Plugins

VisiData's plugin system extends the tool with additional file format support, new commands, and third-party integrations. Plugins are Python files loaded at startup via .visidatarc.

Learning Focus

Learn how to install plugins from the built-in plugin index and how to write a minimal custom plugin for your own use case.

Plugin Index

# Open the plugin index inside VisiData
Space
# Enter: open-plugins
# OR use the menu: Alt+H → Plugins

# Or from the CLI
vd -P open-plugins

The plugin index lists available community plugins with descriptions.

Installing a Plugin

# From the Plugin Index sheet:
Enter           # install the plugin under cursor
# VisiData downloads and enables it

# Or manually, add to ~/.visidatarc:
import importlib
# (plugins are Python modules dropped in the visidata plugins dir)

Default plugin directory:

~/.config/visidata/plugins/

To list installed plugins:

ls ~/.config/visidata/plugins/

Enabling/Disabling Plugin Autoload

# ~/.visidatarc

# Disable autoloading of all plugins
options.plugins_autoload = False

# Selectively import specific plugins
import visidata.plugins.vds3      # S3 support

Popular Community Plugins

Plugin	What it adds
`vds3`	Browse Amazon S3 buckets like directories
`vdplus`	Additional aggregators and commands
`vgit`	Browse git history as a sheet
`vdreddit`	Browse Reddit as a VisiData sheet
`vdzulip`	Zulip chat as a sheet
`vdairtable`	Airtable as a VisiData sheet
`vdgpx`	GPX GPS track files
`vdfixer`	Live currency conversion

Writing a Custom Plugin

A minimal plugin is a Python file placed in the plugin directory:

# ~/.config/visidata/plugins/my_plugin.py

from visidata import vd, Sheet, Column

# Add a custom command to all sheets
Sheet.addCommand(
    'F5',                        # keybinding
    'my-custom-command',         # longname
    'vd.status("Hello VisiData!")',  # Python expression to execute
    'Show a status message'      # help text
)

To load it:

# ~/.visidatarc
import sys, os
sys.path.insert(0, os.path.expanduser('~/.config/visidata/plugins'))
import my_plugin

Adding Custom Column Transformations

# ~/.visidatarc

from visidata import Sheet, Column, vd

# Add a command to add a 'size' column showing length of each cell
@Sheet.api
def add_len_column(sheet):
    col = sheet.cursorCol
    sheet.addColumn(
        Column(
            f'len_{col.name}',
            getter=lambda col, row: len(str(col.sheet.cursorCol.getDisplayValue(row)))
        )
    )

Sheet.addCommand('zL', 'add-len-col', 'sheet.add_len_column()', 'Add length column')

Plugin Security

warning

VisiData plugins are executed as Python code with full system access. Only install plugins from trusted sources. Review plugin source code before enabling in production environments.

Problem	Cause	Fix
Plugin not loading	Syntax error in plugin file	Run `python3 plugin.py` to check
Command not found	Plugin not imported	Check `.visidatarc` import statement
Plugin conflicts with key	Key already bound	Change the keybinding in the plugin
S3 plugin fails	Missing `boto3`	`pip install boto3`

Best Practices

Keep plugins minimal — VisiData's core is powerful without plugins for most use cases.
Pin plugin versions in a requirements.txt if using plugins in automated pipelines.
Test plugins on non-production data first — a poorly written plugin can corrupt data.

Custom Plugin: Cell-Level Selection

The cell_select.py plugin adds the ability to select individual cells (instead of entire rows) with visual highlighting. Cell selection is purely visual — it does not affect row-level operations like filtering, delete, or copy/paste. To copy a cell value, use zy → zp (or gzp for selected rows) — not Alt+5.

Keybindings

Key	Action
`Alt+5`	Toggle selection of current cell (`5` resembles `s` for select)
`Alt+u`	Clear all cell selections (`u` for unselect)

Selected cells appear highlighted with a configurable color (default: bold yellow on blue).

Source

~/.visidata/plugins/cell_select.py

How It Works

Selected cells are tracked per sheet as (rowid, column_name) pairs in _selectedCells
Uses CellColorizer for visual highlighting — does not interact with VisiData's row-level selection system
Selection persists through sort and row reordering (uses stable rowid internally)
Alt+5 toggles the current cell on/off with each press

Registering the Plugin

Add to ~/.visidatarc:

import sys
sys.path.insert(0, os.path.expanduser('~/.config/visidata/plugins'))
import cell_select

Or use the common-config loader pattern:

import sys
sys.path.insert(0, '/path/to/shared/plugins')
import cell_select

Customizing the Highlight Color

Add to ~/.visidatarc:

vd.options.color_selected_cell = 'bold cyan on black'

Custom Plugin: Column Selection System

The 42-column-selection.py plugin adds 18 commands for selecting, toggling, hiding, and operating on columns directly from the main sheet — without opening the Columns Sheet (Shift+C). Selected columns are highlighted in bold cyan for clear visual feedback.

