Configuration
One TOML file. Save it and most changes apply about a second later. The hotkey and the index path need a restart.
Core
The keys you are most likely to touch.
- hotkeyrestart
The global shortcut. Win alone is supported through a helper; Ctrl+Space and Ctrl+Shift+Space are the safe alternatives.
string · default "Win"
- launch_at_startup
Start Nex when you sign in to Windows.
bool · default true
- max_results
Rows returned per query before scrolling.
int · default 20 (5 to 100)
- search_mode_default
The scope the panel opens in when the query is empty.
string · default "all" (all, apps, files, folders, actions, clipboard)
- search_dsl_enabled
Enable kind:, modified:, created:, AND, OR, NOT, and leading minus exclusions.
bool · default true
- uninstall_actions_enabled
Allow uninstall entries to appear in command mode.
bool · default true
Panel and performance
How the window is drawn, and how much it is allowed to hold.
- panel_background
Glass captures and refracts the desktop behind the panel. Opaque modes skip that work and create the window opaque from the start.
string · default "glass" (glass, black, white)
- grid_view
Show results as a grid of icons. Turn it off for a list of rows.
bool · default true
- game_mode_enabled
Suppress the hotkey while a likely game or fullscreen app is in front.
bool · default false
- active_memory_target_mb
The memory budget the panel aims to stay inside while active.
int · default 72 (20 to 512)
- idle_cache_trim_ms
How long after hiding the icon cache is trimmed.
int · default 900 (100 to 10000)
- ui_warm_release_ms
How long the WebView stays resident after hiding, which is what makes the next open instant.
int · default 5000 (500 to 600000)
Search and discovery
Where files come from and how far the index reaches.
- discovery_roots
Every folder Nex walks. Add drives or project folders here.
string[] · default [user folder]
- discovery_exclude_roots
Folders to leave out. System, temp, and build paths such as node_modules and .git are skipped automatically.
string[] · default [temp, cache]
- show_files
Include files in results.
bool · default true
- show_folders
Include folders in results.
bool · default true
- file_discovery_backend
auto asks Voidtools Everything first and falls back to the built-in walker and watcher.
string · default "auto" (auto, everything, walkdir)
- web_search_provider
The engine command mode uses for web queries.
string · default "google" (google, duckduckgo, bing, brave, startpage, ecosia, yahoo, custom)
- web_search_custom_template
URL template used when the provider is custom. It must contain {query}.
string · default ""
- open_url_in_default_browser
Open bare domains such as youtube.com in the browser instead of searching for them.
bool · default true
- url_tlds
The suffixes treated as a domain when you type without a scheme.
string[] · default [com, net, org, dev, ...]
- web_bookmarks
Sites pinned into search results. Entries open in the default browser.
array · default []
Creating things
What happens when a name does not exist yet.
- create_actions_enabled
Offer to create a file or folder when the typed name has no local match.
bool · default true
- default_create_dir
Where new items are created. Empty means the current user's Desktop.
string · default ""
- create_file_extensions
The extensions the create row offers.
string[] · default [txt, md, py, ps1, ...]
Clipboard
On by default. Encrypted at rest with DPAPI.
- clipboard_enabled
Record recently copied text so it can be searched. Turn it off to stop capturing entirely.
bool · default true
- clipboard_retention_minutes
How long entries stay in history.
int · default 480 (5 to 43200)
- clipboard_exclude_sensitive_patterns
Substrings that prevent an entry from being captured.
string[] · default [password, otp, token, ...]
Plugins
JSON manifests, loaded from folders you name.
- plugins_enabled
Load the plugin registry at startup.
bool · default true
- plugins_safe_mode
Block command actions. Leave this on unless you trust every plugin in the paths below.
bool · default true
- plugin_paths
Folders of .json manifests, or a manifest file directly. Subfolders are not scanned.
string[] · default ["%APPDATA%\\Nex\\plugins"]
Quick Launch
The row that appears when the query is empty.
- quick_launch.enabled
Show Quick Launch in the idle panel.
bool · default true
- quick_launch.max_items
How many items the row holds.
int · default 9 (3 to 12)
- quick_launch.pinned
Apps to pin, in order. Store shell:AppsFolder entries or titles.
string[] · default []
- quick_launch.auto_fill
Fill the remaining slots from usage when the pinned list is short.
bool · default false
Index
Caps that keep a large drive from becoming a large index.
- index_max_items_total
Total items retained across all roots.
int · default 120000
- index_max_items_per_root
Items retained per discovery root.
int · default 40000
- index_max_items_per_query_seed
Candidate budget for a single file query.
int · default 5000
A complete file
Every key at or near its default. Keep exactly one hotkey value, and use double backslashes in Windows paths.
hotkey = "Win"
launch_at_startup = true
max_results = 20
search_mode_default = "all"
panel_background = "glass"
grid_view = true
game_mode_enabled = false
show_files = true
show_folders = true
file_discovery_backend = "auto"
web_search_provider = "google"
create_actions_enabled = true
default_create_dir = ""
clipboard_enabled = true
clipboard_retention_minutes = 480
plugins_enabled = true
plugins_safe_mode = true
[quick_launch]
enabled = true
max_items = 9
pinned = []
auto_fill = false