Using Wisp Launcher

Getting started

Install the app in Applications and open it. Wisp lives in the menu bar, not the Dock. The first time it runs, a welcome window covers three things:

1. Your shortcut. ⌥Space by default. If another app already uses it, the menu bar menu shows “(unavailable)”.
2. Accessibility, for snippets. Switch Wisp on under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
3. Start at login, so it’s always ready.

The menu bar icon has Open, Settings (⌘,), Reset Launcher Position, Rebuild App Index and Quit.

Searching

Type to match apps, System Settings panes and commands by prefix, word starts, CamelCase or fuzzy letters. Wisp records each pick against what you typed, so your choices rank higher next time. Reset learning in Settings → General, or for one result with ⌘K → Forget Learned Ranking.

Choose which folders, file types and exclusions apply in Settings → Search.

Browsing folders

Type / for the root of your disk or ~ for your home folder, then keep typing to filter. Tab or ⌘↓ steps into the selected folder. Delete right after a slash, or ⌘↑, goes up a level. Return opens the item, and the preview pane shows a Quick Look thumbnail, kind, size and dates.

Snippets

Create snippets in Settings → Snippets. Type a snippet’s keyword in any app, for example ;addr, and it’s replaced with the full text. Collections can have their own prefix, an on/off switch and excluded apps. You can also search and paste snippets from the launcher with snip.

Password managers and secure text fields are always skipped. Alfred .alfredsnippets files can be imported.

Workflows

A workflow is a set of nodes on a canvas: an input (Keyword, Hotkey, Script Filter, List Filter), then actions (Open URL, Open File, Reveal, Run Script, Copy or Paste, Notification, Large Type), with optional utilities (Set Variable, Replace Query, Condition). Drag from a node’s right edge to connect it. A connection can require a modifier: hold ⌘ when you choose the result to follow that branch.

Scripts can be zsh, bash, Python 3, AppleScript, JavaScript (JXA), Ruby or Perl. The query is $1, and workflow variables are environment variables. Script filters return Alfred’s JSON format. Select an input node and use Test to see each step’s output.

Wisp ships with four examples: Copy a UUID (uuid), GitHub Repository (repo), Open in VS Code (code) and Recent Downloads (dl).

AI agents

Wisp includes an MCP server, wisp-mcp, so an AI agent can write, dry-run and install workflows and snippets for you. Settings → AI Agents shows the exact setup for your copy, with Copy buttons. For Claude Code:

Claude Desktop and Cursor use the same command path in their JSON config. Everything an agent adds arrives switched off with a Review tag until you approve it, and agents can only change what they created.

Themes

Pick a theme in Settings → Appearance: Liquid Glass (default), Crystal, Frost, Graphite, Midnight, Solarized Dark, Paper or Terminal. Choose Customize to duplicate one and edit its background material, colours (separately for light and dark), fonts, sizes, corner radius, width and rows, with a live preview.

Keyboard shortcuts

Drag the launcher by any part that isn’t the search field or a result, and it remembers where you put it.

Updates

Wisp checks for a new version once a day. When one is ready, the menu bar menu shows Update Available; choose it to see what’s new and install. To look straight away, choose Check for Updates… from the menu bar menu or Settings → About.

In Settings → General → Updates you can turn the daily check off, or have updates downloaded and installed automatically. Updates are signed, and Wisp only installs one that matches its own signing key. Your settings, snippets and workflows are kept.

Your data

Settings, snippets, workflows, custom themes and learned rankings are JSON files in ~/Library/Application Support/Wisp Launcher/. Back them up or copy them to another Mac like any other files. To start fresh, quit Wisp and delete that folder.

Something not working?

The Support page covers the common fixes: shortcuts, snippets, missing apps or files, and workflows. If you’re still stuck, email wisplauncherapp@tallbottech.com.au.