Yazi on Windows: Interactive Open "Open" Option Missing for .csv and .py Files; Can't Configure CSV to Open in Excel

[pratikashwekar]

What system are you running Yazi on?

Windows

What terminal are you running Yazi in?

Windows Powershell 5.1.26100.7462

yazi --debug output

Yazi
    Version: 26.1.4 (3c39a32 2026-01-04)
    Debug  : false
    Triple : x86_64-pc-windows-msvc (windows-x86_64)
    Rustc  : 1.92.0 (ded5c06c 2025-12-08)

Ya
    Version: 26.1.4 (3c39a32 2026-01-04)

Config
    Yazi             : C:\Users\PratikAshwekar\AppData\Roaming\yazi\config\yazi.toml (180 chars)
    Keymap           : C:\Users\PratikAshwekar\AppData\Roaming\yazi\config\keymap.toml (The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2))
    Theme            : C:\Users\PratikAshwekar\AppData\Roaming\yazi\config\theme.toml (The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2))
    VFS              : C:\Users\PratikAshwekar\AppData\Roaming\yazi\config\vfs.toml (The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2))
    Package          : C:\Users\PratikAshwekar\AppData\Roaming\yazi\config\package.toml (The system cannot find the file specified. (os error 2))
    Dark/light flavor: "" / ""

Emulator
    TERM                : None
    TERM_PROGRAM        : None
    TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION: None
    Brand.from_env      : Some(Microsoft)
    Emulator.detect     : Emulator { kind: Left(Microsoft), version: "", light: false, csi_16t: (10, 20), force_16t: true }

Adapter
    Adapter.matches    : Sixel
    Dimension.available: Dimension { rows: 58, columns: 209, width: 0, height: 0 }

Desktop
    XDG_SESSION_TYPE           : None
    WAYLAND_DISPLAY            : None
    DISPLAY                    : None
    SWAYSOCK                   : None
    HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE: None
    WAYFIRE_SOCKET             : None

SSH
    shared.in_ssh_connection: false

WSL
    WSL: false

Variables
    SHELL              : None
    EDITOR             : None
    VISUAL             : None
    YAZI_FILE_ONE      : Some("C:\\Program Files\\Git\\usr\\bin\\file.exe")
    YAZI_CONFIG_HOME   : None
    YAZI_ZOXIDE_OPTS   : None
    FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS   : None
    FZF_DEFAULT_COMMAND: None

Text Opener
    default     : Some(OpenerRule { run: "code %s", block: false, orphan: true, desc: "code", for: None, spread: true })
    block-create: Some(OpenerRule { run: "code -w %s", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "code (block)", for: None, spread: true })
    block-rename: Some(OpenerRule { run: "code -w %s", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "code (block)", for: None, spread: true })

Multiplexers
    TMUX               : false
    tmux version       : program not found
    tmux build flags   : enable-sixel=Unknown
    ZELLIJ_SESSION_NAME: None
    Zellij version     : program not found

Dependencies
    file          : 5.46
    ueberzugpp    : program not found
    ffmpeg/ffprobe: 8.0.1 / 8.0.1
    pdftoppm      : 24.08.0
    magick        : 7.1.2-12
    fzf           : 0.67.0
    fd/fdfind     : 10.3.0 / program not found
    rg            : 15.1.0
    chafa         : program not found
    zoxide        : 0.9.8
    7zz/7z        : program not found / 25.01
    resvg         : program not found
    jq            : 1.6

Clipboard
    wl-copy/paste: program not found / program not found
    xclip        : program not found
    xsel         : program not found

Routine
    `file -bL --mime-type`: text/plain


See https://yazi-rs.github.io/docs/plugins/overview#debugging on how to enable logging or debug runtime errors.

Describe the question

Hi everyone,

I'm a beginner to yazi and a Windows user who switched to Yazi because File Explorer is painfully slow for my daily work.. However, I'm running into a major issue that's halting my workflow.

Problem 1: Missing "Open" in Interactive Open (Shift+O)
For .csv and .py files, the interactive open menu now only shows "code", "code (Block)", and "Reveal". Previously, it included "Open", which would launch the file in the Windows default app (Excel for .csv, my preferred choice). This suddenly disappeared, and I haven't changed anything obvious. Pressing Enter/o defaults to VS Code, which I don't want for CSV.

