add-fallback-commands

Add fallback commands to your Command Palette extension for catch-all search behavior. Use when asked to add search functionality, query matching, direct input handling, calculator-style evaluation, URL opening, command execution, or results that appear when no other extension matches. Used by 14 of 20 built-in extensions.

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Add Fallback Commands

Fallback commands are shown in Command Palette when no other results match the user's query. They enable your extension to act as a catch-all handler — perfect for calculators, web search, command execution, file path opening, and more.

When to Use This Skill

Adding search functionality that responds to any user input
Creating a calculator that evaluates expressions as the user types
Building a web search that triggers on unmatched queries
Opening files or URLs typed directly into the palette
Executing shell commands from the search bar

How Fallback Commands Work

User types a query in Command Palette
If no top-level commands match, CmdPal asks extensions for fallback results
Your extension's FallbackCommands() provides items that respond to the query
The fallback items can be static (always shown) or dynamic (filtered by query)

Quick Start: Static Fallback

Override FallbackCommands() in your CommandProvider:

public partial class MyCommandsProvider : CommandProvider
{
    private readonly ICommandItem[] _commands;
    private readonly FallbackCommandItem[] _fallbacks;

    public MyCommandsProvider()
    {
        DisplayName = "Web Search";
        Icon = new IconInfo("\uE721"); // Search icon

        var searchPage = new WebSearchPage();
        _commands = [new CommandItem(searchPage) { Title = DisplayName }];
        _fallbacks = [new FallbackCommandItem(searchPage) { Title = "Search the web" }];
    }

    public override ICommandItem[] TopLevelCommands() => _commands;
    public override IFallbackCommandItem[] FallbackCommands() => _fallbacks;
}

Dynamic Fallback with DynamicListPage

For fallbacks that filter results based on the query, use DynamicListPage:

internal sealed partial class WebSearchPage : DynamicListPage
{
    private string _query = string.Empty;

    public WebSearchPage()
    {
        Icon = new IconInfo("\uE721");
        Title = "Web Search";
        Name = "Search";
        PlaceholderText = "Type to search...";
    }

    public override void UpdateSearchText(string oldSearch, string newSearch)
    {
        _query = newSearch;
        RaiseItemsChanged();
    }

    public override IListItem[] GetItems()
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_query))
            return [];

        return [
            new ListItem(new OpenUrlCommand($"https://www.google.com/search?q={Uri.EscapeDataString(_query)}"))
            {
                Title = $"Search Google for \"{_query}\"",
                Icon = new IconInfo("\uE721"),
            },
            new ListItem(new OpenUrlCommand($"https://www.bing.com/search?q={Uri.EscapeDataString(_query)}"))
            {
                Title = $"Search Bing for \"{_query}\"",
                Icon = new IconInfo("\uE721"),
            },
        ];
    }
}

Responsive Fallback with Cancellation

For expensive operations (API calls, file searches), use cancellation to stay responsive:

internal sealed partial class SmartSearchPage : DynamicListPage
{
    private CancellationTokenSource? _cts;
    private IListItem[] _results = [];

    public override void UpdateSearchText(string oldSearch, string newSearch)
    {
        // Cancel any in-flight search
        _cts?.Cancel();
        _cts = new CancellationTokenSource();
        var token = _cts.Token;

        _ = Task.Run(async () =>
        {
            // Debounce: wait for user to stop typing
            await Task.Delay(300, token);
            if (token.IsCancellationRequested) return;

            // Perform search
            _results = await SearchAsync(newSearch, token);
            RaiseItemsChanged();
        }, token);
    }

    public override IListItem[] GetItems() => _results;

    private async Task<IListItem[]> SearchAsync(string query, CancellationToken token)
    {
        // Your search logic here
        // Check token.IsCancellationRequested periodically
        return [];
    }
}

Real-World Examples (from built-in extensions)

Extension	Fallback Behavior
Apps	Search installed applications by name
Calc	Evaluate mathematical expressions directly
Shell	Execute command-line commands
WebSearch	Search the web with configured engine
Indexer	Open files by path
TimeDate	Parse time/date queries
WindowsSettings	Jump to Windows Settings pages
WinGet	Search WinGet packages
WindowWalker	Find and switch to open windows

Key Points

FallbackCommands() returns IFallbackCommandItem[] (not ICommandItem[])
Use FallbackCommandItem wrapper (not CommandItem)
Wrap a DynamicListPage for query-reactive results
Cancel previous searches when new input arrives
Keep fallback responses fast — users expect instant results
Use PlaceholderText on your page to guide users

Documentation

Repository: microsoft/PowerToys
Path: src/modules/cmdpal/ExtensionTemplate/TemplateCmdPalExtension/.github/skills/add-fallback-commands/SKILL.md
Commit: b9c82a4

Last updated: ~14 hours ago
First committed: 5 months ago

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