navi — Interactive Cheatsheet Tool for the Command Line

What it is

navi is a Rust-based command-line tool that turns plain-text cheatsheets into an interactive, executable interface. You search for a command by description (e.g., 'rebase last N commits'), navi shows matching snippets with parameter placeholders, you fill them in, and the command runs.

It is built for developers and sysadmins who work across multiple CLI tools -- git, docker, kubectl, ffmpeg, aws -- and cannot keep every flag combination in memory. Community-maintained cheatsheet repositories cover hundreds of tools out of the box.

How it saves time or tokens

Instead of opening a browser, searching Stack Overflow, copying a command, and adapting it to your situation, navi keeps the entire lookup-to-execution cycle inside the terminal. A single keystroke (Ctrl+G when configured as a shell widget) opens fuzzy search over all your cheatsheets.

For AI agent workflows, navi cheatsheets serve as structured command references that agents can parse. The .cheat file format is simple enough that an LLM can generate new cheatsheets on demand.

How to use

1. Install navi:

# macOS
brew install navi

# Or via Cargo
cargo install navi

1. Run navi to open the interactive fuzzy finder. On first launch, it prompts you to install community cheatsheets.

1. Add shell integration for instant access:

# Add to ~/.zshrc
eval "$(navi widget zsh)"
# Now Ctrl+G opens navi anywhere

Example

A .cheat file entry looks like this:

% git, rebase

# Interactively rebase the last N commits
git rebase -i HEAD~<n>

$ n: echo '3 5 10' | tr ' ' '\n'

When you search for 'rebase' in navi, this entry appears. You select it, navi prompts for n with suggested values (3, 5, 10), and runs git rebase -i HEAD~5 for you.

# Using navi with a specific cheat repo
navi --path ~/my-cheats

# Preview mode (shows command without running)
navi --print

# Add a community repo
navi repo add denisidoro/cheats

Related on TokRepo

• CLI and Automation Tools -- More terminal productivity tools for developers
• AI Tools for Coding -- AI-powered development tools that pair well with CLI workflows

Common pitfalls

• navi requires fzf or skim for fuzzy search. If neither is installed, it falls back to a basic selector that lacks fuzzy matching.
• Custom .cheat files must follow the exact format: % for tags, # for descriptions, $ for variable suggestions. Deviating from this format causes silent parse failures.
• Shell widget integration (Ctrl+G) only works after restarting your shell or sourcing your rc file. Forgetting to reload is the most common setup complaint.