What are variable shortcuts?

Variable shortcuts allow you to directly go to a search result on websites that have a searchable directory such as Amazon, Jira, Linear, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, etc. 

By inserting a value directly that replaces the search parameter in the URL, you would be able to target specific destinations. This is used for URLs that share the same domain but have a single or string of variable values that modify the destination.

https://linear.app/demand/issue/PRO-443

https://linear.app/demand/issue/OSL-345

In the above examples of URLs, PRO-443 and OSL-345 are the variable parts of the URL, modifying which changes the destination page for the user. 

Typing a variable shortcut such as o/jira/dev-100 would directly take the user to the ticket number they have referenced. This saves users a lot of time and ensures they don’t have to jump through hoops to get to where they need to. 

Here is a video that explains how to create a variable shortcut. Creating a variable shortcut is slightly different from creating a normal one. 

How to create a variable shortcut in OSlash

Breaking it down

1. Go to a page where you have internally searched for a keyword
2. Click on the OSlash browser extension or use ⌘/alt + shift + U
3. Replace the variable part of the URL with {issue} or {search}. You can call it anything as long as it is within curly brackets
4. Your shortcut would look like o//{search} right below the Shortcut input box
5. You can name your shortcut anything. It would look like o/shortcut-name/{search}
   

To learn in more detail, you can check out how to create a variable shortcut. 

Endless possibilities

You can create a variable shortcut in various applications. Here are some more examples:

• Jira issue: o/jira/{ticket}
• Giphy search: o/giphy/{search}
• Spotify search: o/spotify/{song}