Browsing & Navigation
Vast keeps normal browser navigation familiar while adding workspace-aware and command-driven controls around it.
Address bar
Section titled “Address bar”The address bar accepts both URLs and search queries. If the input resolves to a safe web address, Vast navigates directly. Otherwise it sends the text to the selected search engine.
Use Ctrl/Cmd+L to focus the address bar from anywhere in the browser.
Search-engine shortcuts
Section titled “Search-engine shortcuts”Prefix a query with a supported shortcut to route it directly:
| Shortcut | Engine |
|---|---|
g |
|
d |
DuckDuckGo |
b |
Brave Search |
p |
Perplexity |
yt |
YouTube |
w |
Wikipedia |
Your normal default search engine is configured separately in Settings.
Back, forward, and reload
Section titled “Back, forward, and reload”Use the browser controls or:
Alt+Left— BackAlt+Right— ForwardCtrl/Cmd+R— Reload
Developer Mode adds deeper reload options for the active webview and the Vast application chrome. Those are troubleshooting tools, not everyday refresh controls.
Find in page
Section titled “Find in page”Ctrl/Cmd+F opens page search for the active tab.
Vast keeps zoom on the tab/site experience and provides the conventional shortcuts:
Ctrl/Cmd+Plus— Zoom inCtrl/Cmd+Minus— Zoom outCtrl/Cmd+0— Reset zoom
Ctrl/Cmd+P prints the current page. PDF documents use the internal PDF viewer’s own print capability and respect document permissions.
Copy page information
Section titled “Copy page information”The Command Palette can copy the current URL or current page title without selecting text in the page.
Opening links
Section titled “Opening links”Normal http and https links open as web content. Links that request another application can be gated by External link confirmation in Security settings.
Vast deliberately restricts unsafe or privileged navigation schemes from normal page loads. The exact enforcement internals are not part of the public documentation.
Site information
Section titled “Site information”Site information can expose practical information such as the current origin, security state, locally observed storage, permissions, and Vast’s local blocking counts for that site.
Focus Mode
Section titled “Focus Mode”Focus Mode reduces surrounding interface distraction while keeping the active page usable. It can also be toggled by supported Automation macros.
Reader behavior
Section titled “Reader behavior”The current reader/focus feature is a reversible reading-oriented presentation layer. It is not a full semantic article extraction engine, so complex pages may retain more of their original structure than dedicated article-extraction readers.