diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6ec9dae1d1..d6efab2c18 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+plugins/*/
 build/
 build-static/
 debug/
@@ -14,3 +15,4 @@ node_modules/
 .*.swp
 .cache/
 *.7z
+*.bz2
diff --git a/src/rime/context.cc b/src/rime/context.cc
index 905ced34ee..065388d92d 100644
--- a/src/rime/context.cc
+++ b/src/rime/context.cc
@@ -121,6 +121,20 @@ bool Context::Select(size_t index) {
   return false;
 }
 
+bool Context::Hilite(size_t index) {
+  if (composition_.empty())
+    return false;
+  Segment& seg(composition_.back());
+  if (auto cand = seg.GetCandidateAt(index)) {
+    seg.selected_index = index;
+    seg.tags.insert("paging");
+    DLOG(INFO) << "Hilited: '" << cand->text() << "', index = " << index;
+    update_notifier_(this);
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 bool Context::DeleteCandidate(
     function<an<Candidate>(Segment& seg)> get_candidate) {
   if (composition_.empty())
diff --git a/src/rime/context.h b/src/rime/context.h
index e31ea3cd53..727e458f40 100644
--- a/src/rime/context.h
+++ b/src/rime/context.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class RIME_API Context {
 
   // return false if there is no candidate at index
   bool Select(size_t index);
+  bool Hilite(size_t index);
   bool DeleteCandidate(size_t index);
   // return false if there's no candidate for current segment
   bool ConfirmCurrentSelection();
diff --git a/src/rime/gear/selector.cc b/src/rime/gear/selector.cc
index 06874103dc..399209102d 100644
--- a/src/rime/gear/selector.cc
+++ b/src/rime/gear/selector.cc
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ inline static bool is_linear_layout(Context* ctx) {
 }
 
 ProcessResult Selector::ProcessKeyEvent(const KeyEvent& key_event) {
-  if (key_event.release() || key_event.alt() || key_event.super())
+  if (key_event.release() || key_event.super())
     return kNoop;
   Context* ctx = engine_->context();
   if (ctx->composition().empty())
@@ -149,7 +149,8 @@ ProcessResult Selector::ProcessKeyEvent(const KeyEvent& key_event) {
   else if (ch >= XK_KP_0 && ch <= XK_KP_9)
     index = ((ch - XK_KP_0) + 9) % 10;
   if (index >= 0) {
-    SelectCandidateAt(ctx, index);
+    key_event.alt() ? HiliteCandidateAt(ctx, index)
+                    : SelectCandidateAt(ctx, index);
     return kAccepted;
   }
   // not handled
@@ -252,6 +253,23 @@ bool Selector::End(Context* ctx) {
   return Home(ctx);
 }
 
+bool Selector::HiliteCandidateAt(Context* ctx, int index) {
+  Composition& comp = ctx->composition();
+  if (comp.empty())
+    return false;
+  int page_size = engine_->schema()->page_size();
+  if (index >= page_size)
+    return false;
+  int selected_index = comp.back().selected_index;
+  int page_start = (selected_index / page_size) * page_size;
+  // hilite an already hilited candidate -> select this candidate
+  if (page_start + index == selected_index)
+    return ctx->Select(selected_index);
+  comp.back().selected_index = page_start + index;
+  comp.back().tags.insert("paging");
+  return true;
+}
+
 bool Selector::SelectCandidateAt(Context* ctx, int index) {
   Composition& comp = ctx->composition();
   if (comp.empty())
diff --git a/src/rime/gear/selector.h b/src/rime/gear/selector.h
index 5e4bfce00c..91fa7341bc 100644
--- a/src/rime/gear/selector.h
+++ b/src/rime/gear/selector.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class Selector : public Processor, public KeyBindingProcessor<Selector, 4> {
   Handler Home;
   Handler End;
 
+  bool HiliteCandidateAt(Context* ctx, int index);
   bool SelectCandidateAt(Context* ctx, int index);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/rime_api.cc b/src/rime_api.cc
index 678169c0af..321e09a443 100644
--- a/src/rime_api.cc
+++ b/src/rime_api.cc
@@ -1038,6 +1038,15 @@ RIME_API Bool RimeSelectCandidateOnCurrentPage(RimeSessionId session_id,
   return do_with_candidate_on_current_page(session_id, index, &Context::Select);
 }
 
+RIME_API Bool RimeHiliteCandidate(RimeSessionId session_id, size_t index) {
+  return do_with_candidate(session_id, index, &Context::Hilite);
+}
+
+RIME_API Bool RimeHiliteCandidateOnCurrentPage(RimeSessionId session_id,
+                                               size_t index) {
+  return do_with_candidate_on_current_page(session_id, index, &Context::Hilite);
+}
+
 const char* RimeGetVersion() {
   return RIME_VERSION;
 }
@@ -1185,6 +1194,8 @@ RIME_API RimeApi* rime_get_api() {
     s_api.context_proto = nullptr;
     s_api.status_proto = nullptr;
     s_api.get_state_label = &RimeGetStateLabel;
+    s_api.hilite_candidate = &RimeHiliteCandidate;
+    s_api.hilite_candidate_on_current_page = &RimeHiliteCandidateOnCurrentPage;
     s_api.delete_candidate = &RimeDeleteCandidate;
     s_api.delete_candidate_on_current_page = &RimeDeleteCandidateOnCurrentPage;
     s_api.get_state_label_abbreviated = &RimeGetStateLabelAbbreviated;
diff --git a/src/rime_api.h b/src/rime_api.h
index 54fd4c1409..fd2d30e111 100644
--- a/src/rime_api.h
+++ b/src/rime_api.h
@@ -299,6 +299,9 @@ RIME_API Bool RimeCandidateListFromIndex(RimeSessionId session_id,
 RIME_API Bool RimeSelectCandidate(RimeSessionId session_id, size_t index);
 RIME_API Bool RimeSelectCandidateOnCurrentPage(RimeSessionId session_id,
                                                size_t index);
+RIME_API Bool RimeHiliteCandidate(RimeSessionId session_id, size_t index);
+RIME_API Bool RimeHiliteCandidateOnCurrentPage(RimeSessionId session_id,
+                                               size_t index);
 RIME_API Bool RimeDeleteCandidate(RimeSessionId session_id, size_t index);
 RIME_API Bool RimeDeleteCandidateOnCurrentPage(RimeSessionId session_id,
                                                size_t index);
@@ -635,6 +638,10 @@ typedef struct rime_api_t {
                                  const char* option_name,
                                  Bool state);
 
+  Bool (*hilite_candidate)(RimeSessionId session_id, size_t index);
+  Bool (*hilite_candidate_on_current_page)(RimeSessionId session_id,
+                                           size_t index);
+
   //! delete a candidate at the given index in candidate list.
   Bool (*delete_candidate)(RimeSessionId session_id, size_t index);
   //! delete a candidate from current page.