How to Use fzf: Examples and Usage Tips
fzf: Command-Line Fuzzy Finder
fzf is a general-purpose command-line fuzzy finder that helps you search and select items interactively from a list, such as files, directories, command history entries, processes, Git objects, and more. Instead of requiring exact matches, it uses fuzzy matching, so you can type partial or approximate text and still quickly find what you need. It is especially useful for reducing repetitive typing, speeding up navigation, and creating efficient shell workflows around existing command-line tools.
Installation
There are multiple ways to install fzf, depending on your operating system and environment.
Install using a package manager
# Debian/Ubuntu sudo apt install fzf # Fedora sudo dnf install fzf # Arch Linux sudo pacman -S fzf # macOS with Homebrew brew install fzf # Windows with winget winget install junegunn.fzf
Install from the official repository
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf ~/.fzf/install
The install script can enable shell integration such as key bindings and completion for supported shells.
Basic Usage
The core idea behind fzf is simple:
producer_command | fzf | consumer_command
- The producer generates a list (files, history, processes, etc.)
fzflets you interactively filter and select- The consumer uses the selected result
Minimal example
fzf
Expected behavior:
- An interactive full-screen interface appears - You type to filter results - Use arrow keys or typing to narrow matches - Press Enter to select - The selected line is printed to stdout
File selection example
find . -type f | fzf
Expected output:
The selected file path is printed after exiting fzf
Using the selected result
nano "$(find . -type f | fzf)"
Expected behavior:
- fzf opens and lets you choose a file - After selection, nano opens that file
Common Patterns
Instead of memorizing many commands, reuse these patterns:
Add preview
find . -type f | fzf --preview 'cat {}'
Expected behavior:
- Left side: selectable file list - Right side: live preview of selected file
Use with command history
history | fzf
Use with search results
grep -R "TODO" . | fzf
Example output:
./main.c:42: // TODO: fix this
Multi-selection
find . -type f | fzf --multi
Expected behavior:
- Press Tab to select multiple entries - Press Enter to confirm - Outputs multiple lines (one per selection)
Using fzf with Git
Browse commit history
git log --oneline | fzf
Expected output:
List of searchable commits
You can search commits by message or hash interactively.
Preview full commit details
git log --oneline | fzf --preview 'git show {1}'
Expected behavior:
- Left side: commit list (short hash + message) - Right side: full commit details (diff, author, date)
This is significantly more efficient than repeatedly running git show manually.
Show commits from all branches
git log --all --pretty=format:'%h %d %s' | fzf --preview 'git show {1}'
Expected behavior:
- Includes commits reachable from all branches and refs - Useful when the current HEAD does not include newer commits from another branch tip
Checkout a selected commit
git checkout "$(git log --oneline | fzf | awk '{print $1}')"
Expected behavior:
- Select a commit from the list - The repository switches to that commit (detached HEAD)
Checkout a commit from any branch
git checkout "$(git log --all --pretty=format:'%h %d %s' | fzf | awk '{print $1}')"
Expected behavior:
- Shows commits from all branches (not just current HEAD) - Allows selecting commits that are not in the current history - Checks out the selected commit in detached HEAD state
Tips and Tricks
Open found files directly with editors
The following commands make fzf part of a practical workflow where it opens the file on one of these editors after finding it:
vi "$(fzf --preview 'cat {}')"
nano "$(fzf --preview 'cat {}')"
code "$(fzf --preview 'cat {}')"
Expected behavior:
- fzf opens and lets you search for a file - A preview of the file is shown on the side - After selection, the chosen editor opens the file
Use syntax-highlighted previews with bat
The default preview command cat {} is fast but does not provide syntax highlighting. A better alternative is bat (or batcat on some systems), which adds colors and formatting.
fzf --preview 'bat --color=always --style=numbers --line-range=:300 {}'
On Debian-based systems, the command may be batcat instead:
fzf --preview 'batcat --color=always --style=numbers --line-range=:300 {}'
Expected behavior:
- Preview pane shows syntax-highlighted content - Line numbers are displayed - Output updates quickly as you move through results
Understand what {} means
{} is replaced with the currently selected item
Example:
--preview 'cat {}'
means:
cat <selected-file>
Avoid inefficient repetition, create aliases
Instead of repeating the same pattern:
find . -type f | fzf
define a reusable helper:
alias ffiles='find . -type f | fzf'
Prefer safe quoting
vim "$(fzf)"
This avoids issues with spaces or special characters in filenames.
Know the limits of preview
Good preview targets: - source code - shell scripts - configuration files - logs Less suitable preview targets: - binary files - media files - extremely large files