scratchpad

What is a Special Workspace (Scratchpad)?

A special workspace in Hyprland is like a hidden, temporary workspace that:

• Doesn't appear in workspace switchers
• Can be toggled on/off with the same keybind
• Perfect for temporary windows you need quick access to (terminals, calculators, messaging apps)

How it works

Unlike normal workspaces (1-10), special workspaces:

• Are dynamic - they only exist when windows are in them
• Toggle - press the key to show/hide
• Overlay on top of your current workspace when shown

The code explained

-- Show/hide the special workspace named "magic"
hl.bind(mainMod .. " + S", hl.dsp.workspace.toggle_special("magic"))

-- Move the focused window to the special workspace
hl.bind(mainMod .. " + SHIFT + S", hl.dsp.window.move({ workspace = "special:magic" }))

• toggle_special("magic") - Press Super + S to show your scratchpad, press again to hide it
• move({ workspace = "special:magic" }) - Press Super + Shift + S to send the current window to the scratchpad

How to use it

Basic usage

1. Send window to scratchpad: Focus a window → Press Super + Shift + S
2. Toggle scratchpad: Press Super + S (shows/hides all windows in scratchpad)
3. Bring back to main workspace: While scratchpad is visible, press Super + Shift + S again on the window

Practical examples

Terminal scratchpad:

-- Launch a terminal directly into special workspace
hl.bind(mainMod .. " + RETURN", hl.dsp.exec_cmd("kitty --class=scratchpad"))
hl.on("window", function(win)
    if win.class == "scratchpad" then
        hl.dsp.window.move({ workspace = "special:terminal" })
    end
end)

Multiple special workspaces:

-- Different scratchpads for different purposes
hl.bind(mainMod .. " + S", hl.dsp.workspace.toggle_special("magic"))     -- Calculator/misc
hl.bind(mainMod .. " + T", hl.dsp.workspace.toggle_special("terminal"))   -- Terminal
hl.bind(mainMod .. " + M", hl.dsp.workspace.toggle_special("music"))      -- Music player

Quick access to messaging apps:

-- Send Discord/Telegram to scratchpad
-- Launch Discord in special workspace
hl.bind(mainMod .. " + D", hl.dsp.exec_cmd("discord"))
hl.on("window", function(win)
    if win.class == "discord" then
        hl.dsp.window.move({ workspace = "special:messaging" })
    end
end)

Tips

1. Name matters: You can name special workspaces anything ("magic", "temp", "calc", etc.)
2. Persistence: Windows in special workspaces stay open even when hidden
3. Multiple windows: You can send multiple windows to the same special workspace - they'll all appear when toggled
4. Resizing: When the scratchpad appears, you can resize/reposition windows normally

Should you use it?

Yes, if you:

• Want a quick terminal available at keypress
• Use a calculator/music player frequently
• Have apps that pop up temporarily (messaging, file manager)
• Want to reduce workspace clutter

Common use cases:

• Dropdown terminal (like Guake/Tilda)
• Quick calculator
• Music player controls
• Messaging apps (keep them hidden until needed)
• File manager for quick file access

The special workspace is one of Hyprland's most convenient features for workflow efficiency!