Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
Complete guide to all keyboard shortcuts for power users.
Quick Reference
Most Used Shortcuts:
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E- Toggle Read/Edit modeCmd/Ctrl + Z- UndoCmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z- Redo/- Open slash menuCmd/Ctrl + K- Open global searchEnter- New block belowBackspace- Delete empty block
Platform Keys
Throughout this guide:
Mac:
Cmd= Command key (⌘)Opt= Option key (⌥)Ctrl= Control key
Windows/Linux:
Ctrl= Control keyAlt= Alt key
When we say "Cmd/Ctrl": Use Cmd on Mac, Ctrl on Windows/Linux
View Mode
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Read/Edit | Cmd + Shift + E | Ctrl + Shift + E |
Usage: Switch between Read and Edit modes instantly
Text Editing
Basic Formatting
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Cmd + B | Ctrl + B |
| Italic | Cmd + I | Ctrl + I |
| Underline | Cmd + U | Ctrl + U |
Note: You can also use markdown: **bold**, *italic*, __underline__
Selection
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Select all | Cmd + A | Ctrl + A |
| Select word | Double-click | Double-click |
| Select line | Triple-click | Triple-click |
| Extend selection | Shift + Arrow | Shift + Arrow |
Copy, Cut, Paste
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | Cmd + C | Ctrl + C |
| Cut | Cmd + X | Ctrl + X |
| Paste | Cmd + V | Ctrl + V |
| Paste plain text | Cmd + Shift + V | Ctrl + Shift + V |
Undo & Redo
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Cmd + Z | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | Cmd + Shift + Z | Ctrl + Shift + Z |
Important:
- Undo/redo works per session
- Last 20 states stored in memory
- Lost on page refresh (database history remains)
Blocks
Creating Blocks
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New block below | Enter | At end of block |
| Open slash menu | / | In empty block |
| Heading 1 | # + Space | At line start |
| Heading 2 | ## + Space | At line start |
| Heading 3 | ### + Space | At line start |
| Bulleted list | - + Space | At line start |
| Numbered list | 1. + Space | At line start |
| Todo checkbox | [] + Space | At line start |
| Quote | > + Space | At line start |
| Code block | ``` `` +Space` | At line start |
| Divider | --- + Enter | On empty line |
Navigating Blocks
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Move to previous block | ↑ | ↑ |
| Move to next block | ↓ | ↓ |
| Jump to start of block | Cmd + ↑ or Home | Ctrl + Home or Home |
| Jump to end of block | Cmd + ↓ or End | Ctrl + End or End |
Reordering Blocks
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Move block up | Cmd + Shift + ↑ | Ctrl + Shift + ↑ |
| Move block down | Cmd + Shift + ↓ | Ctrl + Shift + ↓ |
Alternative: Drag & drop using ⋮⋮ handle
Deleting Blocks
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Delete empty block | Backspace | Cursor at start |
| Force delete block | Cmd/Ctrl + Backspace | Deletes even with content |
Warning: Deleted blocks can only be recovered with Undo!
Slash Menu
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open menu | / |
| Navigate up | ↑ |
| Navigate down | ↓ |
| Select option | Enter |
| Close menu | Esc |
| Filter by typing | Type while menu open |
Tip: Type /h to filter to headings, /todo for todos, etc.
Markdown Shortcuts
These require Space after typing:
| Type | Result | Example |
|---|---|---|
# | H1 | # Title → Heading 1 |
## | H2 | ## Section → Heading 2 |
### | H3 | ### Sub → Heading 3 |
- | Bullet | - Item → • Item |
* | Bullet | * Item → • Item |
1. | Numbered | 1. Step → 1. Step |
[] | Todo | [] Task → ☐ Task |
[x] | Todo (checked) | [x] Done → ☑ Done |
> | Quote | > Text → Quote block |
| ``` ` `` | Code | ``` code → Code block |
--- | Divider | --- → Horizontal rule |
Inline Formatting
Type these anywhere in text:
| Type | Result | Example |
|---|---|---|
**text** | Bold | **hello** → hello |
*text* | Italic | *hello* → hello |
__text__ | Underline | __hello__ → hello |
~~text~~ | Strikethrough | ~~hello~~ → |
`text` | Inline code | `hello` → hello |
Navigation
Page Navigation
| Action | Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Search | Cmd + K | Ctrl + K |
| Go to Pages | Click "Pages" in sidebar | Or navigate via URL |
| Open page | Click page in tree | Or click breadcrumb |
| Navigate up hierarchy | Click breadcrumb | Click any parent |
| Go to parent | Click first breadcrumb level | Quick parent access |
No keyboard shortcuts yet for page navigation
Within Page
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll up | ↑ or Page Up | ↑ or Page Up |
| Scroll down | ↓ or Page Down | ↓ or Page Down |
| Jump to top | Cmd + Home | Ctrl + Home |
| Jump to bottom | Cmd + End | Ctrl + End |
Browser Standard Shortcuts
These work in all modern browsers:
| Action | Mac | Windows/Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Find in page | Cmd + F | Ctrl + F |
| Reload page | Cmd + R | Ctrl + R |
| Hard reload | Cmd + Shift + R | Ctrl + Shift + R |
| New tab | Cmd + T | Ctrl + T |
| Close tab | Cmd + W | Ctrl + W |
| Zoom in | Cmd + + | Ctrl + + |
| Zoom out | Cmd + - | Ctrl + - |
| Reset zoom | Cmd + 0 | Ctrl + 0 |
Tags
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Add tag | Type + Enter | In tag input |
| Remove last tag | Backspace | In empty tag input |
| Navigate suggestions | ↑ ↓ | In autocomplete |
| Select suggestion | Enter | From autocomplete |
| Cancel | Esc | Close autocomplete |
No special shortcuts - just type and press Enter!