This mirrors VisiData's row selection pattern (s/t/u) but for columns, using the Alt+ prefix which VisiData reserves for user customization.

Keybindings

Selection:

Key	Action
`Alt+s`	Select current column
`Alt+t`	Toggle column selection
`Alt+u`	Unselect current column
`Alt+gs`	Select all visible columns
`Alt+gu`	Unselect all columns (multi-key)
`Alt+Shift+U`	Unselect all columns (single key)
`Alt+gz`	Toggle all columns selection

Hide / Unhide:

Key	Action
`Alt+-`	Hide all selected columns
`Alt+gv`	Unhide selected columns
`Alt+gV`	Unhide all hidden columns

Bulk Type Operations:

Key	Action
`Alt+g#`	Set type = int for selected columns
`Alt+g%`	Set type = float for selected columns
`Alt+g~`	Set type = str for selected columns
`Alt+g$`	Set type = currency for selected columns
`Alt+g@`	Set type = date for selected columns

Width Operations:

Key	Action
`Alt+g_`	Set width for selected columns (prompts for value)
`Alt+z_`	Auto-fit width for selected columns

Status:

Key	Action
`Alt+:`	Show selected column names in status bar

Source

~/.visidatarc.d/Keybindings/42-column-selection.py

How It Works

Selected columns are tracked per sheet as a set of Column objects in TableSheet.selectedCols
Uses ColumnColorizer._make((8, 'color_selected_col', is_selected_col)) for bold cyan highlighting — note this uses the tuple constructor, not class instantiation
All commands use @TableSheet.api decorators for clean registration
State is session-only — selections clear when VisiData closes (intentional)

Kitty + tmux Compatibility

Multi-key Alt+ sequences (e.g. Alt+gu) may not work reliably in Kitty + tmux. When you hold Alt across both letters, VisiData receives Alt+g then Alt+u — where Alt+u means "unselect current column," not "unselect all."

Workarounds:

Sequence	How it works
`Esc g u`	Release Alt, press `g`, then `u` — works reliably
`Alt+Shift+U`	Single-key fallback for unselect-all

Single-key Alt+ bindings (Alt+s, Alt+-, Alt+gv, Alt+Shift+U) work directly in Kitty + tmux.

# Recommended workflow in Kitty + tmux
Alt+Shift+U    # unselect all
Alt+s           # select column
Alt+-           # hide selected
Alt+gv          # unhide selected

tmux tip: Set escape-time 0 in ~/.tmux.conf for cleaner Alt prefix resolution:

set -sg escape-time 0

Registering the Plugin

This plugin loads automatically via the common-config .visidatarc.d/ loader pattern. If you want to use it standalone, add to ~/.visidatarc:

import sys
sys.path.insert(0, '/path/to/your/keybindings')
import column_selection

Or copy the file directly into ~/.config/visidata/plugins/ and import it.

Customizing the Highlight Color

Add to ~/.visidatarc:

vd.option('color_selected_col', 'bold yellow on blue', 'color for selected columns')

Example Workflow

vd data.csv

# Select columns to hide
Alt+s        # select first column (e.g. 'id')
l            # move right
Alt+s        # select second column (e.g. 'internal_ref')
l
Alt+s        # select third column (e.g. 'created_at')

# Hide them all at once
Alt+-        # all 3 columns disappear

# Later, bring them back
Alt+gv       # unhide the selected columns

Kitty + tmux Workflow

vd data.csv

# Clear any previous selection
Alt+Shift+U  # unselect all

# Select columns to hide
Alt+s        # select first column
l
Alt+s        # select second column
l
Alt+s        # select third column

# Hide them all at once
Alt+-        # all 3 columns disappear

# Later, bring them back
Alt+gv       # unhide the selected columns

Custom Plugin: Tmux Copy

The 41-tmux-copy.py plugin adds a zm keybinding that copies the current cell value to the tmux paste buffer, enabling cross-pane pasting with Ctrl+b ].

Keybindings

Key	Action
`zm`	Copy current cell to tmux paste buffer

Source

~/.visidatarc.d/Keybindings/41-tmux-copy.py

How It Works

Uses cursorDisplay to get the formatted cell value (same as zY for system clipboard)
Pipes the value to tmux load-buffer - via subprocess.run
Works with any tmux pane — paste in another pane with Ctrl+b ]

Usage

# Copy a cell value
# Move to any cell, press:
zm           # "copied cell to tmux buffer" appears in status

# Switch to another tmux pane
Ctrl+b ]     # cell value is pasted

Prerequisite

tmux must be running. The plugin does nothing if tmux is not available.

Custom Plugin: Registry Alias Launcher

The registry_launcher.py plugin extends the standard o command with $alias support, so frequently used CSV sources registered in the VisiData listing registry can be opened directly from inside a running session.

