Overview
Cleve is designed for keyboard-first productivity. This reference covers all keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate, write, and create faster.
Notation:
Cmd = Command key on macOSCtrl = Control key on Windows/Linux+ = Press keys simultaneouslythen = Press keys in sequence
Global Navigation
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Open search | Cmd + / | Ctrl + / |
| New writing | Cmd + N | Ctrl + N |
| New idea | Cmd + Shift + I | Ctrl + Shift + I |
| Toggle zen mode | Cmd + \ | Ctrl + \ |
| Open command palette | Cmd + K | Ctrl + K |
| Show keyboard shortcuts | Cmd + Shift + / | Ctrl + Shift + / |
Panel Management
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Focus writing editor | Cmd + 1 | Ctrl + 1 |
| Focus AI chat | Cmd + 2 | Ctrl + 2 |
| Focus ideas panel | Cmd + 3 | Ctrl + 3 |
| Toggle categories sidebar | Cmd + B | Ctrl + B |
| Close current panel | Cmd + W | Ctrl + W |
| Maximize panel | Cmd + M | Ctrl + M |
| Reset layout | Cmd + Shift + R | Ctrl + Shift + R |
| Next panel | Cmd + ] | Ctrl + ] |
| Previous panel | Cmd + [ | Ctrl + [ |
Text Editing
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Bold | Cmd + B | Ctrl + B |
| Italic | Cmd + I | Ctrl + I |
| Underline | Cmd + U | Ctrl + U |
| Strikethrough | Cmd + Shift + X | Ctrl + Shift + X |
| Code | Cmd + E | Ctrl + E |
| Link | Cmd + K | Ctrl + K |
| Heading 1 | Cmd + Alt + 1 | Ctrl + Alt + 1 |
| Heading 2 | Cmd + Alt + 2 | Ctrl + Alt + 2 |
| Heading 3 | Cmd + Alt + 3 | Ctrl + Alt + 3 |
| Blockquote | Cmd + Shift + B | Ctrl + Shift + B |
| Code block | Cmd + Alt + C | Ctrl + Alt + C |
| Bullet list | Cmd + Shift + 8 | Ctrl + Shift + 8 |
| Numbered list | Cmd + Shift + 7 | Ctrl + Shift + 7 |
Editing Actions
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Undo | Cmd + Z | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | Cmd + Shift + Z | Ctrl + Shift + Z |
| Cut | Cmd + X | Ctrl + X |
| Copy | Cmd + C | Ctrl + C |
| Paste | Cmd + V | Ctrl + V |
| Paste without formatting | Cmd + Shift + V | Ctrl + Shift + V |
| Select all | Cmd + A | Ctrl + A |
| Find in document | Cmd + F | Ctrl + F |
| Replace | Cmd + H | Ctrl + H |
| Delete line | Cmd + Shift + K | Ctrl + Shift + K |
| Duplicate line | Cmd + Shift + D | Ctrl + Shift + D |
| Move line up | Alt + Up | Alt + Up |
| Move line down | Alt + Down | Alt + Down |
Navigation
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Jump to start of line | Cmd + Left | Home |
| Jump to end of line | Cmd + Right | End |
| Jump to start of document | Cmd + Up | Ctrl + Home |
| Jump to end of document | Cmd + Down | Ctrl + End |
| Select to start of line | Cmd + Shift + Left | Shift + Home |
| Select to end of line | Cmd + Shift + Right | Shift + End |
| Select word | Double-click | Double-click |
| Select paragraph | Triple-click | Triple-click |
Writing Management
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Save writing | Cmd + S | Ctrl + S |
| Rename writing | Cmd + R | Ctrl + R |
| Delete writing | Cmd + Backspace | Ctrl + Delete |
| Duplicate writing | Cmd + D | Ctrl + D |
| Export writing | Cmd + E | Ctrl + E |
| Share writing | Cmd + Shift + S | Ctrl + Shift + S |
| Toggle public/private | Cmd + Shift + P | Ctrl + Shift + P |
| View writing info | Cmd + I | Ctrl + I |
| Close writing | Cmd + W | Ctrl + W |
AI Chat
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| New conversation | Cmd + Shift + N | Ctrl + Shift + N |
| Send message | Enter | Enter |
| New line (in message) | Shift + Enter | Shift + Enter |
| Stop generation | Cmd + . | Ctrl + . |
| Regenerate response | Cmd + Shift + R | Ctrl + Shift + R |
| Copy last response | Cmd + Shift + C | Ctrl + Shift + C |
| Toggle voice input | Cmd + Shift + V | Ctrl + Shift + V |
| Toggle context sources | Cmd + Shift + K | Ctrl + Shift + K |
| Switch AI model | Cmd + Shift + M | Ctrl + Shift + M |
| Clear conversation | Cmd + Shift + Delete | Ctrl + Shift + Delete |
Ideas Panel
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| New idea | Cmd + Shift + I | Ctrl + Shift + I |
| Save idea | Enter | Enter |
| Delete idea | Backspace or Delete | Backspace or Delete |
| Edit idea | Double-click | Double-click |
| Select multiple ideas | Cmd + Click | Ctrl + Click |
| Select range | Shift + Click | Shift + Click |
| Select all ideas | Cmd + A | Ctrl + A |
| Search ideas | Cmd + F | Ctrl + F |
| Move to category | Cmd + Shift + M | Ctrl + Shift + M |
| Convert to writing | Cmd + Enter | Ctrl + Enter |
Categories & Organization
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| New category | Cmd + Shift + C | Ctrl + Shift + C |
| Rename category | F2 | F2 |
| Delete category | Cmd + Backspace | Ctrl + Delete |
| Expand/collapse category | Space | Space |
