fzf — Fuzzy Finder Documentation

fzf is a general-purpose command-line fuzzy finder. It reads a list of items from standard input, lets you interactively filter them with a fuzzy search, and outputs the selection to standard output. It integrates with your shell, editor, and any command that produces line-based output.

Who This Track Is For

• Server operators who navigate large directory trees and process lists of files
• Developers who want faster shell history, file, and git branch navigation
• DevOps engineers building interactive shell scripts and tooling pipelines
• Anyone replacing grep | head workflows with interactive fuzzy filtering

What You Will Build

• A fully configured fzf shell integration (CTRL-T, CTRL-R, ALT-C)
• Custom preview windows with bat, tree, and delta
• Reusable shell functions for git, Docker, SSH, and process management
• A personal FZF toolkit deployable across any server via dotfiles

How To Use This Track

• Modules 1–2 are fundamentals — understand these before anything else
• Modules 3–4 cover shell integration and search syntax
• Modules 5–6 are customization (options, preview, colors)
• Modules 7–9 cover advanced usage, scripting, and integrations
• Modules 10–11 are real-world workflows and the cheatsheet

Learning Path

Module	Focus	Lessons
1. Introduction	What fzf is, philosophy, installation	3
2. Core Usage	Basic syntax, keybindings, output handling	3
3. Search Syntax	Fuzzy, exact, regex, operators, negation	2
4. Shell Integration	CTRL-T, CTRL-R, ALT-C, fish, completions	3
5. Customization	FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS, layout, colors, bindings	3
6. Preview Window	bat, tree, delta, dynamic preview	2
7. Advanced Usage	Multi-select, reload, transforms, headers	3
8. Scripting	Shell functions, pipelines, reusable fzf tools	2
9. Integrations	Git, Neovim, Docker, SSH, tmux, kubectl	3
10. Real-World Workflows	DevOps, sysadmin, development patterns	2
11. Cheatsheet	Keys, syntax, options, and variables	1

How fzf Works

flowchart LR
  INPUT["Input\n(stdin / find / ls / etc.)"] --> FZF["fzf\n(interactive filter)"]
  FZF --> DISPLAY["Interactive TUI\n(fuzzy search + preview)"]
  DISPLAY --> FZF
  FZF --> OUTPUT["Output\n(selected lines → stdout)"]
  OUTPUT --> CONSUMER["Consumer\n(open / delete / pipe to next cmd)"]

fzf vs Other Tools

Tool	Interactive	Fuzzy	Scriptable	Preview	Shell integration
fzf	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
grep	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
find	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
dmenu	✅	✅	Limited	❌	❌
rofi	✅	✅	Limited	✅	❌
peco	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌

Quick Start

# Install (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install -y fzf

# Or latest via git
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf && ~/.fzf/install

# Basic usage: pipe any list into fzf
ls | fzf
find . -type f | fzf
cat /etc/passwd | fzf

# Open a file with fzf selection
nvim $(fzf)
cat $(fzf)

warning

fzf reads from stdin and writes to stdout. Between those two ends, it gives you an interactive TUI. Everything else — what feeds it and what consumes its output — is up to your shell.

Next Step

Start with What is fzf.