Short answer: press Ctrl+K on Windows or Cmd+K on Mac from almost any screen in wp-admin, the Site Editor, or the post and page editor, then start typing what you want. A search box appears; type a setting's name, a post title, or an action like "add new post," and press Enter on the result. As of WordPress 7.0.2, this works across the entire admin, not just the block editor. It's easy to assume the command palette is a WordPress 7.0 feature since it feels central to the redesigned admin, but per WordPress's own documentation it existed inside the editor since 2023 and was extended to work everywhere in the admin in WordPress 6.9. If you pressed Ctrl+K and nothing happened, the two likely causes are covered below.
How to open it
There are two ways in, and it's worth knowing both, because the keyboard shortcut doesn't work in every environment:
- Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac), from any admin screen, the Site Editor, or the block editor.
- Click-based access: in the Site Editor, click the title area at the top center of the editor. On the general admin screens, look for a search-style bar or icon near the top of the screen; it opens the same palette without the shortcut.
If the keyboard shortcut does nothing when you press it, WordPress's own documentation notes that it isn't available in every environment, some browser extensions, embedded contexts, or unusual keyboard layouts can intercept it. The click-based entry point is the reliable fallback when that happens.
What you can actually do once it's open
Once the search box appears, type naturally rather than hunting for exact menu wording. Based on WordPress's own list of supported commands, the palette handles several distinct jobs:
- Jump to any settings page. Typing "permalinks" takes you to Settings > Permalinks; typing "reading" takes you to Settings > Reading. This is the version-independent route to any setting even after a future redesign moves something.
- Navigate the admin structurally. Typing "posts" or "media" or "plugins" jumps to that section, including sub-destinations like Posts > Add New or Users > Add User.
- Search your own content by title. Typing part of a post or page title surfaces that specific item directly, skipping the Posts screen entirely.
- Create new content. Typing "add new page" or "add new post" opens a fresh draft immediately.
- Trigger editor actions, when you're inside the block or Site Editor: toggling the settings sidebar, opening the code editor, toggling distraction-free mode, viewing keyboard shortcuts, and more.
- Manage templates and styles, inside the Site Editor specifically: resetting a template, opening style revisions, or duplicating a pattern.
It does not work on the public-facing front end of your site; it's an admin and editor tool only.
A practical routine worth building
The command palette pays off most as a habit, not a one-time trick. A useful starting routine: for the next week, before clicking any menu item, try typing what you want into the palette first. Three uses cover most of what a typical site owner does in a session:
- "New post" or "new page" to skip straight past the Posts or Pages screen when you already know you want to write, not browse.
- A post's own title when you need to edit something specific and don't want to scroll or filter a list to find it, an especially useful shortcut once your Posts screen has grown past a page or two, see the filtering and bulk-editing guide for the DataViews-native alternative when you're working with many posts at once, not just one.
- A setting's name ("permalinks," "connectors," "fonts") whenever you're not sure exactly where it lives, since typing the setting's own name works regardless of which menu it's filed under. This is genuinely the fastest way to find a setting whose location changed or didn't after an update, because the palette searches by name, not by menu position.
Once it becomes a reflex, it tends to be faster than the menu for anything you can name, and it survives future redesigns better than memorizing a menu path does, since it searches by what you're asking for, not by a fixed location.
What's changing in WordPress 7.1
WordPress 7.1, scheduled for 2026-08-19, doesn't remove or relocate the command palette. Per the core team's own roadmap, it reorganizes the results you see after typing: results are grouped into recent, suggested, and matching sections instead of one flat list, and recently used commands are saved to your preferences so they persist between sessions. The trigger (Ctrl+K / Cmd+K) and the basic behavior, type and select, are unchanged. See the full 7.1 feature rundown for everything else in that release.
When the command palette doesn't help
It's not a replacement for knowing your site's structure, and it has real limits worth naming honestly. It can't do something a plugin hasn't registered a command for, so a plugin's own settings page may not surface unless that plugin has specifically added palette support. It's built for jumping to a known destination or action, not for browsing or discovering what's available; if you don't know what you're looking for, the ordinary menu is still the better tool. And it works only inside the admin and editor, never on the front end your visitors see.
Related reading
For the settings that moved (or, mostly, didn't) around the same release, see where did WordPress settings move. For the Posts and Pages screens the palette often jumps you into, see DataViews explained. And for the complete task-based tour of the redesigned admin, the full admin walkthrough covers the command palette alongside every other everyday task, including setting up AI provider connections in Settings > Connectors, which the palette can jump you to directly by typing "connectors."
FAQ
Is the command palette only for developers? No. It works for any admin task you'd otherwise reach by clicking through menus, and typing plain language, like "new post" or a setting's name, is usually enough. No special syntax is required.
Is Ctrl+K a WordPress 7.0 feature? Not originally. It launched inside the block and Site Editor in 2023 and was extended to work across the whole admin in WordPress 6.9. It's closely associated with the 7.0 redesign because it's central to working in the new admin, but the feature itself predates that release.
Why did nothing happen when I pressed Ctrl+K? The shortcut isn't available in every environment; certain browser extensions or embedded contexts can intercept it. Look for a clickable search-style entry point near the top of the screen as the reliable fallback.
Does the command palette work on my site's public pages? No. It's available in wp-admin, the Site Editor, and the block editor only, never on the front end that visitors see.
Can plugins add their own commands to the palette? Yes. WordPress's own documentation confirms developers can register custom commands, so a plugin's actions may appear in your results if that plugin's developer has added support for it. If a plugin's settings don't surface when you type its name, that plugin likely hasn't added palette support yet.
Written against WordPress 7.0.2, current stable at the time of writing. Command palette history (2023 editor launch, WordPress 6.9 admin-wide expansion) and the full command list verified against wordpress.org's own Command Palette documentation page and its changelog. WordPress 7.1 changes (result grouping, recent-command persistence, scheduled 2026-08-19) verified against the WordPress core team's own roadmap post. Last verified 2026-08-18.
