Keyboard Shortcuts

Complete list of Kanvas keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Linux and macOS, with the mode each one works in.

Categories:

Designer

Kanvas binds every shortcut to both modifier keys. On Windows and Linux use Ctrl. On macOS use Cmd. The tables write the modifier as Ctrl/Cmd.

Kanvas ignores shortcuts while you type in a text field, so typing a label, a comment or a search never triggers one. Open the same list inside the app with Ctrl/Cmd + /.

Shortcut	Action	Designer	Operator
`V` or `Esc`	Switch to the Select tool. `Esc` also closes open menus and dialogs.	Yes	Yes
`H`	Switch to the Pan tool.	Yes	Yes
`Space` (hold)	Pan while the key is down, then return to the Select tool.	Yes	Yes
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `P`	Turn the Pencil tool on or off.	Yes	No
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `E`	Turn the Pen tool on or off.	Yes	No
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `+`	Zoom in.	Yes	Yes
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `-`	Zoom out.	Yes	Yes
`\` (backslash)	Open the Layers panel.	Yes	Yes
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `/`	Open the shortcut reference in the help drawer.	Yes	Yes
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `Shift` + `/`	Open the Help Center.	Yes	Yes

The tools are described in Tool Modes.

Adding objects 🔗

Shortcut	Action
`M`	Add a comment near the center of the canvas.
`T`	Add a textbox near the center of the canvas and start typing.
`S`	Add a section near the center of the canvas.
`I`	Open the image picker to place an image.

Adding objects works in Designer mode only. See Canvas Objects.

Editing 🔗

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `Z`	Undo the last change.
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `Y` or `Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Z`	Redo the last undone change.
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `A`	Select all components.
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `C`	Copy the selection and the relationships between its members.
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `V`	Paste at the pointer.
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + `D`	Duplicate the selection, 50 pixels right and 50 pixels down.
`Delete` or `Backspace`	Delete the selection.

Undo and redo work in both modes. Copy, paste, duplicate and delete change the design, so they apply in Designer mode only. Cut has no shortcut because Kanvas has no cut action.

Mouse and wheel 🔗

Input	Action
Right-click, or press and hold	Open the object menu on an object, or the canvas menu on empty canvas.
Drag on empty canvas (Select tool)	Draw a selection box.
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + click	Add an object to the selection or remove it.
Scroll wheel	Pan vertically.
`Shift` + scroll wheel, or horizontal scroll	Pan horizontally.
`Ctrl`/`Cmd` + scroll wheel	Zoom toward the pointer.

In Operator mode, drag on empty canvas and Ctrl/Cmd + click select resources in the topology. Esc closes the interactive terminal while it has focus.

Zooming the page itself, rather than the canvas, is left to your browser. Kanvas binds no shortcut for it.

Shortcuts that are not bound 🔗

The interactive terminal has no keyboard shortcut. Open it from the terminal badge on a container or from the resource’s details. See Interactive Terminal.

Filtering resources in Operator mode is done in the view filters, not with a shortcut. See Operator Views.