For Premiere Pro 2026, on Mac. Free.
Every effect.
One keystroke.
No more digging through the Effects panel.
- ⌘JOpens the palette, right in Premiere
- tdsA few letters find any effect or preset
- ↵It lands on every selected clip
Apple Silicon Mac · macOS 13 or later · Premiere Pro 2026 · Open source · Beta
The mouse way, or ⌘J
Four steps with the mouse.
Three keys with Khanjar.
- Open Effects
- Search
- Open the folder
- Drag onto clips
The Effects panel has to be on screen, and you aim with the mouse.
- ⌘J
- Type 2 or 3 letters
- Enter
From anywhere in Premiere. Initials work: “tds” finds True Drop Shadow.
Try it
Try it here.
In your browser.
Three B-roll clips are selected: press ⌘J, type film, press Enter. Then click a title, Shift-click the other one and try tds. ⌘Z takes it back, Space plays.Three B-roll clips are selected. Tap Open the palette, pick a preset and watch it land. Tapping a clip adds it to the selection or takes it out: try the two purple titles with True Drop Shadow.
Demo footage: free clips from Pexels. In Premiere, Khanjar works on your own clips, effects and presets.
Shortcuts
Eight keys.
Played in Premiere.
Rows with two labels and an arrow are duos: two presets you always chain, applied in one go, in the order you use them.
Why it opens on your favourites
You don't use 420 effects.
You use the same few.
One editor, three months of real work: 1,279 effects and presets applied, 41 different items out of about 420 in the palette. Three of them made up 74%. So Khanjar opens on what you use, and ⌘1 applies your number one without typing.
What it finds
Your presets,
wherever they come from.
- Yours, bought, or from a friend. Khanjar reads the presets in your own Premiere: the ones you made, the packs you bought, the ones someone sent you. Adobe's presets are there too.
- In any language. Presets saved in a Premiere set to another language work as well.
- Animated presets keep their timing. Keyframes are stretched to the clip or pinned to its start or end, the way Premiere does it, and eased curves are rebuilt frame by frame so the motion matches.
- Duos. Two presets you always chain on the same clip become one line in the palette, applied in one go.
- Fast. An effect is applied in about 5 to 15 ms; a preset on 283 clips took a third of a second. Khanjar does nothing until you press a shortcut.
Honest limits
They come from what Adobe's plugin API allows today.
- Presets built on a mask, or on Lumetri curves, color wheels or LUTs, are left out rather than applied wrong. Lumetri presets that only move sliders work.
- A preset is marked partial when one of its effects or settings can't be set through the API. The rest is applied.
- Eased animations are rebuilt frame by frame: the motion matches, but Effect Controls shows one keyframe per frame.
- It can't create an adjustment layer. Make one once in your project, Khanjar reuses it.
- Audio effects and transitions aren't supported yet.
Install
Up and running
in 3 minutes.
Download
Get
Khanjar-<version>.zipfrom the latest release on GitHub, unzip it and drag Khanjar.app into Applications.Allow the first launch
The beta is not signed by Apple yet. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. You do it once.
Let it set itself up
A magic-wand icon appears in the menu bar and a welcome window opens. Click Allow when macOS asks about your Documents folder, where your presets live. Khanjar installs its small plugin in Premiere through the Creative Cloud app.
Press ⌘J in Premiere
Select clips, press ⌘J, type a few letters, press Enter.
Khanjar is ready
- Khanjar lives in your menu bar — the wand icon at the top right. It runs in the background.
- In Premiere Pro, press ⌘J to open the palette. Search for an effect or a preset, then press ↵ to apply it to the selected clips.
- You can also assign your favorite presets to keyboard shortcuts in Settings.
- On first launch, macOS may ask for access to your Documents folder (to read your presets) — click “Allow”.
Connected — Premiere 26.5 · plugin 0.8.4
Launch Khanjar at login
You need
- A Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later), macOS 13 or later
- Premiere Pro 2026 (26.x) or later, tested on 26.5
- The Creative Cloud desktop app, signed in
Full install guide: updates, troubleshooting, uninstall · Guide d'installation en français · Or let Claude do it, just below.
Or let Claude install it.
Have Claude Code on your Mac? Paste this prompt. Claude checks your Mac, downloads the latest Khanjar, installs the app and its Premiere plugin one step at a time, and asks you before anything that matters. It will ask you once to quit Premiere, so save your work first. It never uses sudo and never touches your projects.
> Install Khanjar for me, a free plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro…
⏺ I'll install Khanjar step by step, without touching your projects.
