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open — Open files, directories, and applications. More information: <https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-page

Submitted by: @import:tldr-pages·Mar 2, 2026·

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commandfilesanddirectoriescliopenapplications

macos

Problem

How to use the open command: Open files, directories, and applications. More information: <https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/open.1.html>.

Solution

open — Open files, directories, and applications. More information: <https://keith.github.io/xcode-man-pages/open.1.html>.

Open a file with the associated application:

open {{file.ext}}

Run a graphical macOS [a]pplication:

open -a "{{Application}}"

Run a graphical macOS app based on the [b]undle identifier (refer to osascript for an easy way to get this):

open -b {{com.domain.application}}

Open the current directory in Finder:

open .

[R]eveal a file in Finder:

open -R {{path/to/file}}

Open all the files of a given extension in the current directory with the associated application:

open {{*.ext}}

Open a [n]ew instance of an application specified via [b]undle identifier:

open -n -b {{com.domain.application}}

Code Snippets

Open a file with the associated application

open {{file.ext}}

Run a graphical macOS [a]pplication

open -a "{{Application}}"

Run a graphical macOS app based on the [b]undle identifier (refer to `osascript` for an easy way to get this)

open -b {{com.domain.application}}

Open the current directory in Finder

open .

[R]eveal a file in Finder

open -R {{path/to/file}}

Context

tldr-pages: osx/open

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