Smarter Command Palette: Recent Pages & Quick Actions on Open

Version: 0.1.99

Overview

The command palette is one of the fastest ways to move around the platform — but only if it opens to something useful. Prior to this release, opening the palette with no query displayed all 27 navigation routes across 7 grouped sections. Finding an item in the Advanced group meant scrolling past everything else, every time.

This update redesigns the empty state so the palette opens to a short, personalised list and reserves the full route tree for when you're actively searching.

How It Works

Empty State (no query typed)

When you open the command palette without typing anything, you'll see two sections:

Recent Pages The last 5 pages you visited, in reverse-chronological order. This list is personal to you — it's stored locally in your browser and updates automatically as you navigate.

Quick Actions A fixed list of high-frequency creation shortcuts, such as:

New Property
New Tenancy
(and others surfaced by usage patterns)

This means the palette opens instantly to the things you actually use, rather than a directory of everything that exists.

Typed Query (any characters entered)

As soon as you type, the full 27-route navigation list appears, filtered in real time against your query. All routes remain discoverable — search behaviour is unchanged.

Recent Pages: How Tracking Works

Recent pages are tracked entirely client-side:

Every time you navigate to a page, that route is added to a ring buffer stored in localStorage.
The buffer holds the last 5 unique routes you visited.
Older entries are automatically dropped as new ones are added.
No data leaves your browser — this is a local convenience feature, not analytics.

Because the data lives in localStorage, it persists across sessions on the same browser but does not sync across devices.

Before & After

Before (v0.1.98 and earlier)

[Command Palette — no query]

Section: Properties        (4 routes)
Section: Tenancies         (3 routes)
Section: Deposits          (5 routes)
Section: Disputes          (4 routes)
Section: Compliance        (4 routes)
Section: Reports           (3 routes)
Section: Advanced          (4 routes)  ← requires scrolling

27 routes shown. No personalisation. No recency awareness.

After (v0.1.99)

[Command Palette — no query]

Recent Pages
  › Deposit #4821 — 14 Elm Street
  › Tenancy Overview — 7 Oak Avenue
  › Dispute Resolution — #D-0093
  › Properties
  › Compliance Dashboard

Quick Actions
  › New Property
  › New Tenancy

Full route list visible instantly once you start typing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my recent pages be visible to other users? No. Recent pages are stored in your browser's localStorage and are not shared with or visible to other users or administrators.

What if I use multiple browsers or devices? Recent pages do not sync across browsers or devices. Each browser maintains its own independent history.

Can I still access all 27 routes? Yes — type any character in the palette and the full, filterable route list appears immediately.

Will clearing my browser data reset my recent pages? Yes. Clearing localStorage (or browser site data) will reset the recent pages list.