Keyboard shortcuts
This page lists the default shortcuts of the desktop app and the keys of the jdig terminal viewer. The command palette (Ctrl+K) shows each command’s current shortcut next to its name, and Ctrl+/ opens the full list in Preferences.
The shortcuts in the command tables can be changed or removed, and a command without a default can be given one. See Customize shortcuts. The keys listed under Keys in views and dialogs are fixed.
Keys on macOS
Section titled “Keys on macOS”The tables give the Windows and Linux keys. On macOS:
- Ctrl in a shortcut is Cmd, and Alt is Option. The app shows shortcuts with the macOS symbols, for example ⇧⌘F for Ctrl+Shift+F. Pressing Ctrl instead of Cmd also works.
- Cmd+Tab belongs to macOS, so use Ctrl+ Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab to switch tabs.
- Mac keyboards have no Insert key. Use the context menu to insert nodes, or give the insert commands other shortcuts.
- Delete Node is Cmd+Fn+Delete, because the Delete key alone acts as Backspace.
- Redo Edit is Cmd+Y.
Shortcuts while typing
Section titled “Shortcuts while typing”When the cursor is in a text field, such as the search box or an editor, the field receives the keys. Only these commands still run from the keyboard: Open Command Palette, Next Search Result, Previous Search Result, and Save. Shortcuts shown in the menu bar also run, because the menu receives them first. For example, Ctrl+Shift+V in a text field runs Copy Value instead of pasting.
General and file
Section titled “General and file”| Command | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Command Palette | Ctrl+K | |
| Open Preferences | Ctrl+, | |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Ctrl+/ | Opens Preferences on the shortcuts list |
| Open File… | Ctrl+O | |
| Open Clipboard Contents | Ctrl+V | Only on the welcome screen, with no tabs open |
| Fetch from URL… | Ctrl+U | |
| Workspaces… | Ctrl+Shift+W | |
| Close Tab | Ctrl+W | |
| Next Tab | Ctrl+Tab | |
| Previous Tab | Ctrl+Shift+Tab | |
| Save | Ctrl+S | Saves the edits of the active tab |
| Save As… | Ctrl+Shift+S | |
| Capture View (SVG/PNG)… | Ctrl+Shift+E |
Search and query
Section titled “Search and query”| Command | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Find in Document | Ctrl+F |
| Find in All Open Tabs | Ctrl+Shift+F |
| Next Search Result | F3 |
| Previous Search Result | Shift+F3 |
| Go to Path | Ctrl+P |
| Go to Line | Ctrl+G |
| Open Query Bar | Ctrl+Shift+Q |
| Filter Objects… | Ctrl+Shift+L |
| JSONPath Query… | Ctrl+Shift+J |
| jq Query… | Ctrl+J |
| SQL Query… | Ctrl+E |
These commands act on the selected node in the tree.
| Command | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copy Key | Ctrl+Shift+K | |
| Copy Path | Ctrl+Shift+P | |
| Copy Value | Ctrl+Shift+V | |
| Copy JSON (formatted) | Ctrl+Shift+C | |
| Diff Selected Nodes | Ctrl+Shift+D | Needs exactly two selected nodes |
Editing
Section titled “Editing”These commands work on JSON files that can be edited. See How editing works.
| Command | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Edit Value… | F2 | Strings, numbers, booleans, and null |
| Edit Subtree… | Shift+F2 | |
| Rename Key… | Ctrl+F2 | |
| Insert Before… | Ctrl+Alt+Insert | |
| Insert After… | Ctrl+Insert | |
| Add Child… | Ctrl+Shift+Insert | On an object or an array |
| Delete Node | Ctrl+Delete | |
| Undo Edit | Ctrl+Z | Undoes typing when in a text field |
| Redo Edit | Ctrl+Y | Redoes typing when in a text field |
Keys in views and dialogs
Section titled “Keys in views and dialogs”These keys work in one part of the window and cannot be changed.