⏺ Bash(sysctl -n hw.optional.arm64; sw_vers -productVersion)
⎿ 1
26.0.1
⏺ Apple chip, macOS 26, Premiere Pro 26.5 and the Creative Cloud app: all good.
⏺ Bash(codesign --verify --deep --strict "$W/x/Khanjar.app" && echo SIGNATURE-OK)
⎿ io.khanjar.app 0.8.4 SIGNATURE-OK
⏺ Premiere is open. Save your work and quit it (⌘Q), then tell me.
> done
⏺ Bash(perl -e 'alarm 100; exec @ARGV' -- "$UPIA" --install "…/khanjar-executor.ccx")
⎿ Successful
⏺ Khanjar is running. Open Premiere Pro and tell me when its window shows.
> it's open
⎿ CONNECTED
⏺ Done. In Premiere, ⌘J opens the palette: type an effect or a preset, Enter applies it to the selected clips.
? for shortcuts
The prompt
Install Khanjar for me, a free plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro (https://github.com/Apocale/khanjar).
Rules:
- Don't touch any of my Premiere projects, never quit Premiere yourself, never use sudo.
- Do NOT write an install script: run the commands below one at a time, copied exactly as written, and sum up each step in one line. Give each command a 5-minute timeout; none should take more than 2 minutes.
- When a step says "ask me", stop and wait for my reply in this chat (no read or sleep to wait for me).
- Every command starts in a fresh shell: it redefines the variables it needs itself.
- If a command fails because of Claude Code's sandbox ("Operation not permitted", error -54…), offer to run it outside the sandbox.
- If step 4 installs the app in ~/Applications, replace /Applications/Khanjar.app with "$HOME/Applications/Khanjar.app" in the later commands.
1. Requirements — stop and explain if one is missing:
- Apple chip: `sysctl -n hw.optional.arm64` must print 1 (not `uname -m`, which prints x86_64 under Rosetta);
- macOS 13 or later: `sw_vers -productVersion`;
- Premiere Pro 2026 or later: find the app with `mdfind "kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier == 'com.adobe.PremierePro.*'"` (if nothing comes out, look in /Applications for an "Adobe Premiere Pro 20xx" folder) and read its version with `/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c 'Print :CFBundleShortVersionString' "<app>/Contents/Info.plist"`. 26.x (Premiere Pro 2026): tested. 27 or later: tell me it is not tested yet, and go on. Below 26: stop (Khanjar needs Premiere Pro 2026 or later);
- Creative Cloud: the file "/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Desktop Common/RemoteComponents/UPI/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent" must exist, and `ps -axo comm= | grep -E 'Adobe Desktop Service|MacOS/Creative Cloud$'` must print at least one line. Otherwise ask me to open the Creative Cloud app and check I'm signed in, then check again;
- old "Dagger" version: if /Applications/Dagger.app exists, tell me; with my OK, quit it if `pgrep -x Dagger` finds it (`osascript -e 'quit app "Dagger"'`), ask me to remove "Dagger" from System Settings > General > Login Items, then move it to the Trash (`mv /Applications/Dagger.app ~/.Trash/`). Don't touch ~/Library/Application Support/Dagger: Khanjar picks up my settings from there.
2. Download the latest version into a temporary folder (not Downloads):
W="${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/khanjar-install"; mkdir -p "$W"
FEED=$(curl -fsSL --retry 3 --max-time 30 https://github.com/Apocale/khanjar/releases/latest/download/appcast.xml)
URL=$(printf '%s' "$FEED" | sed -n 's/.*enclosure url="\([^"]*\)".*/\1/p' | head -1)
LEN=$(printf '%s' "$FEED" | sed -n 's/.*length="\([0-9]*\)".*/\1/p' | head -1)
echo "$URL expected=$LEN"; curl -fL --retry 3 --max-time 90 -o "$W/Khanjar.zip" "$URL"; stat -f%z "$W/Khanjar.zip"
The size must equal "expected". If the feed does not answer, take the .zip address (browser_download_url, not appcast.xml) from `curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/Apocale/khanjar/releases/latest`.
3. Unzip and check:
W="${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/khanjar-install"; rm -rf "$W/x"; mkdir -p "$W/x"; ditto -x -k "$W/Khanjar.zip" "$W/x"
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c 'Print :CFBundleIdentifier' -c 'Print :CFBundleShortVersionString' "$W/x/Khanjar.app/Contents/Info.plist"
codesign --verify --deep --strict "$W/x/Khanjar.app" && echo SIGNATURE-OK
You need "io.khanjar.app" and SIGNATURE-OK; otherwise stop.
