Deep Launch: Open Any File, Folder, or URL by Keystroke - SnapHotkey
SnapHotkey's Deep Launch lets you bind a hotkey to a specific file, folder, or URL — not just an app. Works with Finder, Chrome, VS Code, Obsidian, and more.
Opening an app is table stakes. The real time sink is what happens after the app opens.
You launch Finder, then navigate three folders deep to your project directory. You open Chrome, then hunt through your tabs or type the URL again. You launch VS Code, then File → Open Recent → scroll until you find the right project.
Each of those extra steps is friction. Multiply it by fifty times a day and it adds up.
SnapHotkey’s Deep Launch feature eliminates that friction. Instead of binding a hotkey to “open this app,” you bind it to “open this app at exactly this location.”
How It Works
In SnapHotkey’s rule editor, there’s an optional Launch Args / URL Scheme / File Path field below the hotkey configuration. Whatever you enter here is passed directly to the app when the hotkey fires.
- Enter a file path → the app opens that file or folder
- Enter a URL → the app opens that URL
- Enter a URL Scheme → the app is launched via its deep link protocol
It’s optional. Leave it empty and the hotkey behaves normally — just switches to the app. Fill it in and the hotkey does something much more specific.
Finder: Jump to Any Folder Instantly
If you work with a specific project folder dozens of times a day, navigating to it each time is wasted motion.
Set the Launch Arg to the folder path:
/Users/you/Documents/projects/my-appPress the hotkey. Finder opens directly to that folder, ready to go. No sidebar clicking, no keyboard navigation, no remembering where things live.
You can set up multiple rules — one for your projects folder, one for Downloads, one for a client folder you visit every day. Each gets its own hotkey.
VS Code: Open a Specific Project
VS Code’s “Open Recent” list grows long and slow to navigate. With Deep Launch, you skip it entirely.
Set the Launch Arg to your project directory:
/Users/you/code/backend-apiPress the hotkey. VS Code opens directly to that workspace, with all your files and editor state exactly where you left them.
If you work across multiple projects — a frontend, a backend, a side project — give each one its own hotkey. Project switching becomes a single keypress.
Chrome: Open a Specific Website or Profile
Chrome supports deep launching in two ways.
Open a URL directly:
https://github.com/notificationsPress the hotkey and Chrome opens (or switches to) that URL. Useful for dashboards, internal tools, or any site you open repeatedly throughout the day.
Open a specific Chrome Profile via URL Scheme:
chrome://profile/ProfileNameIf you maintain separate Chrome profiles for work and personal use, you can bind each profile to its own hotkey and switch between them without touching the profile picker.
Obsidian: Jump to a Specific Vault
Obsidian supports URL Schemes for deep linking into specific vaults and notes.
obsidian://open?vault=Work%20NotesPress the hotkey and Obsidian opens directly to that vault. If you maintain separate vaults for work, personal projects, and reference material, each gets its own hotkey. No vault picker, no loading screen, no context-switching overhead.
Terminal: Open in a Specific Directory
Terminal (and iTerm2) support opening new windows in a specific directory via file path.
/Users/you/code/backend-apiPress the hotkey. A new Terminal window opens, already positioned in your project directory. You can start typing commands immediately.
URL Schemes: The Universal Deep Link
Beyond the examples above, URL Schemes are a universal mechanism across macOS apps. Many apps expose them for automation and deep linking:
- Bear:
bear://x-callback-url/open-note?id=...— jump to a specific note - Things 3:
things:///show?id=today— open the Today view directly - Zoom:
zoommtg://zoom.us/join?confno=...— join a specific meeting - Linear:
linear://...— open a specific issue or project
If an app supports URL Schemes (check its documentation), you can bind any deep link to a hotkey. SnapHotkey just passes it through.
Why This Changes How You Work
The mental shift is subtle but significant. With a standard app launcher, your workflow is:
- Press hotkey → app opens
- Navigate to what you actually need
With Deep Launch, step 2 disappears. The hotkey takes you to the thing, not just to the app.
Over the course of a day, this compounds. Context switches happen faster. Interrupted work resumes faster. The cognitive load of remembering where things are and how to get there drops noticeably.
It’s also what makes SnapHotkey more than a simple app switcher. The core feature is fast, direct app switching. Deep Launch extends that precision down to specific files, folders, and workflows — without any added complexity in the day-to-day experience. You still press one key. You just land somewhere more useful.
SnapHotkey is free to download. Deep Launch is a Pro feature, available during the 15-day full trial and with a one-time $9.99 Pro license. Download it here.
For a step-by-step guide on setting up Deep Launch for specific developer workflows — Terminal at a project directory, VS Code at a workspace file, Finder at a folder — see Mac Keyboard Shortcut to Open Any App at a Specific Location. If you already use Raycast and are wondering how Deep Launch compares to Raycast scripts, Raycast Hotkeys vs a Dedicated App Switcher covers what each tool handles best.