Quick Start

Get productive with CommandLane in under 2 minutes.

Open the Command Bar

Press Ctrl + Space anywhere to open the command bar.

This works globally - from any application, at any time.

Capture Your First Entry

1. Type any thought, task, or note
2. Press Enter to save
3. CommandLane auto-classifies it (task, note, decision, etc.)

Example entries:

Update budget spreadsheet
→ Auto-classified as: Task

Meeting notes - discussed Q4 roadmap
→ Auto-classified as: Note

Decided to use React for the frontend
→ Auto-classified as: Decision (use Ctrl+Enter)

Force Classification with Prefixes

Use task: or note: at the start of your entry to guarantee classification:

task: Review pull request
→ Always classified as Task (regardless of wording)

note: API rate limit is 100 req/min
→ Always classified as Note

Useful when the AI might misclassify ambiguous entries like "Remember to..." or technical notes that sound like action items.

Capture Everything

Don't filter while capturing. Let the AI classify and resurface relevant items later.

Switch Modes

The command bar has 2 modes. Press Shift + Tab to cycle between them:

Mode	Purpose
Capture	Save thoughts, tasks, launch apps, search entries
Agent	Multi-turn AI conversations

You can also type a prefix shortcut from any mode:

• q what did I decide about the database? → Ask the Agent
• c remember to call Bob → Capture a task
• g weather tomorrow → Web search

Search Your Entries

In Capture mode, just start typing. Matching entries and apps appear inline as you type.

For AI-powered search, use the q prefix:

q tasks due this week
q what did I decide about the redesign?
q notes from meetings with Sarah

Semantic Search

Search by concept, not just keywords. "budget planning" finds "Q4 financial review" entries.

Open the Dashboard

Press Ctrl + Shift + D to open the full dashboard.

The dashboard provides:

• Overview - Recent activity, stats, and heatmap
• Captures - Browse, search, and manage all entries (tasks, notes, decisions)
• Sessions - View and resume past agent conversations
• Background Tasks - Manage scheduled AI tasks and approval workflows
• Settings - Configure AI providers and hotkeys
• Integrations - Connect Notion, OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama
• Feedback - Submit questions or bug reports

PARA Tagging

Organize entries using the PARA method:

• #project:name - Short-term goal with deadline
• #area:name - Long-term responsibility
• #resource:name - Reference material
• #archive:name - Completed or inactive items

Example:

Research competitor pricing models #resource:market-research

Next Steps

• Command Bar Modes - Deep dive into each mode
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Master the hotkeys
• Configuration - Customize your setup
• Ollama Setup - Use local AI models for free

Tips

Mode Memory

CommandLane remembers your last-used mode. Reopen the command bar and you're right where you left off.

Context Capture

When capturing, CommandLane records which app you're in. This helps resurface relevant entries when you return to that app.

Slash Commands

Type / in the command bar to see available commands like /resume and /snippet.