fzf

0.72.0 verified Sat May 09 auth: no python

fzf is a general-purpose command-line fuzzy finder. Version 0.72.0 provides a fast and interactive fuzzy search over lists of strings, files, command history, processes, hostnames, bookmarks, git commits, etc. It is typically used as a standalone binary, not imported directly in Python. Release cadence: irregular, approximately 1-2 major versions per year.

pip install fzf-bin

Common errors

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'fzf' ↓

cause fzf is a binary tool, not a Python importable package.

fix

Use subprocess to call the fzf binary: subprocess.run(['fzf', ...]).

error fzf: --horizontal: unknown option ↓

cause The --horizontal flag was removed in fzf 0.27.0.

fix

Use --layout=reverse-list or other layout option instead of --horizontal.

error Error: fzf: command not found ↓

cause fzf binary is not installed or not in PATH.

fix

Install fzf via your package manager or download from GitHub. For Python, pip install fzf-bin ensures binary is available in PATH.

Warnings

gotcha fzf-bin installs the fzf binary, not a Python module. You cannot import fzf directly in Python; use subprocess. ↓

fix Use subprocess.run(['fzf', ...]) instead of import fzf.

gotcha Interactive fzf (no --filter) requires a real terminal (tty). In headless environments or subprocess in Python, it may hang or fail. ↓

fix Use --filter for non-interactive filtering, or use pexpect/pyfzf bindings.

deprecated Version 0.20.0 dropped many command-line flags; --no-sort became default behavior. Check old scripts. ↓

fix Update scripts to use new flags; remove deprecated flags like --no-sort (now default).

Quickstart

Use subprocess to invoke the fzf binary. Note that interactive mode requires a tty; for non-interactive use, pipe input and use --filter.

import subprocess
import json

# Example: fuzzy search file names
result = subprocess.run(
    ['fzf', '--filter', 'pattern'],
    input='file1.txt\nfile2.py\nnotes.md\ndocument.pdf',
    capture_output=True,
    text=True
)
print(result.stdout.strip().split('\n'))

# Example: interactive fzf in terminal (requires tty)
# result = subprocess.run(['fzf'], input='...', capture_output=True, text=True)
# print(f'You selected: {result.stdout.strip()}')