Move faster in Obsidian with Shortcuts! Move around your vault without touching the mouse. The Shortcuts plugin lets you trigger any Obsidian command, custom action, or UI element by chaining single keys, modifier combos, or full key sequences. A scissors icon in the status bar shows when shortcuts are active and gives you quick access to your personal cheat sheet.
Highlights
- Create shortcuts such as
S,Ctrl+Shift+H, orA then B+C then D - Auto-enable shortcut mode when you leave an editor or input (optional)
- Surface context-aware shortcuts based on where you are in the app
- Display helpers, notifications, and surfing hints so you always know what will fire
- Stay productive on desktop or laptops without a full keyboard
Tip: When shortcut mode is active the plugin listens to every key you press. It stops listening as soon as you focus an editor or standard input so that normal typing works as expected.
- Open Obsidian settings → Community plugins → Browse
- Search for “Shortcuts” or install manually from the release ZIP
- Enable the plugin and review the settings tab labelled Shortcuts
- (Optional) Pin the scissors icon to your status bar for fast access
If you install from source, clone this repo inside your vault’s .obsidian/plugins/ folder and run npm install && npm run build. Then enable it from Obsidian’s plugin list.
- Click the scissors icon or press your configured trigger key (default
Esc) to enter shortcut mode. - Start pressing keys. The plugin will display matching shortcuts and execute the first exact match.
- Hit
Escagain (or use the focus keyI) to leave shortcut mode and return focus to the editor or input you were using.
Right-click the scissors icon at any time to see your active shortcut list and tips.
| Type | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Single key | Press one key | S |
| Modified key | Combine with Ctrl/Alt/Shift/Meta | Ctrl+Alt+L |
| Simultaneous combo | Press several keys together | J + K |
| Hybrid sequence | Mix combos and singles in order | Ctrl+K then V then Shift+Tab |
| Surfing hint | Temporary key labels placed next to UI elements | AA, SC, etc. |
Sequences are evaluated left to right. For example, if you configure Ctrl+J then P, pressing Ctrl+J, releasing, then pressing P will run the mapped command.
- Quick capture:
Qopens a Daily Note,Q+Sinserts a timestamp,Q+Ttoggles a task. （Not yet implemented） - Navigation:
Gthen1jumps to your Inbox folder,GthenRreopens the most recent note. - Editing:
Ctrl+Shift+Madds YAML metadata,MthenBbolds the current selection. - Canvas/Surfing: activate Surfing mode and press the on-screen pair such as
ADto click complex UI elements without the mouse. - Workspace automation: assign
Wthen1to open Workspaces Plus layout or trigger third-party commands.
You can mix Obsidian core commands, community plugin commands, and custom functions provided by Shortcuts.
- Sequences: Organize shortcuts by groups. Each entry supports multiple configs (combos, sequences, or surfing hints).
- Trigger key: Choose how you toggle shortcut mode.
Escis the default, but any key or combo works. - Timeout: Control how long the plugin waits for the next key in a sequence (default 1200 ms).
- Notifications: Toggle “current sequence” popups or “shortcut executed” confirmations.
- Auto shortcut mode: Keep shortcut mode active whenever you are not typing in an editor or input field.
- Left-click: Toggle shortcut mode on/off.
- Right-click: Open the Tips view showing current bindings, scopes, and usage hints.
- Active state: When lit, every key press is interpreted as part of a shortcut.
Choose where a shortcut works: general, editor-only, UI elements, or custom scopes added by other plugins. This keeps editing shortcuts from firing in the wrong context.
Surfing overlays short key labels next to buttons and clickable elements. Type the label to “click” that target instantly—ideal for command palettes, tab headers, settings, or ribbon icons.
While in shortcut mode you can press I (or your configured focus key) to return to the previous editor/input without losing cursor position. Leaving shortcut mode automatically restores the last focus target.
- Floating Search – summon search with a single shortcut.
- Large Language Models – bind prompts or AI helpers to quick keys.
- Workspaces Plus – switch entire layouts in one sequence.
| Issue | Resolution |
|---|---|
| Shortcuts keep firing while I type | Disable auto-shortcut mode or choose a different trigger key. |
| Nothing happens when I press a sequence | Check the timeout value; long pauses reset the sequence. Also ensure no modal dialogs are open if Esc is the trigger key. |
| Surfing labels do not appear | Confirm surfing feature is enabled in settings and that the active view supports it. |
| I forgot what a shortcut does | Right-click the status bar scissors for the Tips view or review the Sequences list in settings. |
