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Zeal supports command-line arguments for automation, scripting, and integration with other tools.

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Basic Usage

zeal [options] [url]

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Options

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General Options

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--help
flag
Display help information and exit
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--version
flag
Display version information and exit
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--minimized
flag
Start minimized regardless of settingsUseful for starting Zeal in the background at system startup.

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Windows-Specific Options

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--attach-console
flag
Attach console for logging (Windows only)Redirects output to the parent console window for debugging.
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--register
flag
Register protocol handlers (Windows only)Registers dash:// and dash-plugin:// URL schemes with the system.
zeal --register
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--unregister
flag
Unregister protocol handlers (Windows only)Removes dash:// and dash-plugin:// URL scheme registrations.
zeal --unregister
The --register and --unregister options cannot be used together.

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Positional Arguments

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URL Parameter

You can pass a search query or URL as a positional argument: 
zeal "python:print"
Supported URL schemes:
  • Plain text queries
  • dash:// URLs
  • dash-plugin:// URLs
See Protocol Handlers for details on URL schemes.

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Examples

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Search for Documentation

Search for “string” in Python documentation: 
zeal "python:string"
Search across multiple docsets: 
zeal "python,django:models"

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Start Minimized

Launch Zeal minimized to system tray: 
zeal --minimized

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Use Protocol Handlers

Open documentation using the dash:// protocol: 
zeal "dash://python:print"
Use dash-plugin:// with parameters: 
zeal "dash-plugin://keys=python&query=print"

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Windows Protocol Registration

Register URL handlers on Windows: 
zeal.exe --register
This allows you to open Zeal URLs from browsers and other applications: 
<a href="dash://python:pprint">Python pprint documentation</a>

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Integration Examples

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Shell Alias

Create a shell alias for quick documentation lookup: 
# In .bashrc or .zshrc
alias zdoc='zeal'

# Usage
zdoc "javascript:array.map"

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Desktop Launcher

Create a custom desktop launcher with a specific query: 
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Zeal Python Docs
Exec=zeal "python:"
Icon=zeal
Terminal=false

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Script Integration

Use Zeal in scripts for documentation lookup: 
#!/bin/bash
# Open documentation for a command

if [ -z "$1" ]; then
  echo "Usage: $0 <command>"
  exit 1
fi

zeal "bash:$1" &

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Multiple Instances

Zeal enforces single-instance behavior. When you run Zeal while another instance is already running:
  1. The command-line arguments are sent to the existing instance
  2. The existing window is activated (unless prevent_activation=true is set in dash-plugin:// URLs)
  3. The new process exits
This ensures a consistent user experience and prevents multiple windows from opening unnecessarily.

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Exit Codes

  • 0 - Success
  • 1 - Failure (e.g., invalid arguments, failed to send message to primary instance)
Command-line arguments are processed before the GUI is shown, making Zeal suitable for automated workflows and IDE integration.

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