before Running It
Check the origin, release version, and file identity before running a Flow Launcher installer. A SHA-256 value identifies bytes but proves nothing unless.
File search
Search Files with Flow Launcher: Engine and Scope
Flow Launcher file search is provided through the Explorer plugin and its configured search engines. Start by distinguishing filename search from.
Connect Everything to Flow Launcher File Search
Everything can serve as a file-search engine inside Flow Launcher’s Explorer plugin. First verify that the same filename is found in Everything itself.
Use Windows Search as Flow Launcher’s Search Engine
Windows Search can provide indexed results to Flow Launcher’s Explorer plugin. Its results depend on Windows indexing scope and the selected search type.
Search Inside Documents with Flow Launcher
To search text inside documents, use the Explorer plugin’s content-search action and a suitable engine. Content search is not the same as matching a.
Exclude Folders from Flow Launcher Search Results
Explorer’s excluded-path settings can hide selected directories from Flow Launcher’s indexed search results. This changes result visibility; it does not.
Flow Launcher Quick Access: Save Useful Files and Folders
Explorer Quick Access stores shortcuts to frequently used files and folders. Add a location from a search result’s context menu, then use your Explorer.
Browse Folders from Flow Launcher’s Search Bar
Explorer can browse a typed directory path as well as query an index. The Enter behavior depends on its configuration: it may browse the folder or open it.
Find and Launch Apps with Flow Launcher
The Program plugin supplies application results in Flow Launcher. Search by an app’s known name first, then try shorter words or acronyms. Keep app.
Flow Launcher Not Finding an App: Program Checks
When one app is missing, check its Windows shortcut, the Program plugin, and the plugin’s search scope before reinstalling Flow. A missing app result can.
Flow Launcher Fuzzy Search and Acronyms Explained
Flow Launcher can match partial names and acronyms, so you do not always need an exact application title. These matches compete with results from enabled.
Tune Flow Launcher Search Result Priorities
Plugin priority changes the relative weight of results produced by a plugin. It is useful when valid app, file, and bookmark results compete for the same.
Use Flow Launcher Result Context Menus
A Flow Launcher result can have additional actions in its context menu. The available actions depend on the plugin that produced the result. Use.
Daily use
Flow Launcher Keyboard Shortcuts: Everyday Actions
Flow Launcher’s default activation shortcut is Alt+Space, and the activation key can be customized. Result navigation and plugin actions use their own.
Flow Launcher Alt+Space Not Working: Diagnose the Hotkey
If Alt+Space does not open Flow Launcher, first confirm that Flow is running and that Alt+Space is still its configured shortcut. Then test a temporary.
Flow Launcher Action Keywords: Route Queries to Plugins
Action keywords tell Flow Launcher which plugin or search action should handle a query. Type ? in the launcher to inspect the keywords currently active. A.
Create Custom Query Hotkeys in Flow Launcher
A custom query hotkey can open Flow Launcher with a chosen query already entered. This is useful for starting a specific plugin workflow without changing.
Configure Web Searches in Flow Launcher
The Web Searches plugin sends a query to a configured search provider and opens the result in a browser. It is separate from local file search. Use a.
Search Browser Bookmarks with Flow Launcher
The Browser Bookmarks plugin brings supported browser bookmarks into Flow Launcher results. Browser profiles and custom data locations matter. Verify a.
Use the Flow Launcher Calculator and Copy Results
Flow Launcher includes a Calculator plugin for evaluating expressions from the search bar. Begin with a simple expression, check the displayed result, and.
Open Windows Settings from Flow Launcher
The Windows Settings plugin helps locate pages in Windows Settings and Control Panel. Search for a setting you recognize, then confirm the destination.
Run Shell Commands from Flow Launcher Safely
The Shell plugin can launch commands through a configured Windows shell. Confirm the command, quoting, working directory, and privilege level before.
Flow Launcher Dialog Jump for Open and Save Windows
Dialog Jump helps move an Open or Save As dialog to a folder you are already working with. The Flow 2.0 release notes describe Alt+G for jumping to the.
Appearance and settings
Flow Launcher Themes: Choose a Readable Appearance
Flow Launcher themes change the appearance of the search window. Start with a built-in theme, check readability at your normal display scale, and then.
Import a Flow Launcher XAML Theme and Recover from Errors
Importing a custom Flow Launcher theme involves placing or selecting its XAML file through the theme workflow supported by your version. Preserve the.
Use the Flow Launcher Theme Builder and Export XAML
The theme builder on this site lets you adjust appearance controls and save a generated theme file. Its preview is a browser approximation; validate the.
Back Up and Restore Flow Launcher Settings
Back up the active UserData folder after closing Flow Launcher. That folder contains the configuration and plugin data associated with the instance you.
Find the Active Flow Launcher UserData Folder
The most reliable way to find Flow Launcher’s active configuration is to search for flow launcher userdata in the running application. The location.
