A fast launcher that understands state
Application results show which apps are already running. That small macOS-style state marker helps the user predict whether Return will launch, focus, or continue an existing session.
Axiom can also surface commands, workspaces, scripts, notes, files, and other searchable objects. An object appears once even when it has both an alias and a global shortcut.
- Running-state indicators
- Usage-aware ranking
- Aliases that temporarily dominate their exact query
- Independent shortcut and alias settings
Respect the virtual desktop the user is on
Calling a workspace should not unexpectedly send the user to a different macOS Space. If its window is open elsewhere, it is effectively hidden from the current desktop. Axiom treats that state as a reason to show the workspace here rather than first toggling it somewhere the user cannot see.
This is a broader interaction rule: visibility is relative to the current working context, not merely whether an NSWindow exists somewhere in the system.
Visible here means visible on the current virtual desktop. Open elsewhere is not the same state.
Keep internal analysis in the background
Attachment inspection, image extraction, and preparation should not open helper windows merely because the system needs intermediate data. Foreground effects are reserved for actions the user requested or actions that are necessary to complete a visible task.
The goal is not to block the assistant. It is to separate internal work from user-facing work so the system can remain capable without showing its machinery in the middle of someone’s desktop.
Exact keyboard combinations stay exact
A shortcut containing Shift, Control, Option, and Command must not collapse into Command alone. Axiom normalizes the complete modifier set before routing the event, preventing a Hyper-key combination from accidentally opening the ordinary Command-K menu.
Alias editing and shortcut editing are separate workflows, return focus to the composer that opened them, and update their badges immediately when cleared.
Common questions
Can Axiom click buttons in other apps?
Axiom includes desktop-action capabilities, but every action depends on permissions, available accessibility information, and the user’s request.
Will a workspace move me to another macOS desktop?
The intended behavior is to surface the workspace on the current desktop instead of navigating away.
Are aliases the same as shortcuts?
No. An alias changes search priority. A shortcut invokes an item directly. They are stored and edited separately.