Tech Stack
Raycast
Raycast is a keyboard launcher that puts apps, commands, files, and small utilities in one search box. It is useful for the things you repeat all day: opening a browser, finding a file, pasting a saved phrase, or arranging windows.
Mac workflow notes · Updated October 12, 2026
What it does
- Launch and find.
Open applications, search files, run calculations, and use commands without hunting through menus.
- Reuse text.
Clipboard History helps recover copied text. Snippets turn short keywords into phrases you use often.
- Manage windows.
Move and resize windows with commands and shortcuts.
- Extend the launcher.
Install extensions from the Raycast Store, or run your own small scripts.
Source: Raycast features.
Aliases, hotkeys, and the Hyper key
An alias is a short name typed inside Raycast. A hotkey runs a command directly from the keyboard. Raycast's Hyper key can turn Caps Lock into a modifier combining Control, Option, Command, and optionally Shift.
That makes shortcuts such as Caps Lock + P easy to remember. A sequence like “bb” is better suited to an alias; a single letter with Hyper is simpler for a direct shortcut.
Useful workflows
Open the right browser profile
A dedicated script command can open a particular personal browser profile. This avoids depending on whichever profile was used last. A personal profile keeps its own logins and bookmarks; an incognito window is a different feature.
Jump to a website or folder
Create a Quicklink for a frequently used URL, file, or folder, then assign an alias or hotkey. Quicklinks can also accept a search term through a placeholder.
Run a small local task
Script Commands let Raycast run a local script. Add its folder in Raycast's Extensions settings, then assign a hotkey to the command. This is useful when a task needs more control than opening a URL.
For my current app shortcuts and the next tools to try, see Computer Optimizations.