Using the command menu and snippets

The command menu is a dashboard-wide search and action menu. From any dashboard screen, press ⌘K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows or Linux to open it, then use it to move around Ona, start common actions, or insert saved text.

How do I open and move through the command menu?

In the left sidebar, click Open command menu (at the top), or press ⌘K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows or Linux to open the command menu.

Use the Open command menu (1) button at the top of the left sidebar if you prefer clicking.

1. Open the command menu with ⌘K or Ctrl+K.
2. Review the opening list. Before you type, the menu shows Recent patients, Commands, and Pages.
3. Use the arrow keys to move through the list, then press Enter to open the highlighted row.
4. Press Esc to close the menu, or press ⌘K or Ctrl+K again.

The count at the bottom includes whatever is on screen, so on an empty search it counts the recent patients, standing commands, and pages too. If you search for a setting, matching settings pages appear under Settings.

From nested views, Esc goes back one level first: from a snippet form to Snippets, from Snippets or New task to the main menu, and from there it closes.

How do I find a patient, visit, or other record?

In the left sidebar, click Open command menu (at the top), or press ⌘K or Ctrl+K to open the command menu, then start typing to search.

Use What you typed (1) to review the search text. Review Matching patient (2) by the patient details shown there, and use Matching visits (3) to jump straight to a visit.

1. Open the command menu.
2. Type at least 2 characters to search patients, visits, leads, tasks, templates, care plan templates, and snippets.
3. Review the grouped results and choose the match you want.
4. Press Enter to open the highlighted result.

Patients show a date of birth so you can tell similar names apart. Visits show the patient, scheduled date and time, and clinician. Search can also return leads, tasks, consent templates, interview templates, note templates, care plan templates, and snippets.

Patients match on name, email, and medical record number, so a partial medical record number works as well as a name.

What you can find follows your access. Owners, admins, and staff search across the practice. Clinicians see only the patients and visits they are attached to. While search is running, the escape hint in the search row changes to a spinner.

How do I run a command or jump to a page?

In the left sidebar, click Open command menu (at the top), or press ⌘K or Ctrl+K, then choose a row from Commands, Pages, or Settings.

1. Open the command menu.
2. Choose a row from Commands to run an action immediately, or from Pages to navigate without using the sidebar.
3. Press Enter to open the highlighted row.
4. Finish the dialog or page you opened.

In Commands, everyone can use Add new visit, Add a patient, New task, Snippets, Share feedback, Help Center, Release notes, and Sign out. Depending on your role and your organization's setup, you may also see New lead, Send a fax, Clock in, or Clock out.

In Pages, the menu can open Dashboard, Patients, Visits, Tasks, Consents, Forms, Templates, Interviews, Services, Omnichannel, My Timesheet, and Settings. Some pages appear only when your role or enabled features allow them, including Leads, Calendars or Calendar, Inventory, Care Plans, Supplements, Procedures, Faxes, Referrals, Claims, Invoices, Care Time, Timesheets, and Reports.

When you search, the Settings group can surface settings pages across Account, Practice, Team, Communication, Growth, Scheduling, Billing, Insurance, Charting, Care, and Dispensary, depending on your role and your organization's enabled features.

If you choose Share feedback, Help Center, or Release notes, Ona opens them in a new tab.

How do I add a task from the command menu?

In the left sidebar, click Open command menu (at the top), or press ⌘K or Ctrl+K to open the command menu, then choose New task. The menu switches into a short form without closing.

Use Title (1) for the task name, Description (2) for extra detail, Assignee (3) to keep it with you or hand it to someone else, Patient (4) to link the task to a patient, and Create task (5) to save.

1. Open the command menu and choose New task.
2. Enter the task name in Title (1). This is required.
3. Add extra detail in Description (2) if you need it.
4. Check Assignee (3). It starts as you, and you can change it or clear it.
5. Use Patient (4) to link the task to a patient, then select Create task (5), or press ⌘↵ on Mac or Ctrl+Enter on Windows or Linux.

After you save, Ona shows Task created and returns you to the main command menu. If you link a patient, the task also appears in that patient's Tasks section. If your search has no matches, the menu offers a create-task row that opens New task with your search text already filled into Title.

