Keyboard shortcuts

Complete list of keyboard shortcuts available in Baram.

Platform Note: On Windows and Linux, replace Cmd with Ctrl and Option with Alt unless otherwise noted.

File

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
New File	`Cmd+N`	`Ctrl+N`
Open File	`Cmd+O`	`Ctrl+O`
Open Folder	`Cmd+Shift+O`	`Ctrl+Shift+O`
Save	`Cmd+S`	`Ctrl+S`
Save As	`Cmd+Shift+S`	`Ctrl+Shift+S`
Close Tab	`Cmd+W`	`Ctrl+W`
Close Workspace	`Cmd+Shift+W`	`Ctrl+Shift+W`
Export…	`Cmd+Shift+E`	`Ctrl+Shift+E`
Quick Switcher	`Cmd+K`	`Ctrl+K`
Command Palette	`Cmd+P`	`Ctrl+P`
Settings	`Cmd+,`	`Ctrl+,`

Editing

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Undo	`Cmd+Z`	`Ctrl+Z`
Redo	`Cmd+Shift+Z`	`Ctrl+Y`
Cut	`Cmd+X`	`Ctrl+X`
Copy	`Cmd+C`	`Ctrl+C`
Paste	`Cmd+V`	`Ctrl+V`
Select All	`Cmd+A`	`Ctrl+A`
Find	`Cmd+F`	`Ctrl+F`
Replace	`Cmd+H`	`Ctrl+H`
Toggle Fold	`Cmd+Shift+[`	`Ctrl+Shift+[`
Fold All	`Cmd+Shift+Alt+[`	`Ctrl+Shift+Alt+[`
Unfold All	`Cmd+Shift+Alt+]`	`Ctrl+Shift+Alt+]`

Inline Formatting

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`
Highlight	`Cmd+Shift+H`	`Ctrl+Shift+H`
Inline Code	`Cmd+E`	`Ctrl+E`

Block Formatting

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Heading 1	`Cmd+1`	`Ctrl+1`
Heading 2	`Cmd+2`	`Ctrl+2`
Heading 3	`Cmd+3`	`Ctrl+3`
Heading 4	`Cmd+4`	`Ctrl+4`
Heading 5	`Cmd+5`	`Ctrl+5`
Heading 6	`Cmd+6`	`Ctrl+6`
Code Block	`Cmd+Alt+C`	`Ctrl+Alt+C`
Math Block	`Cmd+Shift+M`	`Ctrl+Shift+M`
Blockquote	`Cmd+Shift+B`	`Ctrl+Shift+B`
Bullet List	`Cmd+Shift+8`	`Ctrl+Shift+8`
Ordered List	`Cmd+Shift+7`	`Ctrl+Shift+7`
Task List	`Cmd+Shift+9`	`Ctrl+Shift+9`
Table	`Cmd+T`	`Ctrl+T`
Mermaid Diagram	`Cmd+Shift+D`	`Ctrl+Shift+D`
Toggle Open/Close	`Cmd+Enter`	`Ctrl+Enter`
Indent	`Tab`	`Tab`
Outdent	`Shift+Tab`	`Shift+Tab`

View

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Reload	`Cmd+R`	`Ctrl+R`
Source Mode Toggle	`Cmd+/`	`Ctrl+/`
Toggle Left Sidebar	`Cmd+Shift+L`	`Ctrl+Shift+L`
Toggle Activity Bar	`Cmd+Alt+A`	`Ctrl+Alt+A`
Toggle Status Bar	`Cmd+Alt+S`	`Ctrl+Alt+S`
Toggle Tab Bar	`Cmd+Alt+B`	`Ctrl+Alt+B`
Zoom In	`Cmd+=`	`Ctrl+=`
Zoom Out	`Cmd+-`	`Ctrl+-`
Reset Zoom	`Cmd+0`	`Ctrl+0`

Zoom scales the editor content, not the whole window. Trackpad pinch works too, and the level is shared with the built-in image/SVG viewer and the PDF reader.

