Keyboard shortcuts

You can run Everythings from the keyboard: jump to any thing, walk the grid, open, reorder, add and trash things, and save as you write. On a Mac, use ⌘ where the table says Ctrl, unless a row says otherwise.

Everywhere

These work on any page of the web app. Quick search and AI Mode answer even while you type; workspace switching waits until you leave the field.

Keys	What it does
`Ctrl` `K` or `⌘` `K`	Open or close quick search: jump to any thing in any workspace.
`Ctrl` `Shift` `V` or `⌘` `Shift` `V`	Open AI Mode. Press again while it is open to start or stop listening. Appears once you save an AI Provider key.
`Ctrl` `Alt` `←` or `Ctrl` `Alt` `→`	Previous or next workspace, in the switcher's order, wrapping around at the ends. On a Mac: Control Option ← or →.

Find things explains quick search and AI Mode.

On a thing

With a thing open and nothing being typed. Esc is the exception: it works from inside the editor too.

Keys	What it does
`Esc`	Close the thing and go back to its parent, the grid, or the Inbox you came from. Works while editing too: an auto-save finishes first, and unsaved changes ask first.
`Backspace`	Go up one level, the same way Esc does.
`Delete`	Move the thing and its sub-things to Trash. A dialog asks first.
`+`	Add a sub-thing inside the open thing.
`←` or `→`	Previous or next thing at the same level.

← and → step between siblings only when no tile has focus. With a sub-thing tile focused they move between tiles instead.
While sub-things are selected, Esc clears the selection and Backspace does nothing.
+ works on a saved thing that isn't being edited.

Tiles and the grid

The workspace grid and a thing's sub-things work the same way. A focused tile shows a dashed outline.

Keys	What it does
`+`	On the workspace grid: add a top-level thing.
`←` `→` `↑` `↓`	Move between tiles. ← and → go in reading order; ↑ and ↓ move a row. Faves, Inbox and the ⊕ Add tile are stops too.
`Enter`	Open the focused tile. In selection mode, select or deselect it.
`Space`	Pick up the focused tile to reorder it. Move it with the arrows, drop it with Space or Tab, cancel with Esc. In selection mode, Space selects or deselects instead.
`Esc`	Leave selection mode.
`Delete`	On a thing page with sub-things selected: move them to Trash, after a dialog asks.

Starting from	Keys
Workspace grid, nothing focused	→ goes to the first tile, ← to the last, ↑ to the search field, ↓ to the ⊕ under the grid.
Search field	↓ moves into the tiles or results. ↑ from the top row comes back. Esc clears the field.
Sub-things on a thing page, nothing focused	↓ goes to the first sub-thing and ↑ to the last. With no sub-things, ↓ goes to the ⊕.

While editing

In the editor, the name and the tags. The formatting buttons show their shortcuts when you hover them.

Keys	What it does
`Ctrl` `Enter` or `⌘` `Enter`	Save and leave edit mode. Inside a code block it leaves the block instead; it waits while dictation is running.
`Tab` or `Shift` `Tab`	Move between Name, the content, Tags and Save. Inside a list, a table or a code block, Tab stays in the editor.
`Ctrl` `Alt` `D` or `⌃` `⌥` `D`	Start or stop dictation in the editor, in browsers with speech recognition.
`Ctrl` `B` or `⌘` `B`	Bold.
`Ctrl` `I` or `⌘` `I`	Italic.
`/`	Open the slash menu of blocks. ↑ ↓ choose, Enter inserts.

Writing content covers the slash menu, dictation and saving.

Menus and pickers

Keys that work inside a box or list while it is open.

Where	Keys
Quick search	↑ ↓ move, Enter opens, Esc closes.
AI Mode field	Enter sends, Shift Enter adds a line. Esc closes the AI Mode panel.
@ member picker in a comment	↑ ↓ move, Enter or Tab picks, Esc closes.
Adding or editing a checklist item in place	Enter saves the item, Esc cancels.
Title of a collapsible section, in the editor	Enter or ↓ moves into the section's body.
Image URL box in the Insert Image dialog	Enter inserts the image.
Workspace switcher	Tab to a workspace, Enter or Space opens it.

Phone and tablet keyboards

The iPhone, iPad and Android app answers these keys when a hardware keyboard is connected, on the workspace screen.

Keys	What it does
`←` `→` `↑` `↓`	Move between tiles. With nothing focused, → enters at the first tile. ↑ from the top row goes to the search field.
`Enter`	Open the focused tile (Faves, Inbox and the create tile included). In selection mode, select or deselect it.
`Space`	In selection mode, select or deselect the focused tile.
`+`	On the grid: add a thing. On an open thing: add a sub-thing.
`Delete` or `Backspace`	On an open thing: move it to Trash, after asking. With tiles selected: move them to Trash, after asking.
`←` or `→`	On an open thing with no tile focused: previous or next thing at the same level.
`Esc`	Leave a text field; close the open thing (pending edits save, or you are asked); on the grid, clear the selection, the tile focus, then the search.
`↓`	From the search field, with nothing searched: move to the first tile.

Single keys only: combinations with Ctrl, ⌘ or Alt do nothing in the app.
Keys other than Esc are ignored while you type in a field.
+ doesn't add a thing in an empty workspace, in a read-only one, in AI Mode, or while tiles are selected.
Tiles can't be reordered from the keyboard on the phone.

New to the app? Things shows what each of these acts on.

Questions

Why does nothing happen when I press + or Delete?

The bare-key shortcuts stand down while you are typing in a field or the editor, and while a dialog or menu is open. Click an empty part of the page (or press Esc to leave the field) and try again. On the workspace grid, Delete has nothing to act on: open a thing first.

Does Backspace delete the thing?

On the web, Backspace goes up one level and Delete moves to Trash (after asking). In the phone app, both keys ask to move the thing to Trash.

Ctrl Shift V doesn't paste as plain text any more.

Once you save an AI Provider key, Ctrl/⌘ Shift V opens AI Mode inside Everythings. A plain Ctrl/⌘ V still pastes.

Can I change the shortcuts?

The shortcuts are fixed. This page lists every one the app handles.

Which shortcuts work in the phone app?

With a hardware keyboard on an iPhone, iPad or Android device, the app handles the single keys in the last table: arrows, Enter, Space, +, Delete, Backspace and Esc. Combinations with Ctrl, ⌘ or Alt are web only. See The phone app.