Tree view
Section titled “Tree view”| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Down / Up | Select the next or previous row |
| Right | Expand a collapsed object or array; otherwise select the next row |
| Left | Collapse an expanded object or array; otherwise select the parent |
| Enter | Expand or collapse the selected object or array |
| Home / End | Select the first or last row |
| Page Down / Page Up | Scroll one page without moving the selection |
| Space / Shift+Space | Scroll one page down or up without moving the selection |
| Ctrl+C | Copy the selected node: the JSON of an object or array, or a value as written in the file |
| Ctrl+A | Select the rows on screen |
| Ctrl+click, Shift+click | Add a row to the selection, or select a range of rows |
| Double-click | Expand an object or array and its descendants, or edit a value |
| Esc | Clear the selection |
In any view, Esc also closes the open bar or dialog: the Go to Line dialog first, then the query bar, then the search bar.
Search bar and results
Section titled “Search bar and results”| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter / Shift+Enter | Go to the next or previous match. If you changed the search, run it instead. |
| Up / Down | Step through earlier searches. Down in an empty box opens the list. |
| Esc | Close the search bar |
In the search results panel, Up, Down, Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down move through the matches, and Enter or Space shows the current match again. In the results of a search across all tabs, Left and Right collapse and expand a tab’s group.
Query bar and SQL
Section titled “Query bar and SQL”| Where | Key | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Filter, JSONPath, jq | Enter / Shift+Enter | Go to the next or previous result, or run a changed query |
| Filter, JSONPath, jq | Up / Down | Step through earlier queries |
| Filter, JSONPath, jq | Tab | Accept the highlighted suggestion |
| SQL editor | Ctrl+Enter | Run the query |
| SQL editor | Ctrl+Up / Ctrl+Down | Step through earlier queries |
| SQL result grid | Arrow keys | Move between cells |
| SQL result grid | Enter | Show the row’s record in the document |
| SQL result grid | Ctrl+C / Ctrl+Shift+C | Copy the cell, or the row as tab-separated text |
| Any | Esc | Close the suggestions, then the query bar |
Table view
Section titled “Table view”| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow keys | Move between cells |
| Home / End | Go to the first or last column |
| Page Up / Page Down | Go to the previous or next page of rows |
| Shift+F10 | Open the cell’s context menu |
| Left / Right on a column edge | Make the column narrower or wider |
Editors and dialogs
Section titled “Editors and dialogs”| Where | Key | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Inline value editor | Enter / Esc | Apply or cancel the edit |
| Subtree editor | Ctrl+Enter | Apply the edit |
| Subtree editor | Ctrl+F | Find in the editor |
| Subtree editor | Ctrl+G / Ctrl+Shift+G | Find the next or previous match |
| Insert, Apply JSON Patch, Fetch, and stream dialogs | Ctrl+Enter | Confirm the dialog |
| Go to Path | Up / Down, Enter | Choose a path and go to it |
| Command palette | Up / Down, Enter | Choose a command and run it |
jdig keys are fixed. Press ? in jdig to see a summary.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| j or Down, k or Up | Move down or up |
| l, Right, or Enter | Expand a collapsed object or array and move to its first child |
| h or Left | Collapse an expanded object or array; otherwise go to the parent |
| g g or Home | Go to the top |
| G or End | Go to the bottom |
| Ctrl+D / Ctrl+U | Move down or up half a screen |
| Page Down / Page Up | Move down or up one screen |
| z | Center the selected row on screen |
| o | Expand the selected node up to 5 levels deep, at most 500 objects and arrays |
| O | Collapse everything and go to the top |
| y | Copy the selected node as JSON |
| P | Copy the selected node’s path |
| / | Search |
| n / N or p | Go to the next or previous match |
| : | Run a jq or JSONPath query |
| [ / ] | Make the tree panel narrower or wider |
| Esc | Stop a running search or query |
| ? | Show the help; any key closes it |
| q or Ctrl+C | Quit |
For searching and querying in jdig, see Navigate and search in jdig.