Code Blocks
| Action | Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copy code | Click "Copy" button | In code block |
| Set language | Type in language field | E.g., "typescript" |
| Create code block | ``` `` +Space` | Or /code |
Note: Tab key for indentation works normally in code blocks
Database Tables
Cell Navigation
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Move up | ↑ | Move to cell above |
| Move down | ↓ | Move to cell below |
| Move left | ← or Shift + Tab | Move to previous cell |
| Move right | → or Tab | Move to next cell |
Cell Editing
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Start editing | Enter or double-click | On selected cell |
| Save and move down | Enter | While editing |
| Cancel edit | Escape | Discard changes |
| Delete cell content | Delete or Backspace | On selected cell |
Multi-line Text (Wrap Content enabled)
| Action | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New line in cell | Enter | Adds line break |
| Save and move down | Ctrl/Cmd + Enter | Commits edit |
Row Operations
| Action | Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Add new row | Click "+ New" footer | Or Enter in last row |
| Select row | Click checkbox | Left side of row |
| Select range | Shift + Click | After selecting first row |
| Multi-select | Ctrl/Cmd + Click | Toggle individual rows |
Column Operations
| Action | Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resize column | Drag column edge | Right edge of header |
| Reorder column | Drag column header | Drop at new position |
| Open column menu | Click column header | Shows property options |
Tips for Keyboard Efficiency
Learn Progressively
Week 1: Master these 5
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E(Toggle mode)Cmd/Ctrl + Z(Undo)/(Slash menu)Enter(New block)Backspace(Delete block)
Week 2: Add these 5
##+Space(H2 heading)-+Space(Bullet list)[]+Space(Todo)Cmd/Ctrl + B(Bold)- ```
`` +Space` (Code block)
Week 3: Master the rest as needed
Create Muscle Memory
Practice routine:
- Use shortcuts deliberately for 1 week
- Resist clicking buttons
- Look up shortcut when you forget
- Reference this guide often
After 2 weeks: Shortcuts become automatic!
Combine Shortcuts
Power workflows:
Fast document creation:
# + Space → H1
Type title + Enter
Type intro + Enter
## + Space → H2
Type content + Enter
- + Space → Bullet
Type item 1 + Enter
Type item 2 + EnterQuick editing:
Cmd/Ctrl + A → Select all
Cmd/Ctrl + C → Copy
Cmd/Ctrl + V → Paste
Cmd/Ctrl + Z → UndoKeep Hands on Keyboard
Replace these mouse actions: ❌ Click "New block" → Enter ❌ Click "H2" button → ## + Space ❌ Click "Bullet" button → - + Space ❌ Click "Undo" button → Cmd/Ctrl + Z ❌ Click "Toggle mode" → Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E
Result: 10x faster writing!
Printable Cheat Sheet
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MOST USED (Learn these first!)
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Cmd/Ctrl + K Open global search
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E Toggle Read/Edit
Cmd/Ctrl + Z Undo
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z Redo
/ Slash menu
Enter New block
Backspace Delete empty block
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MARKDOWN SHORTCUTS (+ Space after)
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# H1 - Bullet
## H2 1. Numbered
### H3 [] Todo
> Quote ``` Code
--- Divider
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INLINE FORMATTING
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**bold** *italic* __underline__
~~strike~~ `code`
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TEXT EDITING
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Cmd/Ctrl + B Bold
Cmd/Ctrl + I Italic
Cmd/Ctrl + U Underline
Cmd/Ctrl + A Select all
Cmd/Ctrl + C/X/V Copy/Cut/Paste
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BLOCK OPERATIONS
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Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ↑ Move block up
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ↓ Move block down
Cmd/Ctrl + Backspace Force delete
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SLASH MENU
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/ Open menu
↑ ↓ Navigate
Enter Select
Esc Close
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DATABASE TABLES
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↑ ↓ ← → Navigate cells
Enter Edit cell / Save
Escape Cancel edit
Tab Next cell
Shift + Tab Previous cell
Ctrl/Cmd + Enter Save (wrap mode)Platform-Specific Notes
Mac
- Cmd key is primary modifier (not Ctrl)
- Option/Alt used for special characters
- Control rarely used in our shortcuts
- Fn key may be needed for Home/End (depends on keyboard)
Windows
- Ctrl key is primary modifier
- Alt for application shortcuts
- Windows key not used in our shortcuts
- Home/End/PgUp/PgDn readily available
Linux
- Same as Windows (Ctrl-based)
- May vary by desktop environment
- Most shortcuts work identically
Troubleshooting
Shortcut not working?
Check:
- Correct mode (Edit vs Read)?
- Browser not intercepting? (some shortcuts reserved by browser)
- Correct key combination?
- Platform (Mac vs Windows)?
Try:
- Click in editor first (ensure focus)
- Use alternative method (mouse/menu)
- Check browser console for errors
Conflict with browser shortcut?
Some shortcuts reserved by browser:
Cmd/Ctrl + T(new tab)Cmd/Ctrl + W(close tab)Cmd/Ctrl + N(new window)
Solution: These will always do browser action, not app action
Keys not responding?
Check:
- Cursor in correct field?
- Page fully loaded?
- JavaScript enabled?
- Not in Read mode? (most shortcuts need Edit mode)
Related Guides: