The Recent panel provides a convenient history of the media files and project files (.mlt) you have recently opened in Shotcut. This panel allows you to quickly revisit previous work or re-use assets without having to navigate through your system’s file explorer.
Opening the Recent Panel
If the Recent panel is not visible in your current layout, you can open it using the following methods:
- Toolbar: Click the Recent icon on the top main toolbar.
- Keyboard Shortcut: Press
Ctrl + 3(Windows/Linux) orCmd + 3(macOS). - Menu: Go to View > Recent.
Features and Interface
1. The Recent List
The panel displays a vertical list of file paths. By default, these are sorted by the time they were last accessed, with the most recent items at the top. The list includes:
- Project Files: Shotcut project files (
.mlt). - Media Files: Video, audio, and image files that were opened in the Source player or added to a project.
2. Opening Items
- Double-Click: Double-clicking any item in the list will immediately open that file in the Source player. If the item is a project file, Shotcut will prompt you to save your current work before loading the selected project.
- Drag and Drop: You can drag items directly from the Recent panel onto the Source player or Playlist.
3. Searching the List
At the top of the panel is a search bar that allows you to filter the list.
- Search (F3): Press
F3while the panel is focused to jump to the search box. Typing a partial filename or folder path will hide all items that do not match your query, making it easy to find specific files in a long history.
Context Menu (Right-Click)
Right-clicking an item in the Recent panel provides the following management option:
- Remove: Removes the selected entry from the Recent list. Note that this does not delete the file from your computer; it only clears the shortcut from this list.
Settings
You can manage how Shotcut handles your recent file history through the main settings menu:
- Settings > Clear Recent on Exit: When this option is enabled, the Recent list will be completely wiped every time you close the application. This is useful for users on shared computers or those who prefer a clean slate for every session.