Vellum documentation

Vellum is a fast, customizable menu for terminal multiplexers. Use the same small executable as a command palette, session switcher, agent picker, or fuzzy file finder.

These docs describe Vellum 0.8.x. Use the version selector on GitHub to read documentation for an older release tag.

Start in five minutes

Install Vellum and open one of its bundled palettes.

Author a palette

Turn JSON-producing commands or data files into a tailored terminal interface.

Compose with the shell

Accepted values go to stdout; the interface and diagnostics stay on stderr.

Stay current

Periodic refresh updates live state without discarding the current query or selection.

How Vellum fits

Vellum does not replace your source tools. It reads structured records, renders the fields you care about, searches them, and either prints a selected value or runs a configured native action. Herdr is the first built-in integration, but sources, output, and actions are generic.

pane_id="$(vellum herdr-agents)" && herdr agent focus "$pane_id"
file="$(vellum files)" && "${EDITOR:-vi}" -- "$file"

Cancellation and completed native actions produce no stdout. This makes Vellum safe in command substitutions and pipelines.

Next steps

1. Install Vellum.
2. Follow the quick start.
3. Learn how configuration layering and palette authoring work.
4. Keep the CLI reference nearby.