Keyboard Shortcuts

A complete reference. On macOS the modifier is Command. On Windows and Linux, replace Command with Control everywhere it appears.

Command palette

The palette is the fastest way to drive Slate without reaching for the mouse, so you never break flow. See Command Palette for the full reference.

⌘KCtrlKOpen the command palette
⌘⇧PCtrl⇧POpen the palette (command-bar style)
⌘⇧SpaceCtrl⇧SpaceOpen the palette
⌘/Ctrl/Open the palette with / pre-typed for slash commands
⌘⏎Ctrl⏎Open the highlighted file and keep the palette open
EscEscClear the query (press again to close the palette)

Switching views

Ctrl⌘1Ctrl⇧1Plain-text view
Ctrl⌘2Ctrl⇧2WYSIWYG view
Ctrl⌘3Ctrl⇧3Reading view
⌘\Ctrl\Toggle split (editor + preview)
⌥Z⌥ZToggle soft wrap for the current document. See Code and Config Files for the defaults.

Formatting

These shortcuts wrap the current selection in Markdown markers. With no selection, they insert the markers and place the cursor between them. Pressing the same shortcut on already-wrapped text removes the wrapping.

⌘BCtrlBToggle bold
⌘ICtrlIToggle italic
⌘UCtrlUToggle underline
⌘ECtrlEToggle inline code
⌘⇧XCtrl⇧XToggle strikethrough
⌘KCtrlKInsert a link (when a selection is active in the editor; otherwise opens the command palette)
⌘1Ctrl1Set heading 1 (also 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 with the matching number)
⌘0Ctrl0Clear heading (back to paragraph)

File operations

⌘SCtrlSSave
⌘NCtrlNNew document
⌘OCtrlOOpen file
⌘⇧OCtrl⇧OOpen folder (add a workspace root)
⌘WCtrlWClose the current tab
⌘⇧WCtrl⇧WClose every open workspace folder

Editing

⌘ZCtrlZUndo
⌘⇧ZCtrl⇧ZRedo
⌘⇧ZCtrlYRedo (Windows-style alternative)
⌘FCtrlFFind in document
⌘GF3Find next
⌘⇧G⇧F3Find previous
⌘ACtrlASelect all

Reading view

These work while a document is in Reading view. They scale the rendered text without changing the file on disk.

⌘=Ctrl=Zoom in
⌘-Ctrl-Zoom out
⌘0Ctrl0Reset zoom to 100%

Navigation

CtrlTabCtrlTabNext tab
Ctrl⇧TabCtrl⇧TabPrevious tab
⌘⌥←Ctrl⌥←Focus the sidebar (opens it if collapsed)
⌘⌥→Ctrl⌥→Focus the outline (pins it if needed)
⌘⌥↑Ctrl⌥↑Focus the editor
⌘⌥↓Ctrl⌥↓Focus the bottom panel (terminal and tools)
F6F6Cycle focus through the visible panels (Shift+F6 reverses)
EscEscClose the find bar, slash menu, or any open overlay

Platform notes

Modifier keys differ by platform, but the rest of a shortcut is the same. Slate uses the platform's standard conventions so muscle memory from other native apps carries over.

  • macOS. Cmd is the primary modifier. Option is the second-tier modifier (used for word-by-word movement and a few power shortcuts).
  • Windows and Linux. Ctrl is the primary modifier. Alt replaces Option.
  • Function keys. Windows and Linux also accept F3 for find next and F2 for rename, since those keys are conventional in file managers there.

For platform-specific menu structures and other differences, see Platforms.