4. Install the app:
- quit Khanjar if it is already running:
if pgrep -x Khanjar >/dev/null; then osascript -e 'quit app "Khanjar"'; i=0; while pgrep -x Khanjar >/dev/null && [ $i -lt 10 ]; do sleep 1; i=$((i+1)); done; pkill -x Khanjar; fi; pgrep -x Khanjar || echo KHANJAR-CLOSED
- folder: /Applications if `[ -w /Applications ]` succeeds, otherwise ~/Applications (create it);
- if a Khanjar.app already exists in /Applications or ~/Applications, tell me its version, then move it to the Trash: `mv "<folder>/Khanjar.app" ~/.Trash/Khanjar-old-$(date +%s).app`. If that is refused, ask me to drag it to the Trash in Finder myself;
- copy with ditto (never cp onto an existing folder): `ditto "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/khanjar-install/x/Khanjar.app" "<folder>/Khanjar.app"`, then `codesign --verify --deep --strict "<folder>/Khanjar.app" && echo SIGNATURE-OK`.
5. Install the plugin in Premiere, with Premiere CLOSED:
- if `ps -axo comm= | grep '/Contents/MacOS/Adobe Premiere Pro'` prints a line, Premiere is open: ask me to save my work and quit Premiere (⌘Q); wait for my reply and check it is really closed (otherwise ask me again);
- list the plugins Adobe knows (60 s at most):
UPIA="/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Desktop Common/RemoteComponents/UPI/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent"
perl -e 'alarm 60; exec @ARGV' -- "$UPIA" --list all
If "Khanjar" is listed, remove it with the same command, replacing `--list all` with `--remove "Khanjar"`; if "Dagger Executor" is listed, do the same with `--remove "Dagger Executor"` (a -406 answer is harmless);
- then install the plugin (100 s at most):
UPIA="/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Desktop Common/RemoteComponents/UPI/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent"
perl -e 'alarm 100; exec @ARGV' -- "$UPIA" --install "/Applications/Khanjar.app/Contents/Resources/khanjar-executor.ccx"
The output must contain "Successful". Then check the registration: `grep -o '"pluginId":"io.khanjar.executor"[^}]*' "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Adobe/UXP/PluginsInfo/v1/premierepro.json"` must show "status":"enabled" (if it shows nothing despite "Successful", tell me and go on). No "Successful": show me the output, ask me to quit and reopen the Creative Cloud app, and run this --install again once only (back-to-back attempts jam Adobe's installer).
6. Launch Khanjar (Premiere still closed):
W="${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/khanjar-install"; LOG="$HOME/Library/Logs/Khanjar/Khanjar.log"; mkdir -p "$W"
{ stat -f%z "$LOG" 2>/dev/null || echo 0; } > "$W/offset"; open "/Applications/Khanjar.app"
(On a new Mac the log does not exist yet: that's normal, the recorded position is 0.)
Warn me: a "Welcome to Khanjar" window opens ("Bienvenue dans Khanjar" if my Mac is in French), I can click "Get started"; and macOS may ask for access to my Documents folder: I click "Allow" (my presets are there).
7. Ask me to open Premiere Pro and to reply when its main window is showing (the very first launch on a new Mac can take several minutes). Then check the connection with this command, copied exactly (90 s at most; run it again while it prints WAITING, 3 times at most):
W="${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/khanjar-install"; LOG="$HOME/Library/Logs/Khanjar/Khanjar.log"
OFF=$(cat "$W/offset" 2>/dev/null || echo 0); R=WAITING; i=0
while [ $i -lt 18 ]; do i=$((i+1))
S=$( { stat -f%z "$LOG" 2>/dev/null || echo 0; } ); [ "$S" -lt "$OFF" ] && OFF=0
NEW=$(tail -c +$((OFF+1)) "$LOG" 2>/dev/null)
if printf '%s\n' "$NEW" | grep -q 'hello : io\.khanjar\.executor'; then R=CONNECTED; break; fi
sleep 5
done
echo "$R"; printf '%s\n' "$NEW" | grep -E 'hello : |UPIA|Plugin |Dagger|refusée|origine|invalide|Bridge|Listener|instance' | tail -8
CONNECTED: go to step 9. Still WAITING after 3 runs: step 8.
(The "hello :" pattern has a space before the colon: keep it. Khanjar writes its log in French; the lines above are the ones that matter.)
