Skip to content

Keyboard shortcuts

This page is for anyone who would rather keep their hands on the keyboard. It lists every shortcut in Kosmos, one table for each part of the application. For a first tour, read Getting started.

How shortcuts work

Kosmos has two kinds of shortcut.

  • Space sequences. Press Space, let go, then press the next key. You have half a second for each key. Space then n is two keys. Space then f then m is three. Any other key cancels the sequence.
  • Single keys. Press the key on its own: c, d, i, [ or ].

Both kinds do nothing in these cases:

  • The cursor is in a field. That includes a text box, a date box, a drop-down list and a checkbox you clicked last. Click an empty part of the page first.
  • A dialog, a confirmation prompt or a palette is open. Close it first. While a palette is open, only its own keys work.
  • Caps Lock is on, or you are holding Shift. The letters must be lower case.
  • You are holding Ctrl, Cmd or Alt. Those combinations are left to your browser, so Ctrl + C still copies.

On a Mac, Cmd works in place of Ctrl in every shortcut on this page, except Ctrl with the mouse wheel in the document viewer.

Good to know:

  • Because Space starts a shortcut, it does not scroll the page.
  • The Matters list opens with the cursor already in Filter list . . ., so shortcuts do nothing there until you click outside the box.
  • Shortcuts in the sidebar opens a shorter list inside Kosmos.

Everywhere

These work on every page that has the sidebar.

Keys What it does
Space then n Opens Create New.
Space then m Opens Switch Matter.
Space then g Opens Go to.
Space then b Narrows the sidebar to icons, or widens it again.
Space then f then f Opens Search on the All tab.
Space then f then m, p, c, i or n Opens Search on Matters, Proceedings, Contacts, Intakes or Notes.
i Puts the cursor in the page's quick box, on the pages that have one. See Lists.

The palettes

A palette is a short list that opens in the middle of the screen.

Palette Keys What it lists
Create New Space then n Time Entry, Task, Expense, Event, Contact and Intake. Each opens the dialog that adds one.
Switch Matter Space then m Every matter with the status Open that you can see, by name. Type part of a name to shorten the list.
Go to Space then g The sidebar entries from Dash to Reports, marked Nav, and the tabs on the page you are on, marked Tab. Type part of a name to shorten the list.

Inside a palette:

Keys What it does
↓ and ↑ Move down and up the list. At the end, the list starts again.
j and k The same as ↓ and ↑, in Create New only.
Enter Chooses the highlighted line. That is the first line unless you moved.
Esc Closes the palette. So does a click outside it.

Good to know:

  • Inside a matter, a time entry, task, expense or event from Create New starts on that matter.
  • Intake needs the Intakes permission. Ask your administrator.
  • Switch Matter opens the matter on its Detail side. Go to does not list Search, Settings or Shortcuts.

Inside a matter

These work on both sides of a matter unless the row says otherwise. See Matters for the two sides and their tabs.

Keys What it does
c Changes to the Case side, on the tab you last used there.
d Changes to the Detail side, on the tab you last used there.
[ and ] On the Detail side, open the previous or the next matter on its Overview tab.
i On the Tasks tab, puts the cursor in + Quick Task. On the Notes tab, in Keyword Search. On the AI tab, in Filter conversations . . ..

Good to know:

  • [ and ] step through matters with the status Open, in name order. After the last comes the first. On a matter that is not Open they do nothing.

Lists

Where Keys What it does
Tasks, list or board [ and ] Show the previous or the next user's tasks.
Tasks, list i Puts the cursor in the quick-add box.
Tasks, quick-add box Enter Adds the task. The cursor stays in the box for the next one.
Tasks, quick-add box Esc Leaves the box, so single keys work again.
Tasks, board Shift + click Selects a card, or clears it.
Activity: Time, Expenses, Flat Fees [ and ] Show the previous or the next user's entries.
Matters i Puts the cursor in Filter list . . ..
Matters, Filter list . . . Enter Opens the first matter in the list.
Library i Puts the cursor in Keyword Search.

Good to know:

  • [ and ] go through the firm's active users in username order. After the last comes the first. They never stop on All: click All to see everyone again.
  • On a matter's own Tasks and Activity tabs, [ and ] change the matter, not the user.

See Tasks and Time and expenses.

The Search window

Search opens with the cursor in the box, so you can type at once. The other keys work only after you leave the box.

