CmdPal: Fallback ranking and global results #43549

michaeljolley · 2025-11-13T21:41:56Z

Important

For extension developers, this release includes a new required string Id property for FallbackCommandItem. While your existing extensions will continue to work, without this Id being set, your fallbacks will not display and will not be rankable.
Before this is released, you will want to prepare your extension fallbacks.

As an example, we are naming our built-in extensions as:

Calculator extension provider Id: com.microsoft.cmdpal.builtin.calculator
Calculator extension fallback: com.microsoft.cmdpal.builtin.calculator.fallback

While the content of the Id isn't important, what is important is that it is unique to your extension and fallback to avoid conflicting with other extensions.

Now the good stuff:

What the heck does it do!?

The backstory

In PowerToys 0.95, we released performance improvements to Command Palette. One of the many ways we improved its speed is by no longer ranking fallback commands with other "top level" commands. Instead, all fallbacks would surface at the bottom of the results and be listed in the order they were registered with Command Palette. But this was only a temporary solution until the work included in this pull request was ready.

In reality, not all fallbacks were treated equally. We marked the calculator and run fallbacks as "special." Special fallbacks were ranked like top-level commands and allowed to surface to the top of the results.

The new "hotness"

This PR brings the power of fallback management back to the people. In the Command Palette settings, you, dear user, can specify what order you want fallbacks to display in at the bottom of the results. This keeps those fallbacks unranked by Command Palette but displays them in an order that makes sense for you. But keep in mind, these will still live at the bottom of search results.

But alas, we have also heard your cries that you'd like some fallbacks to be ranked by Command Palette and surface to the top of the results. So, this PR allows you to mark any fallback as "special" by choosing to include them in the global results. Special (Global) fallbacks are treated like "top level" commands and appear in the search result based on their title & description.

Screenshots/video

GitHub issue maintenance details

Closes #38312
Closes #38288
Closes #42524
Closes #41024
Closes #40351
Closes #41696
Closes #40193

src/modules/cmdpal/ext/Microsoft.CmdPal.Ext.WebSearch/FallbackOpenURLItem.cs

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Settings/ExtensionPage.xaml

niels9001 · 2025-12-08T08:21:26Z

@michaeljolley Ugh, lot of conflicts popping up :(

michaeljolley · 2025-12-08T20:32:10Z

@michaeljolley Ugh, lot of conflicts popping up :(

Cleaning now.

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Settings/AppearancePage.xaml.cs

jiripolasek · 2025-12-11T22:39:46Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/FallbackSettings.cs

+    {
+    }
+
+    public FallbackSettings(bool isBuiltIn)


The automatic conversion of from isBuildIn to IncludeInGlobalResults feels far from intuitive. It's probably just an old name of the arg?

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/FallbackSettingsViewModel.cs

jiripolasek · 2025-12-12T21:41:47Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/SettingsViewModel.cs

        }

+        var fallbackRankings = new List<Scored<FallbackSettingsViewModel>>(fallbacks.Count);
+        foreach (var fallback in fallbacks)


If this runs while the fallbacks list is unstable or uncomplete (reload is in progress), the ranking will be broken, and the user preference might be lost?

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Settings/ExtensionPage.xaml

….xaml.cs Co-authored-by: Jiří Polášek <me@jiripolasek.com>

…ingsViewModel.cs Co-authored-by: Jiří Polášek <me@jiripolasek.com>

…xaml Co-authored-by: Jiří Polášek <me@jiripolasek.com>

## Summary of the Pull Request Add "Manage fallback order" menu item to "More options" menu on the extensions list page  ## PR Checklist - [ ] Closes: #xxx  - [ ] **Communication:** I've discussed this with core contributors already. If the work hasn't been agreed, this work might be rejected - [ ] **Tests:** Added/updated and all pass - [ ] **Localization:** All end-user-facing strings can be localized - [ ] **Dev docs:** Added/updated - [ ] **New binaries:** Added on the required places - [ ] [JSON for signing](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/blob/main/.pipelines/ESRPSigning_core.json) for new binaries - [ ] [WXS for installer](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/blob/main/installer/PowerToysSetup/Product.wxs) for new binaries and localization folder - [ ] [YML for CI pipeline](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/blob/main/.pipelines/ci/templates/build-powertoys-steps.yml) for new test projects - [ ] [YML for signed pipeline](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/blob/main/.pipelines/release.yml) - [ ] **Documentation updated:** If checked, please file a pull request on [our docs repo](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/windows-uwp/tree/docs/hub/powertoys) and link it here: #xxx  ## Detailed Description of the Pull Request / Additional comments  ## Validation Steps Performed

- Revert misguided suggestions - Fix whitespace

niels9001 · 2025-12-22T22:44:44Z

@jiripolasek @michaeljolley is this good to go in?

michaeljolley · 2025-12-22T23:08:30Z

The answer was yes. 😄

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR introduces user-configurable fallback ranking and global results functionality to Command Palette. It adds a new required Id property to fallback commands via the IFallbackCommandItem2 interface, allowing users to reorder fallbacks and mark specific fallbacks as "global" (ranked with top-level commands) rather than appearing only at the bottom of results.

