Solo has a built-in find bar for searching through a command's terminal output. It's useful for locating specific error messages, log lines, or any text buried in the scrollback buffer.
Opening search
Use the configured Open terminal search shortcut while a process terminal is visible:
- macOS default:
Cmd+F - Windows/Linux default:
Ctrl+F
These defaults can be remapped or disabled in Settings > Hotkeys. You can also open search from the terminal right-click menu.
The search.open command is context-aware: it tries active scratchpad search first, active todo search second, and terminal search third when a process terminal is visible. Its current configured binding—not necessarily the default—uses that routing.
Searching
Type your query and matches highlight as you type. As the query changes, result navigation resets and the first retained match becomes current; the terminal reveals that current match.
Enter- jump to the next match (downward).Shift+Enter- jump to the previous match (upward).Escape- close the search bar.
Match highlighting
Solo retains the newest 100 matches. Retained matches in the visible terminal area are highlighted, with the current match distinct. When older matches are omitted, the counter adds a plus after the retained total, for example 1/100+.
Case sensitivity
Matching ignores case - searching for error also finds Error and ERROR. There is no case-sensitive toggle in the search UI.
Regular expressions
The search bar accepts plain text only. For complex pattern matching, search for a distinctive substring that appears in plain text form.
Search scope
Search operates on the current terminal frame and the loaded main-buffer history. When you're on the alternate screen, search is limited to that active frame rather than the main scrollback history.
Solo groups wrapped terminal rows before matching, so text that wraps within the same logical terminal line can be searched. Output that has been pruned from the retained history is not searchable.
Clearing the terminal output (right-click -> Clear output) also clears the searchable retained content.
Limitations
- Search does not provide regex or case-sensitivity controls.
- Search only covers history that is loaded into the current terminal view.
- Very large history windows may have slightly slower search performance.
After closing search
When you press Escape, the search bar closes. Your terminal position is not reset automatically; use Jump to bottom or scroll back down to resume following live output.