| Collapse all categories | Cmd + Shift + Up | Ctrl + Shift + Up |
| Expand all categories | Cmd + Shift + Down | Ctrl + Shift + Down |
| Share category | Cmd + Shift + S | Ctrl + Shift + S |
Search
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Open global search | Cmd + / | Ctrl + / |
| Search in writing | Cmd + F | Ctrl + F |
| Next search result | Cmd + G | Ctrl + G |
| Previous search result | Cmd + Shift + G | Ctrl + Shift + G |
| Close search | Escape | Escape |
| Toggle semantic search | Cmd + Shift + S | Ctrl + Shift + S |
| Filter by type | Cmd + Shift + F | Ctrl + Shift + F |
View & Display
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Toggle dark mode | Cmd + Shift + L | Ctrl + Shift + L |
| Increase font size | Cmd + + | Ctrl + + |
| Decrease font size | Cmd + - | Ctrl + - |
| Reset font size | Cmd + 0 | Ctrl + 0 |
| Toggle fullscreen | Cmd + Ctrl + F | F11 |
| Toggle zen mode | Cmd + \ | Ctrl + \ |
| Show/hide toolbar | Cmd + Shift + T | Ctrl + Shift + T |
| Show/hide word count | Cmd + Shift + W | Ctrl + Shift + W |
Workspace Presets
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Writing focus preset | Cmd + Shift + 1 | Ctrl + Shift + 1 |
| Brainstorming preset | Cmd + Shift + 2 | Ctrl + Shift + 2 |
| Research preset | Cmd + Shift + 3 | Ctrl + Shift + 3 |
| Full productivity preset | Cmd + Shift + 4 | Ctrl + Shift + 4 |
| Save current layout | Cmd + Shift + L | Ctrl + Shift + L |
| Load saved layout | Cmd + Shift + O | Ctrl + Shift + O |
Accessibility
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Toggle screen reader mode | Cmd + Alt + S | Ctrl + Alt + S |
| Increase contrast | Cmd + Alt + C | Ctrl + Alt + C |
| Toggle high contrast | Cmd + Alt + H | Ctrl + Alt + H |
| Focus next element | Tab | Tab |
| Focus previous element | Shift + Tab | Shift + Tab |
| Activate focused element | Enter or Space | Enter or Space |
| Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
|---|
| Open developer console | Cmd + Alt + I | Ctrl + Shift + I |
| Reload page | Cmd + R | Ctrl + R |
| Hard reload (clear cache) | Cmd + Shift + R | Ctrl + Shift + R |
| Inspect element | Cmd + Shift + C | Ctrl + Shift + C |
Markdown Shortcuts
Type these sequences to quickly format text:
| Input | Result |
|---|
# + Space | Heading 1 |
## + Space | Heading 2 |
### + Space | Heading 3 |
- + Space | Bullet list |
1. + Space | Numbered list |
> + Space | Blockquote |
``` + Space | Code block |
--- + Enter | Horizontal rule |
[ ] + Space | Checkbox (unchecked) |
[x] + Space | Checkbox (checked) |
Custom Shortcuts
You can customize shortcuts in Settings → Keyboard.
Creating Custom Shortcuts
- Go to Settings → Keyboard → Custom Shortcuts
- Click “Add Shortcut”
- Choose the action
- Press your desired key combination
- Click Save
Avoid overriding system shortcuts or browser defaults. Cleve will warn you if there’s a conflict.
Tips for Power Users
Combo Shortcuts
Combine shortcuts for maximum efficiency:
Cmd + N → Start new writing
Cmd + \ → Enter zen mode
Start writing immediately with no distractions
Chaining Actions
Cmd + / → Open search
Type query → Find writing
Enter → Open writing
Cmd + \ → Zen mode for focused editing
Context-Aware Shortcuts
Some shortcuts behave differently based on context:
Enter in chat = Send messageEnter in idea input = Save ideaEnter in search = Open resultShift + Enter everywhere = New line
Workflow Automation
Create custom shortcuts for common workflows:
Cmd + Shift + B → Brainstorming Mode
(Opens ideas panel + AI chat + new writing)
Mobile & Tablet
Touch devices support gestures instead of shortcuts:
| Gesture | Action |
|---|
| Swipe right | Open sidebar |
| Swipe left | Close sidebar |
| Swipe down | Refresh |
| Pinch out | Zoom in |
| Pinch in | Zoom out |
| Long press | Context menu |
| Double tap | Select word |
Browser-Specific Notes
Chrome/Edge
- All shortcuts work as documented
- No conflicts with browser defaults
Firefox
- Some
Cmd + Shift combos may conflict
- Customize in Firefox settings if needed
Safari
- Some shortcuts may be intercepted by macOS
- Disable conflicting system shortcuts in System Settings
Troubleshooting
Shortcut Not Working
Solutions:
- Check if another app is using the shortcut
- Verify you’re focused on the correct panel
- Try using the menu to perform the action
- Reset shortcuts to default in Settings
Keyboard Layout Issues
Solutions:
- Ensure keyboard layout is set correctly
- Some layouts may require different key combinations
- Customize shortcuts for your specific keyboard
Workspace
Learn about panel management and layouts.
Writing System
Master the writing editor shortcuts.
AI Chat
Use shortcuts for faster AI interactions.
Getting Started
Learn the basics before diving into shortcuts.
