Pulse: A Single Command Palette for Neovim

If you use Neovim, you know how useful quick search and navigation tools like fuzzy finders and symbol pickers are. I built pulse.nvim because I wanted a single command palette to switch between different kinds of searches, without multiple keymaps and complex setups.

With AI, context switching has become a thing, with so many tools to manage. I am spending more and more time reviewing code than writing it, and I wanted a tool that would let me quickly jump to the code I needed without breaking my flow.

What Pulse Is

Pulse is a lightweight command palette and jump panel for Neovim. Instead of splitting every search or picker into its own command, plugin, and or different plugins, Pulse consolidates them under a single, consistent interface with prefix-based mode switching.

You can use it to quickly jump to:

• File search
• Command execution
• Git status
• Diagnostics
• Symbols (current buffer and workspace)
• Live grep
• Fuzzy search (current buffer)

How it Works

Pulse uses a simple prefix system to switch between modes. For example, you can type a prefix followed by a query:

Commands (:)

It wouldn't be a command palette without the ability to run commands. Just type : followed by your command and Pulse will execute it.

Files (no prefix)

To search for files, you don't need a prefix just open the panel and start typing:

• Open the command palette with a keymap (e.g., p)
• Start typing to search for files in the current workspace
• Use arrow keys or fuzzy matching to select a file
• Press Enter to open the selected file
• When empty the active buffers and recent files will show up

Git Status and Diagnostics (~, !)

Pulse will show you the current git status of your project:

• Open the command palette with a keymap (e.g., p)
• Type ~ to switch to git status mode or ! for diagnostics
• See a list of modified, added, and deleted files
• Use arrow keys to navigate the list
• A preview will show for the selected file
• Press Enter to open the selected file

Symbols (@, #)

Quickly navigate to symbols in your code:

• Type @ to search symbols in current buffer, or # for workspace
• See a list of symbols in the current buffer or workspace
• Use arrow keys to navigate the list
• A preview will show for the selected symbol
• Press Enter to jump to the selected symbol

Live Grep & Fuzzy Search ($, ?)

For more powerful searching, Pulse has live grep and fuzzy search modes:

• Type $ for live grep across the workspace or ? for fuzzy search in current buffer
• See matching results update in real-time
• Use arrow keys to navigate the results
• A preview will show for the selected result
• Press Enter to open the selected file or jump to the match

Why I Built It

Part of the fun of using Neovim is customizing it to fit your workflow. I love the flexibility of Neovim, but I also wanted to reduce the cognitive load of managing multiple tools for searching and navigation.

I wanted one entry point, much like Spotlight in MacOS:

• Fast to launch
• Minimal config
• Predictable UX
• One interface for all searches
• In other words: less context switching in my workflow, and a cleaner mental model.

Example

Say you want to live grep for TODOs across your project: just open :Pulse and hit $ to switch to live grep mode or assign a keymap l.

Then Start typing TODO, The panel filters immediately, and hitting previews results while keeping the panel open, letting you pick before jumping.

Why Not Telescope?

Telescope is powerful. It has a vast collection of pickers with many features and extensions.

But that’s exactly what I didn’t want. I didn’t want multiple entry points. I didn’t want multiple panels.

I wanted one palette. One surface. One mental model. This could have been a Telescope plugin. But the goal wasn’t another picker. The goal was a unified experience and full control over how the interaction feels.

How to Install

Pulse should work with any package manager but I tested it with lazy.nvim:

{
  "willyelm/pulse.nvim",
  dependencies = { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons" },
  opts = {},
  keys = {
    { "<leader>p", "<cmd>Pulse<cr>", desc = "Open Pulse" },
  },
}

It’s fast, predictable, and reduces friction when switching between different kinds of searches. Because one panel with consistent navigation, you spend less time thinking about how to do a search and more time doing it.

willyelm / pulse.nvim

A single command palette with prefix based pickers for Neovim

Pulse.nvim

One entry point. Total focus.

What is Pulse

A Fast one command-palette for Neovim. Pulse uses a prefix approach to move quickly between picker modes:

Prefix	Mode
(no prefix)	files
:	commands
~	git status
!	diagnostics
@	symbols (current buffer)
#	workspace symbols
$	live grep
?	fuzzy search (current buffer)

Requirements

• Neovim >= 0.10
• ripgrep (rg)
• git (for git status mode preview)
• nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons (optional, recommended)

Install (lazy.nvim)

{
  "willyelm/pulse.nvim",
  dependencies = { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons" },
  opts = {},
}

Setup

require("pulse").setup({
  cmdline = false, -- set true to enable experimental ':' cmdline replacement
  initial_mode = "insert",
  position = "top",
  width = 0.50,
  height = 0.75,
  border = "rounded",
})

Open Pulse

• :Pulse
• :Pulse files
• :Pulse commands
• :Pulse git_status
• :Pulse diagnostics
• :Pulse symbols
• …

View on GitHub

What’s Next

This first version of Pulse is just the beginning. I think being able to review git status, better diffs, and merging tools would be a great next step, including:

• Better preview layouts
• More customization options (expand preview panels, multiple mode views, etc)
• Integrations (git diffs, AI code review, etc)

If it fits your needs, Try it out, file issues, share your workflows. I’d love to hear how pulse fits into your stack.