For what happens next on the task board, see Using tasks.

How do I insert a snippet?

In the left sidebar, click Open command menu (at the top), or put your cursor where the text should go and press . to open snippets directly. You can also press ⌘K or Ctrl+K and choose Snippets. The menu switches to your snippet library without closing.

Use Back to the menu (1) to return to the main menu. Use Snippet search (2) to filter your saved text. Choose New snippet (3) when you want to save a new reusable block of text.

1. Put your cursor where the snippet text should be inserted.
2. Open snippets with . or by choosing Snippets from the command menu.
3. Search or move through the list under My snippets and Shared with the team.
4. Press Enter to insert the highlighted snippet.
5. If there is no text field to return to, paste the copied snippet from your clipboard instead.

The menu remembers where your cursor was when you opened it, so opening snippets after you place the cursor saves time. In Snippets, pressing Backspace in an empty search box takes you back to the main menu.

The . shortcut only opens snippets when the period would begin a word, such as at the start of an empty field or after a space or line break. A period after a letter or number types normally, and when snippets opens, the period is not inserted into your text. The shortcut does not open in number, phone, URL, email, password, date, datetime, month, week, or time fields.

If Ona cannot return to a text field, it copies the snippet to your clipboard and shows Copied to clipboard.

How do I create, edit, or delete a snippet?

In the left sidebar, click Open command menu (at the top), or open Snippets from the command menu or with .. You can edit or delete your own snippets. Owners and admins can also edit or delete shared snippets created by other teammates.

Create a snippet

1. In Snippets, choose New snippet.
2. Enter a Name and the Text to insert.
3. Turn on Share with organization if everyone in your organization should be able to insert it.
4. Select Create snippet, or press ⌘↵ on Mac or Ctrl+Enter on Windows or Linux.

After you save, Ona returns you to Snippets. If you searched for something that does not exist yet, the New snippet row uses that text as the starting name.

Edit a snippet

1. In Snippets, highlight the snippet you want to change.
2. Press ⌘E on Mac or Ctrl+E on Windows or Linux, or select the pencil on the row.
3. Update Name, Text, or Share with organization.
4. Select Save snippet.

After you save, Ona returns you to Snippets.

Delete a snippet

1. In Snippets, highlight the snippet you want to remove.
2. Press ⌘⌫ on Mac or Ctrl+Backspace on Windows or Linux, or select the trash can on the row.
3. When the row shows Delete this snippet? ⏎ confirm · esc cancel, press Enter to confirm or Esc to cancel.

After you confirm, the snippet is removed from the list.

What can't I do here?

In the command menu, access and behavior are limited in these ways:

• Search results for patients, visits, leads, tasks, templates, care plan templates, and snippets do not appear until you type at least 2 characters.
• What you can search, which commands you can run, and which pages or settings you can open depend on your role and your organization's enabled features.
• The empty menu shows Recent patients, Commands, and Pages. The Settings group is search-only.
• You can edit or delete only your own snippets, unless you are an owner or admin.
• Shared snippets can be inserted by everyone in the organization, but editing stays with the author and owners or admins.
• The . shortcut does not open snippets in number, phone, URL, email, password, date, datetime, month, week, or time fields.
• The command menu is for practice members, not patients.

Common questions

Why did my snippet copy to the clipboard instead of inserting?

Ona could not return to a usable text field. When that happens, it copies the snippet to your clipboard instead so you can paste it manually.

Why don't I see the same results as another teammate?

The command menu follows each person's role and access. Some pages and commands appear only for owners and admins, some only for owners, admins, and staff, and some only when the matching feature is turned on for your organization.

Will the command menu remember what I was doing?

Usually yes, for a short time. If you reopen it soon after closing it, your last search stays in place. After about a minute of inactivity, the menu resets to its home view. A snippet or task you are writing stays in place while you pause.

Can I use the command menu on my phone?

The search button in the sidebar is desktop-only. On a phone, use the keyboard shortcut if you have a hardware keyboard attached.

Is this the same as Ona Assistant?

No. The command menu finds places and runs actions. Using Ona Assistant is for asking questions and getting help from AI inside Ona.