Colibri automatically loads itself on boot and waits for the user to call it by pressing Alt + Space or a custom user hotkey. The user then starts typing the name of the program or file they wish to launch. Colibri automatically searches its list of programs for the closest match as the user types. When it finds the desired program, the user hits enter and it is automatically launched. Colibri also "learns" from the users past program usage, suggesting that program first when you type in the same search terms.