Where Keys What it does
In the box Enter Opens the first result.
In the box Esc or Tab Leaves the box.
Out of the box j or ↓ Highlights the next result.
Out of the box k or ↑ Highlights the previous result.
Out of the box l or → Changes to the next tab and searches again.
Out of the box h or ← Changes to the previous tab and searches again.
Out of the box Enter Opens the highlighted result, or the first if none is highlighted.
Out of the box i Puts the cursor back in the box.
Out of the box Esc Closes Search.

Search in the sidebar reopens on the tab you used last. The Intakes tab needs the Intakes permission.

The document viewer

The viewer opens a document in its own browser tab. The Space sequences and single keys do not work there. See Documents.

Keys What it does
Ctrl + F Puts the cursor in the viewer's Search... box. Click in the document first, or your browser's own find opens.
Enter In Search..., goes to the next match. In the page box, goes to the page you typed.
Shift + Enter In Search..., goes to the previous match.
Esc In Search..., clears the search and leaves the box.
Ctrl + mouse wheel Zooms the document in or out.
Esc Closes Create Highlight without saving.

The notes editor

Ordinary editing keys (bold, italic, undo, redo) work as they do elsewhere. These are the editor's own. Its menu More actions → Keyboard shortcuts shows a list too. See Notes.

Ctrl + K, Ctrl + H, Ctrl + S and Ctrl + ? work wherever the cursor is in the editor. The keys that change the note itself (the headings, lists, highlights and the other formatting keys, Ctrl + D and Insert source) work only while the cursor is in the note's text. With the cursor in the title or in Find..., they do nothing.

Keys What it does
Ctrl + K Opens Search Notes. ↓ and ↑ move, Enter opens the note, Esc closes.
Ctrl + H Shows or hides the Search & Replace bar. Enter in Find... goes to the next match. Enter in Replace with... replaces the current match. Esc closes the bar.
Ctrl + S Saves now.
Ctrl + ? Opens the editor's Keyboard Shortcuts list.
Ctrl + 1 to Ctrl + 5 Heading 1 to 5. Press again for normal text.
F2, F3, F4 Heading 2, 3 or 4.
Ctrl + 0 Normal text.
Ctrl + 7 or F7 Bullet list.
Ctrl + 8 Blockquote.
Ctrl + ↑ and Ctrl + ↓ Move the list item up or down.
Ctrl + D or Ctrl + Delete Deletes the paragraph the cursor is in.
Ctrl + Shift + ; Insert source: opens the source picker at the cursor. Esc closes it.
Ctrl + Shift + S Strikethrough.
Ctrl + E Inline code.
Ctrl + Alt + C Code block.
Tab and Shift + Tab In a code block, add or remove four spaces.
Alt + 1 to Alt + 6 Highlight in gray, yellow, green, red, purple or orange. Press again to remove it.
Alt + A, Y, G, R, P or O The same six colours, by letter. A is gray.
Alt + ` or Alt + C Removes the highlight.
Enter and Esc In the note's title, or while renaming in the file list: Enter saves the name, Esc puts the old one back.

The formatting keys also work in Compose Prompt in the AI chat, where Ctrl + S saves your draft. See AI chat.

Good to know:

  • Ctrl + D asks for no confirmation. Press Ctrl + Z to undo it.
  • Your browser may keep a combination for itself, such as Ctrl + 1 to change browser tabs. Use the other key in the table, or the toolbar.

Dialogs, forms and chat

Where Keys What it does
Any dialog Esc Closes it without saving.
A form in a dialog Enter In a one-line field, submits the form, as its Submit button does.
A confirmation Esc Cancels.
A confirmation Tab, then Enter Confirms. The dialog opens with Cancel selected, so Enter alone cancels.
A box you edit in place, such as Work Status Enter Saves. Clicking elsewhere saves too.
Search contacts... in a dialog ↓ and ↑, then Enter Move through the results and choose one.
An open menu Esc Closes the menu.
A chat message box Enter Sends the message. Shift + Enter starts a new line.
A chat in its own window Esc Stops the reply in progress. Pressed twice within half a second, it empties the message box.

Good to know:

  • Esc closes a dialog at once. What you typed in it is lost, with no warning.
  • On pages with the sidebar, clicking outside a dialog does not close it. Use Esc or the close button.