Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts let you navigate Kanman, manage tasks, and perform common actions without lifting your hands from the keyboard. Once you learn a few key shortcuts, you’ll find yourself working significantly faster—especially during task triage, planning sessions, or any time you’re processing a lot of work items.

You don’t need to memorize every shortcut to benefit. Start with a few essentials like Ctrl+K for search and Space for toggling task status, then gradually add more as they become relevant to your workflow.

Global Shortcuts

These shortcuts work anywhere in the application, regardless of what view you’re in or what’s focused:

Shortcut	Action	Notes
Ctrl+K / Cmd+K	Open search	The quickest way to find anything
Escape	Close modal/panel	Works on any open dialog or panel
?	Show keyboard shortcuts help	Quick reference when you forget a shortcut

Navigation

Navigate between major sections of the app without clicking through menus. These use a two-key sequence starting with G (for “go”):

Shortcut	Action	What It Does
G then H	Go to Home	Jump to your homepage dashboard
G then B	Go to Boards	Open the boards list
G then S	Go to Settings	Open the settings drawer
G then T	Go to Trash	View deleted items

Board View

When you’re viewing a board, these shortcuts help you work with projects and tasks:

Shortcut	Action	What It Does
N	New project	Create a new project in the current board
V	Toggle view	Switch between Simple and Kanban layouts
F	Focus filter	Open the project filter dropdown
/	Focus search	Jump to the search field in the header

Project Operations

When a project is selected (highlighted), these shortcuts apply:

Shortcut	Action	What It Does
T	Add task	Create a new task in the focused project
E	Edit project	Open the project settings modal
D	Delete project	Move the project to trash (with confirmation)
↑ / ↓	Navigate projects	Move focus between projects on the board
Enter	Expand/collapse	Toggle the project’s expanded state

Task Operations

When a task is selected, these shortcuts let you manage it quickly:

Shortcut	Action	What It Does
Space	Toggle status	Cycle through Waiting → In Progress → Done
E	Edit task	Open the task detail panel for editing
D	Delete task	Move the task to trash (with confirmation)
Enter	Open details	Open the full task detail panel
↑ / ↓	Navigate tasks	Move focus between tasks in a project

Task Detail View

When the task detail panel is open, use these shortcuts:

Shortcut	Action	What It Does
Escape	Close panel	Close without explicit save (auto-saves)
Ctrl+Enter	Save and close	Explicitly save and close the panel
Tab	Next field	Move to the next input field
Shift+Tab	Previous field	Move to the previous input field

Kanban View

In Kanban view, these shortcuts make task management fast and fluid:

Shortcut	Action	What It Does
→	Move task right	Advance to next status column
←	Move task left	Move back to previous status column
↑ / ↓	Navigate vertically	Move between tasks in the current column
Tab	Next column	Move focus to the next status column
Shift+Tab	Previous column	Move focus to the previous status column

Text Editing

When editing task descriptions, notes, or any rich text field, these standard formatting shortcuts apply:

Shortcut	Action	Mac Equivalent
Ctrl+B	Bold	Cmd+B
Ctrl+I	Italic	Cmd+I
Ctrl+U	Underline	Cmd+U
Ctrl+K	Insert link	Cmd+K
Ctrl+E	Inline code	Cmd+E
Ctrl+Shift+X	Strikethrough	Cmd+Shift+X
Ctrl+Z	Undo	Cmd+Z
Ctrl+Shift+Z	Redo	Cmd+Shift+Z

Understanding Combo Keys

Some shortcuts require two keys pressed in sequence (not simultaneously). This is common in applications like Gmail, Slack, and VS Code.

How combo keys work:

1. Press and release the first key
2. Press the second key within 1 second
3. The action triggers

Example: G then H (Go to Home)

1. Press G and release it
2. Within 1 second, press H
3. You’re taken to the home page

If you wait too long between keys, the sequence resets. This prevents accidental navigation when typing.

Viewing All Shortcuts

Can’t remember a shortcut? You have two options:

1. Press ? anywhere in the app to see the shortcuts overlay
2. Go to Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts for a browsable reference

The shortcuts overlay groups shortcuts by context, making it easy to find what you need.

Customization

Currently, keyboard shortcuts use fixed mappings and cannot be customized. We’ve chosen shortcuts that are consistent with other productivity tools and easy to remember.

If you have feedback on specific shortcuts or need additional ones, let us know through the feedback form in Settings.

Accessibility

Keyboard shortcuts are designed with accessibility in mind:

• Screen reader support - Shortcuts are announced to screen readers when used
• Assistive technology compatibility - Works with standard assistive technologies
• Consistent behavior - Same shortcuts work the same way throughout the app
• Mouse fallback - Every action available via shortcut is also available via mouse or touch

If keyboard shortcuts are difficult for you to use, all functionality remains accessible through the graphical interface.

Tips for Learning Shortcuts

Start with the Essentials

You don’t need to learn everything at once. These four shortcuts will cover most of your daily needs:

1. Ctrl+K - Open search (find anything instantly)
2. T - Add a new task (when a project is focused)
3. Space - Toggle task status (cycle through states)
4. Escape - Close any open panel or modal

Master Navigation

The G shortcuts transform how you move around the app:

• G then H - Return home from anywhere
• G then B - Jump directly to your boards list
• G then S - Open settings without hunting for the menu

Stay in Flow

Here’s a common workflow entirely via keyboard:

1. Ctrl+K - Search for a project by name
2. Enter - Open the search result
3. T - Add a new task
4. Type the task name, press Enter
5. Escape - Close and continue

With practice, this becomes muscle memory and you’ll process tasks much faster than clicking.

Related Topics

• Search - Learn more about Kanman’s quick search capabilities
• Interface - Understand the UI elements you’re navigating
• Accessibility - Configure additional accessibility options