Global Commands
Global commands work on any sheet type in VisiData. They manage the session lifecycle, provide meta-information about the current context, and give access to the command palette and help system.
Know the difference between ^Q (immediate abort) and Q (graceful quit). Use Space to discover commands without memorizing every key. ^G is your position anchor.
Session Management
q quit current sheet — returns to previous sheet
Q quit current sheet — removes from CommandLog and stack
gq quit ALL sheets — exits VisiData (prompts if unsaved changes)
^Q abort VisiData immediately (no save, no prompt)
^Q does not save. Any unsaved edits are lost. Use Ctrl+S before quitting if you have modifications.
| Key | Behavior |
|---|---|
q | Returns to previous sheet; safe for normal navigation |
Q | Quits current sheet and removes its commands from CommandLog |
gq | Exits VisiData entirely; use when done |
^Q | Force-aborts without confirmation |
Command Palette
Space open the command palette — searchable list of all commands
The command palette lets you search for any VisiData command by name or description:
# Open command palette
Space
# Type: frequency
# → shows Shift+F shortcut for frequency table
# Press Enter to execute the highlighted command
Sheet-Type Command Help
z^H open help sheet for commands available on current sheet type
z^H opens a command reference specific to the current sheet type — different for source sheets, frequency sheets, pivot sheets, etc.
# On a source sheet:
z^H
# Shows: all keys valid on a standard data sheet
# On a Frequency Sheet (after Shift+F):
z^H
# Shows: frequency-sheet-specific commands
Position and Sheet Info
^G show cursor position, column info, and sheet bounds in status bar
^G displays:
- Current row index / total rows
- Current column name, type, and width
- Sheet name and source path
^G
# Status bar shows: row 5/100 col salary (float) employees.csv
Version Info
^V show VisiData version number in the status bar
Display Control
^L redraw the entire screen (clear and repaint)
^R reload current sheet from source file
| Key | Use Case |
|---|---|
^L | Fix display glitches from terminal resize or corruption |
^R | Re-read source file after external changes (e.g., log rotation) |
Options Sheet
Shift+O open global Options Sheet (all VisiData options)
zO open Options Sheet scoped to the current sheet only
| Key | Scope | Use |
|---|---|---|
Shift+O | Global | Changes apply to all sheets in the session |
zO | Sheet-local | Changes apply only to the current sheet |
# Change delimiter for just one sheet:
zO
# Navigate to csv_delimiter → press e → type ; → Enter
# Change a global default:
Shift+O
# Navigate to max_rows → press e → type 50000 → Enter
See Options Reference for all available options.
For other sheets (Memory, Threads, Directory), see Sheet Types Reference.
Quick Reference
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
^Q | Abort immediately (no save) |
Q | Quit current sheet (removes from log) |
q | Quit current sheet (back to previous) |
gq | Quit all sheets |
Space | Command palette |
z^H | Help for current sheet type |
^G | Show position and sheet info |
^V | Show VisiData version |
^L | Redraw screen |
^R | Reload sheet from source |
Shift+O | Global options sheet |
zO | Sheet-local options |
What's Next
- Sheet Types Reference — overview of all 12 sheet types
- Cursor and Scroll — basic movement, scrolling, jump commands