Reset Flow Launcher Settings Without Losing the Original
A reversible reset uses a backup or renamed UserData folder while Flow is closed. The next launch can create a fresh profile. Compare that fresh setup.
Start Flow Launcher with Windows and Avoid Duplicate Copies
Flow Launcher must be running for its activation shortcut to work. Configure startup through the supported app or Windows settings, then test a fresh.
Flow Launcher on Multiple Monitors and Different DPI
When Flow Launcher appears on the wrong monitor or outside the visible desktop, check display arrangement and saved window positions before resetting the.
Plugins and comparisons
Install Flow Launcher Plugins from the Plugin Store
Use Flow Launcher’s Plugin Store to find an extension, inspect its author and requirements, and install it into your current profile. Add one plugin at a.
Update Flow Launcher Plugins and Check Compatibility
Plugin updates are separate from Flow Launcher application updates. Check the app version and preserve plugin settings before updating extensions. Newer.
Disable or Remove a Flow Launcher Plugin
Disable a plugin first when you want to test whether it causes a problem. Remove it through the supported plugin-management interface once you no longer.
Flow Launcher Plugin Not Working: A Focused Checklist
For a failing Flow Launcher plugin, check its enabled state, action keyword, configuration, runtime, and remote service in that order. Verify that.
Flow Launcher Plugin Store Not Loading or Empty
An empty or unavailable Plugin Store can be a network or catalog-fetch problem even when local Flow searches work. Check the app version, network policy.
Flow Launcher Python Plugins: Runtime and Dependencies
A Python-based Flow Launcher plugin can require a working Python interpreter and the dependencies packaged or documented by its author. The launcher’s own.
Flow Launcher Node.js Plugins: Setup and Error Checks
JavaScript and TypeScript plugins can use Node.js to communicate with Flow Launcher through JSON-RPC. Their runtime and dependency requirements come from.
Review Flow Launcher Plugin Permissions and Privacy
Review a Flow Launcher plugin as software that runs on your computer, not merely as a visual search shortcut. Its code may access files, launch processes.
Create a Flow Launcher Plugin: Choose an Implementation
Flow Launcher plugins can be implemented natively with .NET or through JSON-RPC in supported languages such as Python and Node.js. Start from a maintained.
Flow Launcher plugin.json: Manifest Checks
The plugin.json manifest describes a Flow Launcher plugin so the application can identify and load it. Use the schema and examples for your target.
Move from Wox to Flow Launcher: Rebuild and Verify
Moving from Wox to Flow Launcher is best treated as a configuration migration rather than a blind folder copy. Record the workflows you use, install Flow.
Flow Launcher vs PowerToys Run: Compare Your Workflow
Flow Launcher and PowerToys Run both provide keyboard-driven launching on Windows. Compare the plugins, search behavior, settings, and maintenance model.
Flow Launcher vs Everything: Different Roles, Shared Search
Flow Launcher is a multi-purpose keyboard launcher, while Everything specializes in file searching. They are not necessarily alternatives: Flow’s Explorer.
Troubleshooting
Flow Launcher Not Opening: Process, Hotkey, or Window
When Flow Launcher appears not to open, determine whether its process is absent, running without a visible window, or failing on launch. Test normal.
Flow Launcher Slow Search: Isolate the Delayed Component
To diagnose slow Flow Launcher searches, compare local app results, indexed filenames, and network-backed plugins separately. The delay may be in an index.
Flow Launcher High Memory Usage: Compare Configurations
Investigate Flow Launcher memory usage by comparing idle behavior, repeated queries, and enabled plugins over a consistent period. One Task Manager.
Flow Launcher Crashes: Capture a Minimal Reproduction
A useful crash diagnosis identifies the action that causes Flow Launcher to exit or show an exception. Preserve your configuration, record the exact.
Flow Launcher Settings Not Saving: Locate the Active Profile
When settings seem not to save, first confirm that you are reopening the same Flow instance and active UserData folder. Then check write access, duplicate.
Flow Launcher Shows No Results: A Decision Checklist
An empty Flow Launcher result list should be diagnosed by result type. Test a known app, a simple calculation, and a known filename separately. Their.
Flow Launcher Not Finding Browser Bookmarks
For missing bookmarks, confirm the correct browser profile and bookmark location before changing global search settings. Test a distinctive bookmark title.
Flow Launcher After a Windows Update: Check What Changed
After a Windows update, verify startup, the activation hotkey, window placement, and the selected search engine separately. A timing coincidence does not.
Flow Launcher Home Page and Recent Result History
Flow Launcher can display recent or history results depending on its configuration and version. Review those options separately from active search.
Use Flow Launcher Offline: Local and Network Features
Flow Launcher’s local tasks and network integrations have different connectivity needs. Installed-app launching, local calculations, and a working local.