Using Link Hints

#Using Link Hints Link hints are used for activating links with keystrokes.

Alphabet Hints

The default is a link-hint mode called alphabet hints. When you type f, Vimium identifies clickable things on the current page, and puts a label beside each. You then enter the characters in the label associated with the thing you want to click.

Filtered Hints

On the options page, you can choose to use filtered hints instead of alphabet hints. With filtered hints, the labels beside each clickable thing consist of digits. However, instead of typing those digits, you can instead type the link text itself. Vimium excludes links which do not match the text you type. And when just one link is left, it is activated.

One advantage of filtered hints over alphabet hints is that you know -- before hitting f -- what characters to type to activate a link (whereas with alphabet hints you need to wait to see what label is chosen for a link).

Some tips for filtered hints:

• There is always an active hint, it's digits are all shaded. Hitting Enter at any point activates the active hint.

• Vimium scores links, and tries to select the best-matching link as the active hint. Hints get a higher score if the text you type matches the start of the link's text, or the start of a word, or a whole word. Usually, if you type character at the start of the links text, Vimium very quickly selects the link you're after as the active hint.

• (Version 1.55+) There is an setting on the options page which requires you to hit Enter to activate a link by typing its link text. This avoids the (common) problem of unintentionally executing Vimium commands after the link has been activated.