Reload has no native OS-level shortcut on Windows/Linux — Ctrl+R is already vim mode’s redo there, and menu accelerators can’t defer to it. Instead, Ctrl+R is a customizable app shortcut (Settings > Keybindings > View > Reload) that steps aside automatically: it only reloads when vim isn’t actively handling the key (vim mode off, or outside a vim redo context), so a real vim redo is never shadowed. On macOS, Cmd+R is the native menu accelerator and vim mode never sees it (Cmd isn’t vim’s redo modifier there), so there’s no such handoff to make.

On Windows and Linux, Ctrl+Alt is physically AltGr — on some keyboard layouts (Polish, for example) Ctrl+Alt+A/S/B can collide with typing accented characters. All three are customizable in Settings > Keybindings if that happens on your layout.

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Quick Switcher	`Cmd+K`	`Ctrl+K`
Navigate Back	`Cmd+[`	`Ctrl+[`
Navigate Forward	`Cmd+]`	`Ctrl+]`
Tab Switcher (MRU)	`Ctrl+Tab`	`Ctrl+Tab`
Previous Tab (MRU)	`Ctrl+Shift+Tab`	`Ctrl+Shift+Tab`
Bookmark Current File	`Cmd+D`	`Ctrl+D`
Backlink Panel	`Cmd+Shift+B`	`Ctrl+Shift+B`

Tools

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Command Palette	`Cmd+P`	`Ctrl+P`
Command Palette (alternate)	`Cmd+Shift+P`	`Ctrl+Shift+P`
Global Search	`Cmd+Shift+F`	`Ctrl+Shift+F`
Settings	`Cmd+,`	`Ctrl+,`

AI & Skills

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Inline AI Prompt	`Cmd+J`	`Ctrl+J`
AI Chat Panel	`Cmd+Shift+A`	`Ctrl+Shift+A`
Toggle Ghost Text	`Cmd+Shift+G`	`Ctrl+Shift+G`
Skill Test	`Cmd+Shift+T`	`Ctrl+Shift+T`

Perspective

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Writing Perspective	`Cmd+Option+1`	`Ctrl+Alt+1`
Zettel Perspective	`Cmd+Option+2`	`Ctrl+Alt+2`
Journal Perspective	`Cmd+Option+3`	`Ctrl+Alt+3`
Skills Perspective	`Cmd+Option+4`	`Ctrl+Alt+4`
Focus Perspective	`Cmd+Option+5`	`Ctrl+Alt+5`

All five are customizable in Settings > Keybindings, under the Perspective category. Choosing a perspective applies its saved layout exactly, so Writing and Focus do close the sidebar — that’s what they’re for. Baram itself never force-closes an open folder tree: the one automatic fallback (returning to Writing when you close the Journal or Zettel context tab) only reopens the sidebar if it was already open, and your expanded folders stay expanded either way.

Journal

Journal shortcuts use dedicated Cmd+Shift letters chosen to avoid the editor and app shortcuts (Mermaid, Math Block, Export, Command Palette), so there are no conflicts.

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Open Today’s Journal	`Cmd+Shift+J`	`Ctrl+Shift+J`
Toggle Memories View	`Cmd+Shift+R`	`Ctrl+Shift+R`
Photo Gallery	`Cmd+Shift+I`	`Ctrl+Shift+I`

Zettel

The Zettel space (atomic Zettelkasten notes) uses Cmd+Shift letters that are free in both the app keybindings and the native menu. A capture’s tags decide where it lands: a tag matching a note’s title or alias appends it to that note’s ## Captures section, and a capture that matches nothing falls back to the Zettel inbox/.