The intent is one VisiData session and one prompt: press o, type $ plus the short alias you already know (vd-2, vd-dc, ...), and the registered file (or files) open as sheets in the current session. Pressing o, then $, then Enter opens an fzf picker over the whole registry, which removes the need for separate vd-* shell aliases just to launch a data source.

Usage

# Inside VisiData:
o
open: $vd-2            # open the two-sheet demo entry

o
open: $                # press Enter → fzf picker over every registered alias

Matching

Input	Meaning
`$vd-2`	Match a command name exactly
`$vd013`	Match a registry ID
`$wordpress`	Case-insensitive partial match
`$vd-wp*`	Glob pattern match
`/path/to/file.csv`	Normal VisiData file opening (unchanged)

Inputs without $ keep the stock o behavior, including normal filesystem path completion.

Source

~/.config/visidata/plugins/registry_launcher.py

# common-config source:
/home/rezriz/github/common-config/visidata/plugins/registry_launcher.py

Registry:

/home/rezriz/github/cli-projects/visidata-listing/visidata-listing.csv

How It Works

Replaces the default open-file implementation with vd.open_registry_or_file, so the o keybinding, the File menu entry, and CommandLog naming stay consistent.
Reads the registry CSV and resolves the typed query by exact command/rec_id, case-insensitive partial text, or fnmatch glob.
A custom completer mixes $alias completion with VisiData's built-in filename completion, so Tab still completes ordinary paths.
An empty query ($) or an ambiguous query opens an fzf picker via SuspendCurses; Esc cancels.
Every ;-separated path in the matched entry is pushed as a separate sheet in the current session; missing paths are reported in the status bar instead of failing the open.

Registering the Plugin

Loaded automatically by the common-config plugin loader:

# .visidatarc.d/Plugins/10-plugins.py
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, '/home/rezriz/github/common-config/visidata/plugins')
import registry_launcher

For a standalone setup, drop the file into ~/.config/visidata/plugins/ and import it from ~/.visidatarc.

Configuration

Point the plugin at a different compatible registry:

# ~/.visidatarc
vd.options.registry_path = "/path/to/another-registry.csv"

Requirements

fzf must be on PATH for empty or ambiguous $ queries.
Targets the installed VisiData 3.0.2 interfaces, including VisiData's internal _completeFilename.
Restart VisiData after changing the plugin or the loader.

Hands-On Practice

# Open VisiData and launch plugin index
vd -P open-plugins

# Browse available plugins
# Move cursor to a plugin you want to try
# Press Enter to install

# Or create a minimal custom status command:
mkdir -p ~/.config/visidata/plugins
cat > ~/.config/visidata/plugins/hello.py << 'EOF'
from visidata import Sheet
Sheet.addCommand('F12', 'hello-world', 'vd.status("Hello from plugin!")', 'Say hello')
EOF

# Add to ~/.visidatarc:
echo "import sys; sys.path.insert(0, '/root/.config/visidata/plugins'); import hello" >> ~/.visidatarc

# Test:
vd ~/github/practice-folder/visidata/03-join/01-servers.csv
# Press F12 → see "Hello from plugin!" in status bar

Plugin Index​

Installing a Plugin​

Enabling/Disabling Plugin Autoload​

Popular Community Plugins​

Writing a Custom Plugin​

Adding Custom Column Transformations​

Plugin Security​

Best Practices​

Custom Plugin: Cell-Level Selection​

Keybindings​

Source​

How It Works​

Registering the Plugin​

Customizing the Highlight Color​

Custom Plugin: Column Selection System​

Keybindings​

Source​

How It Works​

Kitty + tmux Compatibility​

Registering the Plugin​

Customizing the Highlight Color​

Example Workflow​

Kitty + tmux Workflow​

Custom Plugin: Tmux Copy​

Keybindings​

Source​

How It Works​

Usage​

Prerequisite​

Custom Plugin: Registry Alias Launcher​

Usage​

Matching​

Source​

How It Works​

Registering the Plugin​

Configuration​

Requirements​

Hands-On Practice​

What's Next​

Plugin Index

Installing a Plugin

Enabling/Disabling Plugin Autoload

Popular Community Plugins

Writing a Custom Plugin

Adding Custom Column Transformations

Plugin Security

Best Practices

Custom Plugin: Cell-Level Selection

Keybindings

Source

How It Works

Registering the Plugin

Customizing the Highlight Color

Custom Plugin: Column Selection System

Keybindings

Source

How It Works

Kitty + tmux Compatibility

Registering the Plugin

Customizing the Highlight Color

Example Workflow

Kitty + tmux Workflow

Custom Plugin: Tmux Copy

Keybindings

Source

How It Works

Usage

Prerequisite

Custom Plugin: Registry Alias Launcher

Usage

Matching

Source

How It Works

Registering the Plugin

Configuration

Requirements

Hands-On Practice

What's Next