Command center

Side panel power-user UI

The command center is Vim+’s side panel: a persistent surface for keys, commands, tabs, sessions, Reading List, and page actions — including when content scripts cannot run.

Open

Toolbar icon (default action opens the side panel)
Context menu
gS (if mapped)
Global command Open side panel (chrome://extensions/shortcuts, suggested Alt+Shift+V)
Palette / wiki links that call into the panel

Modes

Mode	Purpose
Keys	Bound keys for the current context
Cmds	Full command catalog / quick actions
Tabs	Open tabs — jump, close, organize
Closed	Recently closed / session restore
Later	Chrome Reading List
Page	Page-local actions

Header actions typically include Options, Wiki, Help, and Off for this site.

Why it exists

chrome:// and restricted pages — content scripts are blocked; the side panel still works with a user gesture
Discoverability — browse commands without memorizing maps
Session power — tabs / closed / reading list without leaving the keyboard workflow

Site power toggle

Off for this site adds an exclusion for the current host so page keys pass through. Re-enable from Options → exclusions or by reversing the rule.

Relationship to palette

Surface	Best for
`:` palette	Fast named commands while reading a page
Side panel	Browse, multi-step, restricted URLs, tab/session work
Omnibar	URLs, history, engines, AI

Permissions note

Side panel APIs require the sidePanel permission declared in the manifest. Opening the panel is always a user-driven action.