Design Principle
Command palettes are useful for speed, but scope, risk, and outcome must be explicit.
Principle
Command palettes are useful for speed, but scope, risk, and outcome must be explicit.
Design action
Show verb, object, scope, and shortcut for each command; risky commands require confirmation or a second choice, with recent and search results grouped.
Examples
Positive example: The product has many navigation, creation, export, bulk, or AI actions. Counterexample: A command says only Delete without object or impact scope.
Apply when
The product has many navigation, creation, export, bulk, or AI actions. Users need to judge state, scope, risk, or next action quickly.
Source notes
Source note: Synthesized from Apple HIG, Material Design, GOV.UK/Polaris/Atlassian component practices, and interaction accessibility principles. Apple HIG Motion: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/motion Material Design Motion: https://m3.material.io/styles/motion/overview/how-it-works GOV.UK Design System Patterns: https://design-system.service.gov.uk/patterns/ Shopify Polaris Patterns: https://polaris-react.shopify.com/patterns Atlassian Empty State: https://atlassian.design/components/empty-state
Agent Directive
Show verb, object, scope, and shortcut for each command; risky commands require confirmation or a second choice, with recent and search results grouped.