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Power Features

Run

Run is a modern replacement for the classic Windows Run dialog. Instead of memorising commands, you can browse, discover, and run everything your system offers, directly from Raycast.

Getting Started

  1. Open Raycast and search for Open Run.
  2. Browse or type: Start typing or choose from previously run commands. Applications, system tools, Control Panel applets, Management Console, paths, and registered URIs you've run before will appear here as well.
  3. Execute: Press Enter to run the selected item. Raycast records it in your history so you can rerun it later.

Prefer to skip the list? Use Execute Run Command from root search: press Tab to enter a command and run it instantly, when you know exactly what you need to launch.

Commands

  • Open Run – Browse and execute Windows commands, applications, Control Panel applets, MMC snap-ins, directories, and shell URIs. Your Run history is displayed in this command
  • Execute Run Command – Run a Windows command directly from root search using Tab
  • Search Run Commands – Browse and manage your custom Run Command aliases
  • Create Run Command – Create a custom Run Command with an alias, icon, description, tags, and optional shell override

Capabilities

With Raycast Run, you can:

  • Search and launch applications and system tools (notepad, calc, regedit, taskmgr)
  • Open Control Panel applets and MMC snap-ins (appwiz.cpl, certmgr.msc, diskmgmt.msc)
  • Navigate to directories using paths, network shares, and environment variables (C:\Users, \\server\share, %appdata%)
  • Execute shell URIs to access special locations (shell:Recent, shell:startup, shell:RecycleBin)
  • Access and manage your run history with full backwards compatibility with the Windows Run dialog

How Run Works

Run classifies what you type into one of these kinds:

  • Executable – .exe, .cmd, .bat, .com, or an unrooted command like notepad
  • Control Panel Applet – .cpl files such as appwiz.cpl or ncpa.cpl
  • Management Console – .msc snap-ins such as certmgr.msc or diskmgmt.msc
  • Environment Variable – %VAR% style values such as %APPDATA%
  • Path – Rooted drive paths (C:\Users), UNC paths (\\server\share), and env-var paths (%appdata%\Microsoft)
  • URI – Registered schemes like shell:Recent, shell:startup, or ms-settings:
  • Run Command – Custom aliases you've created

History is shared with the built-in Windows Run dialog, so anything you've run there shows up here, and anything you run from Raycast stays available in both places.

Run Commands

Run Commands are custom aliases for frequently used commands you build on top of anything Run already knows how to execute. A Run Command includes:

  • Alias & Icon
  • Description (optional)
  • Command
  • Tags (optional)
  • Shell (defaults to system shell)
    • Non-default shells may not support URI commands, Control Panel applets, or Management Consoles.

Once saved, a Run Command appears in root search under its alias and in the Open Run list. You can create one at any time from the Create Run Command command or from the action in the action panel.

Tips & Tricks

  • Bind Open Run to R to replace the built-in Windows Run dialog with the Run commands in Raycast
  • Use the Run as Administrator action with a Run Command or executable selected to run with elevated permissions
  • Use the Delete from History action on any History entries in the Open Run command to remove it from both Raycast and Windows Run history