Keyboard Shortcuts

Press ? outside a text form field to open the shortcut cheat sheet. If you are new to the interface, begin with Getting Started.

Ctrl/⌘ means press Ctrl on Windows or Linux and Command on macOS. Some keyboards require the Fn key with function keys such as F2, F5, or F11.

Table of Contents

App-Wide

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + P`	Open Command Palette
`Ctrl/⌘ + P`	Quick Open Vault File
`Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + F`	Search All Files
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + V`	Open Vault Organizer
`Ctrl/⌘ + ,`	Open Settings
`?`	Show Keyboard Shortcuts
`Esc`	Close Dialog or Exit Focus or Presentation Mode
`F11`	Toggle Browser Fullscreen
`Ctrl/⌘ + .`	Toggle Focus Mode

File

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + N`	Create New File in the Default Location
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + Shift + N`	Create New Folder in the Default Location
`Ctrl/⌘ + O`	Import File from Disk
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + O`	Import Folder from Disk

The browser owns Ctrl/⌘ + N, Ctrl/⌘ + W, and Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + T. MDash does not advertise those combinations for in-app actions. Use the New File button, tab menus, or Command Palette instead.

Tabs

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + P`	Open the Searchable Open Tabs Menu
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + [`	Switch to the Previous MDash Tab
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + ]`	Switch to the Next MDash Tab

The browser owns Ctrl/⌘ + Tab, so MDash uses bracket shortcuts that work inside the page without interfering with browser-tab navigation.

Editor

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl/⌘ + Z`	Undo
`Ctrl + Y` (Windows/Linux), `⌘ + Shift + Z` (macOS)	Redo
`Ctrl + Shift + Z` (Windows/Linux)	Redo Alias
`Ctrl/⌘ + G` or `Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + G`	Go to Line
`Ctrl/⌘ + F`	Find in the Active Document or Preview
`Ctrl/⌘ + B`	Bold
`Ctrl/⌘ + I`	Italic
`Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + X`	Strikethrough
`Ctrl/⌘ + K`	Insert Link
`Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + 8`	Bullet List
`Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + 9`	Numbered List
`Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + L`	Task List
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + C`	Insert Code Block
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + T`	Insert Table of Contents
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + 1` … `Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + 6`	Heading 1 through 6
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + 0`	Convert Selected Headings to Paragraphs
`Tab`	Indent Current or Selected List Items
`Shift + Tab`	Outdent Current or Selected List Items
`Escape`, Then `Tab`	Leave the Editor
`Escape`, Then `Shift + Tab`	Leave the Editor Backward
`Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + M`	Edit Document Metadata

Applying the same inline formatting, heading, quote, bullet-list, numbered-list, or task-list action again removes that formatting. Applying a different list action converts the existing list marker instead of nesting another marker.

To create a nested list, place the caret in a list item and press Tab, or select multiple list-item lines and press Tab to indent them together. Press Shift + Tab to move them back one level. The nested items can keep the parent list style or use a different list action after indenting.

View

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl/⌘ + \`	Toggle Vault Panel
`Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + \`	Toggle Outline Panel
`Ctrl/⌘ + Alt + B`	Toggle Backlinks Panel
`F5`	Start Presentation Mode

In Editor, Split, and Stacked views, Find includes replacement controls. Preview uses search-only controls and closes the search panel when you change views.

File Tree

Shortcut	Action
`F2`	Rename Selected Item
`Delete`	Move Selected Item to Trash
`Enter` / `Space`	Open File or Toggle Folder
`→`	Expand Folder
`←`	Collapse Folder

Vault Organizer

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl/⌘ + A`	Select All Visible Items
`Ctrl/⌘ + C`	Copy Selected Items
`Ctrl/⌘ + X`	Cut Selected Editable Items
`Ctrl/⌘ + V`	Paste into the Current Folder
`F2`	Rename the Selected Item
`Delete` / `Backspace`	Move Selected Editable Items to Trash
`Enter`	Open the Selected File or Folder

Presentation Mode

The full slide workflow is covered in Presentation Mode.

Shortcut	Action
`→` / `Space` / `PageDown` / `L`	Next Slide
`←` / `PageUp` / `H`	Previous Slide
`Home` / `End`	First or Last Slide
`F`	Toggle Fullscreen
`B`	Toggle Blank Screen
`+` / `-` / `0`	Zoom In, Zoom Out, or Reset
`Esc`	Exit Presentation

Command Palette Tips

Type to fuzzy-filter actions.
Most actions show their bound shortcut on the right; if no shortcut is shown, the command has no assigned shortcut.
Use Up / Down arrows to navigate, Enter to run.

Accessibility and Browser Conflicts

Shortcuts supplement visible controls rather than replace them. Buttons, menus, dialogs, the file tree, tabs, and search results remain keyboard reachable. Focus indicators show the active control, and Esc closes the current overlay or exits Focus and Presentation modes when applicable.

Some browser, operating-system, and assistive-technology shortcuts take precedence over page shortcuts. If a combination does not reach MDash, use the corresponding visible control or command-palette action. MDash deliberately avoids common browser actions such as Ctrl/⌘ + N, Ctrl/⌘ + W, and Ctrl/⌘ + Tab.

Menus and Select Fields

Opening an action menu focuses its first item. Use Up/Down to navigate, Home/End to jump, and Enter/Space to activate. Right opens a submenu; Left returns to its parent. Escape closes the current level and returns focus to its opener. Tab/Shift+Tab closes the entire menu and continues after/before its trigger, within the current dialog when applicable.

Select fields use arrows to navigate options, Enter to commit, and Escape to cancel. Tab leaves the field. Searchable fields preserve normal text-editing keys.

Go to Line accepts a line number, an optional column (12:3), a relative offset (+5), or a percentage (50%). It navigates the active editor without editing the document.