8. Troubleshooting, in this order, running the step 7 check again after each action:
a. ask me to click in Premiere's window and press ⌘J once (Khanjar then restarts its own repair);
b. ask me to save, quit Premiere (⌘Q), reopen it and tell you when its window is showing;
c. still nothing: run this diagnostic and show me the whole output (I'll send it to Isma after reading it: it may contain preset or folder names, or my user name):
LOG="$HOME/Library/Logs/Khanjar/Khanjar.log"; AS="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Adobe"
UPIA="/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Desktop Common/RemoteComponents/UPI/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent"
echo "== Mac"; sw_vers -productVersion; sysctl -n hw.optional.arm64
echo "== Khanjar"; for a in /Applications/Khanjar.app "$HOME/Applications/Khanjar.app"; do [ -d "$a" ] && echo "$a $(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c 'Print :CFBundleShortVersionString' "$a/Contents/Info.plist")"; done; pgrep -lx Khanjar
echo "== Premiere"; ps -axo pid=,comm= | grep '/Contents/MacOS/Adobe Premiere Pro' | cut -c1-120
echo "== Port"; lsof -nP -iTCP:48123
echo "== Khanjar log"; grep -E 'UPIA|Plugin |hello|Dagger|Bridge|Listener|Port|refusée|origine|invalide|Creative|instance|Expulsion|Premiere|prêt' "$LOG" | tail -40
echo "== UPIA log"; tail -40 "$AS/UPI/Log/Upia.log"
echo "== Plugin registry"; cat "$AS/UXP/PluginsInfo/v1/premierepro.json"; echo; ls "$AS/UXP/Plugins/External/"
echo "== Plugin log"; find "$AS/UXP/PluginsStorage" -name 'khanjar-executor*.log' -print -exec tail -15 {} \;
echo "== Adobe"; perl -e 'alarm 60; exec @ARGV' -- "$UPIA" --list all 2>&1 | head -60
echo "== Creative Cloud"; ps -axo pid=,comm= | grep -E 'Adobe Desktop Service|MacOS/Creative Cloud$' | cut -c1-120
echo "== localhost"; grep -i localhost /etc/hosts
9. Turn on launch at login: `"/Applications/Khanjar.app/Contents/MacOS/Khanjar" login-item on`, and repeat the end of the last line to me (it answers in French: « activé » means on; « en attente de ton accord » means I must approve it: guide me to System Settings > General > Login Items).
10. Visible check: ask me to click the magic-wand icon at the top right of the screen: the menu's second line must read "Connected — Premiere … · plugin …" ("Connecté — …" if my Mac is in French). Then, in Premiere, to press ⌘J: the palette must open (Esc closes it).
11. Delete the temporary folder (`rm -rf "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/khanjar-install"`), then finish by explaining in 4 lines: in Premiere, ⌘J opens the palette, I type the name of an effect or preset, Enter applies it to the selected clips; ⌘⇧J adds an adjustment layer at the playhead (create one once in the project first: File > New > Adjustment Layer); at its next launch Khanjar will ask whether it may check for updates automatically: I say yes.
FAQ
Questions
editors ask.
Is there a command palette for Adobe Premiere Pro?
Yes, that is what Khanjar is: press ⌘J in Premiere, type a few letters of any effect or preset, press Enter. It is free, for Mac.
How do I apply a preset to many clips at once?
Select the clips in the timeline, press ⌘J, pick the preset, press Enter. It lands on every selected clip in one step; linked audio is skipped, like in Premiere. Undo takes one ⌘Z for an effect, two or three for a preset.
Can I give a preset its own keyboard shortcut?
Yes: menu bar icon › Settings… › Add a shortcut…, pick the preset, press the keys. It works whenever Premiere is in front.
Does it work with the preset packs I bought?
Yes. Khanjar reads your Premiere Effect Presets, where installed packs live, and Adobe's own presets, even presets saved in a Premiere set to another language. Third-party effects used by a pack must be installed.
Which Premiere versions? Windows? Intel Macs?
Premiere Pro 2026 (26.x) and later, tested on 26.5, on a Mac with Apple Silicon and macOS 13 or later. No Windows and no Intel Macs for now.
Does it slow Premiere down?
No. Khanjar does nothing until you press a shortcut. An effect is applied in about 5 to 15 ms; a preset on 283 clips took a third of a second.
Does it send anything online?
Khanjar runs on your Mac and talks to Premiere over a local connection that web pages can't use. Your clips, projects and presets never leave your computer. The only thing that uses the internet is the optional update check (privacy details).
Is it free?
Free and open source, under the GPL-3.0 license. It is a beta, made by Isma, a video editor, with Claude Code. Not affiliated with Adobe.
How do I uninstall it?
Quit Khanjar, move it to the Trash and remove its plugin with one command: see Uninstall in the guide.
Press ⌘J.
Keep cutting.
Free and open source · Apple Silicon Mac · Premiere Pro 2026