Zoxide: A Smarter cd Command That Learns Your Habits

TL;DR — Quick Summary

Zoxide is a smarter cd that learns your most-used directories. Type z proj and jump to ~/projects/myapp — no more typing long paths.

Zoxide replaces cd with intelligence. Visit a directory once, then jump back with just a keyword. z proj finds ~/projects/myapp, z down finds ~/Downloads — it just works.

Installation

# macOS
brew install zoxide

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S zoxide

# Cargo
cargo install zoxide --locked

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install zoxide

# Add to shell (.bashrc / .zshrc)
eval "$(zoxide init bash)"
eval "$(zoxide init zsh)"
# Fish: zoxide init fish | source

Usage

# Jump to best match
z projects       # → ~/projects
z myapp          # → ~/projects/myapp
z down           # → ~/Downloads
z doc            # → ~/Documents

# Multiple keywords narrow the match
z proj my        # → ~/projects/myapp (not ~/projects/other)

# Interactive selection (requires fzf)
zi               # Opens fzf with all learned directories

# See learned directories
zoxide query --list

# Add a directory manually
zoxide add ~/important/path

# Remove a directory
zoxide remove ~/old/path

Comparison

Feature	Zoxide	autojump	z (bash)	cd
Speed	Very fast	Slow	Fast	Instant
Algorithm	Frecency	Frequency	Frecency	Exact
fzf support	Yes (zi)	No	No	No
Shells	All major	Limited	bash/zsh	All
Written in	Rust	Python	Shell	Builtin

Summary

Zoxide learns your directories and lets you jump with z keyword
Frecency ranking: frequently + recently visited directories rank highest
Interactive mode (zi) with fzf for browsing all known directories
Works with bash, zsh, fish, PowerShell, Nushell, and more
Drop-in cd replacement — 10-100x faster than autojump

Guide & Instructions

Estimated Time: 3m

Tools Needed:

Zoxide
Terminal

Install Zoxide

Install with brew install zoxide, cargo install zoxide, pacman -S zoxide, or apt install zoxide.

Add to shell

Add eval $(zoxide init bash) to .bashrc, or eval $(zoxide init zsh) to .zshrc.

Use z to jump

Visit directories normally with cd. Then use z proj to jump to the best match for proj.

Interactive with zi

Type zi to use fzf-powered interactive directory selection.

Query database

Run zoxide query --list to see all learned directories and their scores.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Zoxide?

Zoxide is a smarter cd replacement that learns which directories you visit most. Instead of typing cd ~/long/path/to/project, type z proj and it jumps to the best match. It uses a frecency algorithm (frequency + recency) to rank directories.

How is Zoxide different from autojump or z?

Zoxide is a Rust rewrite inspired by z and autojump. It's 10-100x faster, cross-platform, supports fzf integration for interactive selection, and works with bash, zsh, fish, PowerShell, Nushell, and more.

Does Zoxide replace cd?

You can alias cd to z if you want. Zoxide works alongside cd — use cd for exact paths and z for fuzzy jumping to learned directories.

How does Zoxide learn?

Every time you cd or z into a directory, Zoxide records it. Directories visited more frequently and recently rank higher. Use zoxide query to see the database.