Problem 2: Failed Attempts to Configure Custom Opener
I've tried editing yazi.toml (with help from AI like ChatGPT/Grok) to force .csv files to open in Excel, using rules like:

[[opener.csv]]
run = '"C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\Office16\\EXCEL.EXE" "$@"'
desc = "Excel"

Nothing works—Enter still opens VS Code, and the custom "Excel" doesn't appear in Shift+O. No errors, just no effect after reloading config. (Ctrl+C to close yazi and then reopen)

What I Need Help With:

1. Restoring the "Open" option in interactive open for these file types, so files open with Windows defaults without config tweaks.
2. Alternatively (or additionally), a foolproof yazi.toml snippet to make Enter/o open .csv in Excel.

For context: Yazi version Yazi 26.1.4 (3c39a32 2026-01-04), Windows 11, standard Office install. Config path: %AppData%\yazi\config\yazi.toml.

Any step-by-step advice or full config examples would be greatly appreciated—I'm not tech-savvy and just want a simple setup!

Thanks in advance!

Anything else?

These are the only two custom changes I have done.

Contents of my yazi.toml file

[mgr]
ratio = [1, 3, 5]  
sort_dir_first = false


# 1. trying to get the custom rule working to open csv files in excel
# [[opener.csv]]
# run  = '"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE" $@'
#desc = "Excel"
# orphan = false

# 2.  testing another option giving by chatgpt/grok to have yazi open all files in the windows default folder
[opener]
open = [
    { run = 'start "" "$@"', orphan = true, desc = "Open", for = "windows" }
]

[[opener."text/plain"]]
run  = 'start "" "$@"'
desc = "System default"

[[opener."text/csv"]]
run  = 'start "" "$@"'
desc = "System default"


[open]
rules = [
    { name = "*", use = ["open"] }   # forces generic "open" for everything unmatched
]

# testing another thing. Doesn't work either
# [opener]
# excel = [
#    { run = '"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE" %s', for = "windows" }
# ]

# [open]
# prepend_rules = [{ name = "*.csv", use = "excel" }]

Contents of init.lua

require("zoxide"):setup({ update_db = true, })

Checklist

• I have read all the documentation
• I have searched the existing discussions/issues

[sxyazi]

That sounds like the default behavior. Does it happen without a custom yazi.toml?

[pratikashwekar]

Hello, first of all thank you for yazi. So perhaps I was not clear, I did have the "Open" option before in interactive open but it suddenly disappeared about 2 weeks ago. And it is not like it has disappeared completely because I still see open and reveal options for .xlsx files. They are gone for .csv and .py files. I have tried with an without custom yazi.toml and still the issue persists.

[sxyazi]

Does

[opener]
excel = [
    { run = 'start "" %s1', desc = "Open", orphan = true },
]

[open]
prepend_rules = [
  { url = "*.csv", use = "excel" }
]

work?

[pratikashwekar]

Yes it does! I also did the same thing for .py files which I would prefer to open in spyder and that works too. I also added a custom rule to open directories in file explorer. Excellent. The following is what I had to do.

But I only see the option "open in ..." in the interactive open popup box. No longer seeing "code, code(block), reveal". Of these three Reveal is the most important one for me.

[opener]
excel = [
    { run = 'start "" %s1', desc = "Open in Excel", orphan = true },
]
spyder = [
    { run = 'start "" %s1', desc = "Open in Spyder", orphan = true },

]

explorer = [
    { run = 'explorer "%1"', desc = "Open in File Explorer", orphan = true, for = "windows" }
    # orphan = true → Yazi returns immediately (non-blocking)
    # "$1" → properly quoted single path (handles spaces)
]


[open]
prepend_rules = [

    { url = "*/", use = ["explorer"] },
  { url = "*.csv", use = "excel" },
    { url = "*.py", use = "spyder" },
    
]

p.s. to be clear, "Reveal" does show, just not when currently over a .csv or .py file (at least from what I can see)

[sxyazi]

You can just add the reveal opener to your open rules:

-  { url = "*.csv", use = "excel" },
-    { url = "*.py", use = "spyder" },
+  { url = "*.csv", use = ["excel", "reveal"] },
+    { url = "*.py", use = ["spyder", "reveal"] },

[pratikashwekar]

Works flawlessly. Thank you very much @sxyazi !