Changes:

Introduced IFallbackCommandItem2 interface requiring fallback commands to have unique string IDs
Added UI for managing fallback order and global results settings in Extensions settings pages
Implemented fallback ranking logic where users control display order and can mark fallbacks for global ranking

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 40 out of 41 changed files in this pull request and generated 10 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
Microsoft.CommandPalette.Extensions.idl	Added IFallbackCommandItem2 interface with Id property
FallbackCommandItem.cs	Updated constructors to require and validate Id parameter
Built-in fallback extensions (8 files)	Updated all built-in fallbacks to provide consistent IDs
FallbackSettings.cs	New settings class for individual fallback configuration
FallbackSettingsViewModel.cs	New ViewModel for managing fallback settings in UI
ProviderSettings.cs	Refactored to use FallbackSettings dictionary instead of boolean
SettingsModel.cs	Added FallbackRanks array and GetGlobalFallbacks method
SettingsViewModel.cs	Added FallbackRankings collection and ApplyFallbackSort method
FallbackRankerDialog/FallbackRanker (4 files)	New UI controls for drag-and-drop fallback reordering
ExtensionPage.xaml/xaml.cs	Added Settings expander for fallbacks with global results toggle
ExtensionsPage.xaml/xaml.cs	Added menu item to open fallback ranking dialog
MainListPage.cs	Updated to use global fallbacks and fallback rankings for filtering
MainListPageResultFactory.cs	Added fallbacks section header in results
TopLevelViewModel.cs	Updated IsEnabled to read from FallbackSettings
Resources.resw	Added localized strings for new UI elements
MainListPageResultFactoryTests.cs	Updated tests to account for fallback section header

Files not reviewed (1)

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/Properties/Resources.Designer.cs: Language not supported

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:20Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Settings/ExtensionPage.xaml

-                                                <controls:SettingsCard.HeaderIcon>
+                                        <DataTemplate x:DataType="viewModels:FallbackSettingsViewModel">
+                                            <controls:SettingsExpander
+                                                Grid.Column="1"


The SettingsExpander in the DataTemplate has Grid.Column="1" set on line 157, but it's not inside a Grid with column definitions. This control is inside an ItemsRepeater, not a Grid, so this property has no effect and should be removed. It appears to be a leftover from refactoring the previous SettingsCard layout.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:20Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/TopLevelViewModel.cs

+        if (isFallback && commandItem is FallbackCommandItem fallback)
+        {
+            _fallbackId = fallback.Id;
+        }


The fallback ID extraction on lines 197-200 only checks if commandItem is a FallbackCommandItem, but the new interface is IFallbackCommandItem2. If an extension implements IFallbackCommandItem2 without inheriting from FallbackCommandItem, the Id won't be extracted here. Consider checking for IFallbackCommandItem2 interface instead: if (isFallback && commandItem is IFallbackCommandItem2 fallback2).

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:20Z

...dules/cmdpal/extensionsdk/Microsoft.CommandPalette.Extensions.Toolkit/FallbackCommandItem.cs

+    public FallbackCommandItem(string displayTitle, string id)
    {
        DisplayTitle = displayTitle;
+        Id = id;
    }


The first constructor (line 11) doesn't validate the id parameter like the second constructor does (lines 20-23). This creates an inconsistency where one constructor enforces non-empty/non-whitespace IDs while the other allows empty or whitespace IDs. Both constructors should validate the id parameter to ensure consistency and prevent invalid IDs from being created.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:21Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/ProviderSettings.cs

+    // List of built-in fallbacks that should not have global results enabled by default
+    private readonly string[] _excludedBuiltInFallbacks = [
+        "com.microsoft.cmdpal.builtin.indexer.fallback",
+        "com.microsoft.cmdpal.builtin.calculator.fallback",
+        ];


The _excludedBuiltInFallbacks array is marked as readonly but is a field of a serializable class. When deserialized via the JsonConstructor (line 36), this field won't be initialized, causing _excludedBuiltInFallbacks to be null. If Connect() is called after deserialization, line 54 will throw a NullReferenceException. Consider making this a static readonly field or a const, or ensuring it's properly initialized in all constructors.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:21Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/FallbackSettingsViewModel.cs

+                _fallbackSettings.IncludeInGlobalResults = value;
+
+                if (!_fallbackSettings.IsEnabled)
+                {
+                    _fallbackSettings.IsEnabled = true;
+                }


