# Use keyboard shortcuts

Build and explore a mind map without moving repeatedly between the canvas and its toolbars.

## Before you start

Click an idea or an empty part of the canvas so that Mind Map Studio has keyboard focus. Editing shortcuts are unavailable on a read-only map.

On macOS, use **Command** where a shortcut shows **Command/Ctrl**. On Windows or Linux, use **Ctrl**.

## Open the shortcut guide

Press **?** while the canvas is active. You can also select **Keyboard shortcuts and gestures** at the bottom of the sidebar or from **More actions** in the map header.

Press **Escape** or select **Got it** to close the guide.

## Create and edit ideas

| Shortcut | Result |
| --- | --- |
| **Tab** | Add a child idea beneath the selected idea. While editing, keep the current text and start a child. |
| **Enter** | Add a sibling idea. While editing, keep the current text and start a sibling. |
| **F2** | Rename the selected idea. |
| **Command/Ctrl+Enter** | Finish editing without creating another idea. |
| **Escape** | Cancel the current edit. |
| **Delete** or **Backspace** | Delete the selected non-central idea. Its children are kept and reconnected to its parent. |
| **Space** | Collapse or expand the selected branch. |

Double-clicking an idea is the pointer equivalent of **F2**.

## Move between ideas

Use the arrow keys to move the selection through visible parents, children, and siblings.

- In a horizontal map, left and right usually move between a parent and child; up and down move between siblings.
- In a top-down tree, up and down move between a parent and child; left and right move between siblings.
- In a bi-directional map, the parent direction reverses for branches on the left side of the center.

Ideas hidden inside a collapsed branch are skipped. Dimmed ideas remain available for keyboard navigation.

## Change an idea's progress

| Shortcut | Map progress |
| --- | --- |
| **1** | **To do** |
| **2** | **In progress** |
| **3** | **Stalled** |
| **4** | **Done** |

These shortcuts update map progress only. They do not change Jira workflow status.

## Focus by progress

| Shortcut | Focus action |
| --- | --- |
| **Command/Ctrl+1** | Add or remove **To do** from the focus filter. |
| **Command/Ctrl+2** | Add or remove **In progress** from the focus filter. |
| **Command/Ctrl+3** | Add or remove **Stalled** from the focus filter. |
| **Command/Ctrl+4** | Add or remove **Done** from the focus filter. |

You can activate more than one state. Use **Clear status filter** in the header to return to the complete view.

## Copy, move, and duplicate branches

| Shortcut | Result |
| --- | --- |
| **Command/Ctrl+C** | Copy the selected idea and all of its descendants to Mind Map Studio's temporary branch clipboard. |
| **Command/Ctrl+X** | Cut the selected non-central idea and all of its descendants. |
| **Command/Ctrl+V** | Paste the copied branch beneath the selected idea. If the system clipboard contains web addresses or a Jira key, Mind Map Studio recognizes that content instead. |
| **Command/Ctrl+D** | Duplicate the selected non-central branch beside the original. |

Select the intended parent before pasting a copied or cut branch.

## Undo and redo

| Shortcut | Result |
| --- | --- |
| **Command/Ctrl+Z** | Undo the latest canvas change. |
| **Command/Ctrl+Shift+Z** | Redo the latest undone change. |

Use Undo immediately after an accidental delete, cut, or **Reset**.

## Search the map

Press **Command/Ctrl+F** while the canvas is active to focus **Search notes…**. This opens the map search, not the browser's page search.

While the search field is active:

| Shortcut | Result |
| --- | --- |
| **Enter** | Move to the next match. |
| **Shift+Enter** | Move to the previous match. |
| **Escape** | Clear the search and leave the search field. |

## Open Jira issue creation

Press **J** after selecting an idea to open **Create Jira issue** for that idea.

Opening the dialog does not change Jira. Jira changes only after you complete the required fields and submit the creation action.

## Pan and zoom the canvas

| Gesture | Result |
| --- | --- |
| **Space+drag** | Move across the canvas. Clear the current idea selection first so **Space** does not collapse a branch. |
| **Scroll wheel** or **pinch** | Zoom in and out. |
| **Shift+Tab** | Leave the canvas and move keyboard focus to the surrounding interface. |

You can also use **Zoom In**, **Zoom Out**, and **Fit View** in the lower-left canvas controls.

## Good to know

- Shortcuts do not run while you are typing in a form field, except for the editing and search shortcuts described above.
- Copy, cut, and paste for branches use temporary in-app data and do not place a text version of the branch on your system clipboard.
- Repeated creation, deletion, and status keystrokes are suppressed to help prevent one held key from making several changes.
- Keyboard availability follows the open map's permissions.

## Fix a problem

### A shortcut runs in the browser instead

Click the canvas or an idea, then try again. The browser keeps the shortcut when Mind Map Studio does not have keyboard focus.

### Tab moves to another control

Select an idea first. Use **Shift+Tab** when you deliberately want to leave the canvas.

### Command/Ctrl+V creates a link instead of a copied branch

Mind Map Studio gives recognized web addresses and Jira keys from the system clipboard priority. Copy the branch again inside Mind Map Studio, or clear the system clipboard text before pasting the branch.

## Related guides

- [Build and edit a mind map](./building-and-editing.md)
- [Find and focus on map content](./focus-search-and-progress.md)
- [Add relationships and links](./relationships-and-links.md)