App and website profile defaults

The PromptDC Desktop app for macOS and Windows automatically activates your chosen profile based on the frontmost application—such as assigning the Code profile to IDEs (Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf) and terminal CLIs (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Grok, Agy), or Email to Mail and Outlook. In Chrome, website defaults select a profile based on the current hostname.

Both rule types store a profile assignment and nothing else. They do not override global Language, nor do they store Code-specific desktop preferences such as Format, Simple or Structured output, or Always Include.

Last updated: August 2026

Desktop (Flagship)

Map any desktop app, IDE, or terminal to a profile.

Chrome (Optional)

Map website hostnames to profiles with zero permissions.

Focused

Rules store a profile assignment and nothing else.

What a default contains

Desktop

An application identifier maps to a profile ID. When that application is frontmost—whether it is an IDE (Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf), terminal (Terminal, iTerm, Warp, Ghostty, Termius, Windows Terminal), or everyday tool (Mail, Slack, Notion)—pressing Cmd+Shift+E (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+E (Windows) uses that mapped profile.

Chrome

A hostname such as mail.google.com or github.com maps to a profile ID. Paths, query strings, language, output format, and other settings are not part of the rule.
Changing a profile's instruction changes how that profile behaves wherever it is used. Changing Language or a Code-specific desktop preference does not create a different app or website rule.

Set a desktop app default

Examples include assigning the Code profile to coding editors (Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf) or terminal CLIs (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Grok, Agy), Email for mail applications, Reply for messaging apps, or Professional for documents.

  1. 01

    Open App defaults

    Open the PromptDC menu-bar icon (macOS) or tray icon (Windows), choose Settings, then select App defaults.

  2. 02

    Wait for the application list

    Recently used and already assigned applications appear near the top.

  3. 03

    Find the application

    Use the search field to find the application by name (e.g. Cursor, Terminal, Ghostty, Warp, Slack, Mail). If an application was installed while Settings was open, use the refresh control to rescan.

  4. 04

    Choose a profile

    Open the Default profile picker on the application row and choose a profile (such as Code or Email). The picker immediately saves the rule.

  5. 05

    Test it

    Open that application or terminal, select prompt text, and press Cmd+Shift+E (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+E (Windows). The review popover appears using the assigned default profile; select Replace or Copy.

If an application rule does not work

The application is missing

Select refresh, then search by app name. Reopen Settings if the application was just installed.

The list cannot be read

Reopen App defaults and retry the scan. Existing rows remain usable when a refresh fails.

The picker reverts

Confirm you are signed in and retry after the Settings connection recovers.

A different profile appears

Confirm the expected application was frontmost when you pressed the shortcut.

Set a Chrome website default

Enter a hostname without a path. PromptDC also remembers a profile selected from the floating toolbar for that hostname.

  1. 01

    Open Profiles

    Click the PromptDC icon in Chrome to open the side panel, then open Profiles.

  2. 02

    Add a default

    Find Per-website defaults and choose Add. A hostname field and profile selector appear.

  3. 03

    Enter the hostname

    Enter the hostname, such as mail.google.com. PromptDC removes a protocol, path, or port if you paste a full URL.

  4. 04

    Choose the profile, then Add

    The hostname and profile should appear together in the saved rules list.

  5. 05

    Verify it

    Reload or return to that hostname, focus a field, and inspect the profile name on the floating Enhance button.

Chrome automatic selection order

Chrome resolves the active profile in the exact order below and stops as soon as a valid step wins.

  1. 01

    Code lock on coding sites

    If the host is a coding site and you have created no custom profile, the Code profile stays locked until you create one.

  2. 02

    Explicit hostname choice

    After that lock no longer applies, a profile saved directly for the current hostname wins.

  3. 03

    Profile default-sites match

    Next, PromptDC checks for a profile whose defaultSites list contains the hostname.

  4. 04

    Global last-used profile

    PromptDC uses the global last-used profile on ordinary sites only. It deliberately does not carry that profile onto coding hosts.

  5. 05

    Grammar fallback

    If no earlier step resolves a profile, PromptDC uses Grammar.

Recognized coding hosts are about the default profile, not whether the toolbar works. Chrome works in text boxes on sites beyond those recognized hosts. See Where PromptDC works.

Remove a default

Remove a desktop default

  1. Open Settings, then App defaults.
  2. Find the application row.
  3. Set its profile picker to None.
  4. Run a test enhancement and confirm normal active-profile resolution is used.

Remove a Chrome rule

  1. Open Profiles in the Chrome side panel.
  2. Find the hostname in Per-website defaults.
  3. Choose its remove control.
  4. Reload the page and confirm the next profile comes from the remaining selection order.

When the mapped profile is deleted

Remove or replace any rule that points to a deleted profile. You can also restore a deleted built-in from Profiles. The Code profile is protected and cannot be deleted. Review Profiles for the delete and restore workflow.

Profile default FAQs

Need profile management?
Open Profiles

On desktop?
See Desktop setup

In Chrome?
Read the Chrome guide

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