The IncludeInGlobalResults setter has incorrect logic. When setting IncludeInGlobalResults to true on line 50, it checks if IsEnabled is false on line 52 and then sets IsEnabled to true on line 54. However, this should only auto-enable when IncludeInGlobalResults is being set to true (value is true), not when it's being set to false. The condition should be: if (value && !_fallbackSettings.IsEnabled) to only auto-enable when enabling global results.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:21Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Controls/FallbackRankerDialog.xaml.cs

+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices.WindowsRuntime;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.Primitives;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Data;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Input;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Media;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Navigation;
+using Windows.Foundation;
+using Windows.Foundation.Collections;


This file contains unused imports that should be removed to improve code cleanliness. Lines 5-9 and 12-18 import namespaces (System.Collections.Generic, System.IO, System.Linq, System.Runtime.InteropServices.WindowsRuntime, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls.Primitives, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Data, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Input, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Media, Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Navigation, Windows.Foundation.Collections) that are not used anywhere in this simple control.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:22Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Controls/FallbackRankerDialog.xaml.cs

+
+    public IAsyncOperation<ContentDialogResult> ShowAsync()
+    {
+        return FallbackRankerContentDialog!.ShowAsync()!;


The method uses double null-forgiving operators on line 31, which suppresses null warnings but doesn't handle the actual null case. If FallbackRankerContentDialog is null at runtime (which shouldn't happen but could due to initialization issues), or if ShowAsync() returns null, this will throw a NullReferenceException. Consider adding proper null checking or at least documenting why these nulls are impossible.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:22Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI.ViewModels/FallbackSettingsViewModel.cs

+                if (!_fallbackSettings.IsEnabled)
+                {
+                    _fallbackSettings.IsEnabled = true;
+                }


The IsEnabled property change notification is missing when IncludeInGlobalResults is enabled. On line 54, IsEnabled is set to true but OnPropertyChanged(nameof(IsEnabled)) is never called. This means the UI won't be notified of the IsEnabled change, potentially leading to UI elements not updating correctly. Add OnPropertyChanged(nameof(IsEnabled)) after line 54.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:22Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Strings/en-us/Resources.resw

    <value>Use system settings</value>
  </data>
+  <data name="Settings_FallbacksPage_GlobalResults_SettingsCard.Header" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Include in the Global result</value>


The header text should use plural "results" consistently. The text says "Include in the Global result" but should say "Include in the global results" (lowercase "global" and plural "results") to match the description and be grammatically correct.

Copilot · 2026-01-12T10:29:23Z

src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Controls/FallbackRankerDialog.xaml

+        Width="420"
+        MinWidth="420"
+        PrimaryButtonText="OK">
+        <ContentDialog.Title>
+            <TextBlock x:Uid="ManageFallbackRank" />
+        </ContentDialog.Title>
+        <ContentDialog.Resources>
+            <x:Double x:Key="ContentDialogMaxWidth">800</x:Double>
+        </ContentDialog.Resources>
+        <Grid Width="560" MinWidth="420">


The ContentDialog has a Width of 420 and MinWidth of 420 (lines 12-13), but the Grid inside has a Width of 560 and MinWidth of 420 (line 21). This creates a layout conflict where the Grid (560px) is wider than its containing ContentDialog (420px), which could cause clipping or layout issues. The values should be aligned, or the ContentDialog should be at least 560px wide to accommodate the Grid.

michaeljolley added 2 commits November 12, 2025 17:17

Doing the voodoo of fallback rankings

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Working on settings

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src/modules/cmdpal/ext/Microsoft.CmdPal.Ext.WebSearch/FallbackOpenURLItem.cs Fixed Show fixed Hide fixed

michaeljolley added the Product-Command Palette Refers to the Command Palette utility label Nov 13, 2025

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Merge branch 'main' into dev/mjolley/fallbacks

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Adding a UI to the ranker

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michaeljolley added 4 commits December 8, 2025 15:56

Merging main

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michaeljolley marked this pull request as draft December 11, 2025 03:55

Fixing merge issues

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Update src/modules/cmdpal/Microsoft.CmdPal.UI/Settings/AppearancePage…

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….xaml.cs Co-authored-by: Jiří Polášek <me@jiripolasek.com>

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…xaml Co-authored-by: Jiří Polášek <me@jiripolasek.com>

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- Revert misguided suggestions - Fix whitespace

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michaeljolley deleted the dev/mjolley/fallbacks branch December 22, 2025 23:08

FeBe95 mentioned this pull request Dec 23, 2025

Results on main page lin-ycv/EverythingCommandPalette#1

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alexvy86 mentioned this pull request Dec 26, 2025

Replace PowerToys Run with Command Palette #41696

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yeelam-gordon added this to the PowerToys 0.97 milestone Jan 12, 2026

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CmdPal: Fallback ranking and global results #43549

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CmdPal: Fallback ranking and global results #43549

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michaeljolley commented Nov 13, 2025 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

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What the heck does it do!?

The backstory

The new "hotness"

Screenshots/video

GitHub issue maintenance details

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