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Quick Capture	`Cmd+Shift+N`	`Ctrl+Shift+N`
Save capture (in dialog)	`Cmd+Enter`	`Ctrl+Enter`
New Zettel	`Cmd+Shift+V`	`Ctrl+Shift+V`
Promote to Permanent Note	`Cmd+Shift+U`	`Ctrl+Shift+U`
New Note from Selection	`Cmd+Shift+Y`	`Ctrl+Shift+Y`
New MOC	`Cmd+Shift+C`	`Ctrl+Shift+C`

Tasks

The Tasks feature must be on (Settings › Tasks). Cmd+Alt+T does two jobs: in the editor it opens the task dialog — editing the task line the cursor is on, or creating a new one; in Quick Capture it switches that dialog into task mode.

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Task input / edit task	`Cmd+Alt+T`	`Ctrl+Alt+T`
Quick Capture	`Cmd+Shift+N`	`Ctrl+Shift+N`
Confirm a recognized date	`Tab`	`Tab`

A global capture shortcut that opens Quick Capture in task mode even when Baram is in the background can be assigned in Settings › Tasks. It has no default — a global shortcut is intercepted system-wide.

Task rows

These work on a focused row in the Tasks panel and in the Weekly review — one table, so a key learned in one place means the same thing in the other.

Keys	Action
`j` / `k` (or `↑` / `↓`)	Move between rows
`X`	Advance to the next state
`T`	Due today
`S`	Defer to `#someday`
`D`	Open the triage menu
`Delete` / `Backspace`	Delete the line (asks first)

The two destructive-adjacent bindings are deliberate: only Delete/Backspace removes a line, because a letter key is too easy to brush against. Korean keyboard layouts are handled by physical key position, so X works while the IME is active.

In the editor

Keys	Action
`Space` (vim, normal)	Toggle the task under the cursor
`Tab`	Confirm the underlined date Baram recognized in your text

Ghost Text (AI Autocomplete)

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Accept Full Suggestion	`Tab`	`Tab`
Accept First Word	`Cmd+Right`	`Ctrl+Right`
Dismiss	`Escape`	`Escape`

Table (inside tables)

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Next Cell	`Tab`	`Tab`
Previous Cell	`Shift+Tab`	`Shift+Tab`
Merge / Split Cells	`Cmd+M`	`Ctrl+M`

Math Editing (inside math blocks)

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Confirm Block Math	`Shift+Enter`	`Shift+Enter`
Cancel / Exit	`Esc`	`Esc`

PDF Reader (inside a PDF tab)

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Find in PDF	`Cmd+F`	`Ctrl+F`
Next / Previous Match	`Enter` / `Shift+Enter`	`Enter` / `Shift+Enter`
Close Find	`Esc`	`Esc`
Zoom In / Out	`Cmd+=` / `Cmd+-`	`Ctrl+=` / `Ctrl+-`
Area Highlight (temporary)	`Alt+drag`	`Alt+drag`
Cancel Area Drag	`Esc`	`Esc`

Cmd+F in a PDF tab opens Find in PDF rather than the editor’s find bar. Holding Alt while dragging draws an area highlight without switching the toolbar into area mode. Page navigation, the side panel, and the two highlight modes are toolbar buttons — see the User Guide.

File Tree

Action	macOS	Windows / Linux
Rename File	`F2`	`F2`
Confirm Rename	`Enter`	`Enter`
Cancel Rename	`Esc`	`Esc`

Tips

Slash Commands: Type / at the start of an empty line to open the block insertion menu
Wikilinks: Type [[ to start a wikilink with autocomplete
@Mentions: Type @ to mention a page or date — select from Quick Dates (Today/Yesterday/Tomorrow) or workspace pages
Footnotes: Type [^id] to insert a footnote reference — the definition is auto-created at the end of the document
Markdown Shortcuts: You can always type raw markdown syntax (e.g., **bold**, # Heading) — Baram converts it automatically
Floating Toolbar: Select text to see a floating toolbar with formatting options
Tab Switcher: Hold Ctrl while pressing Tab to cycle through recently used tabs; release Ctrl to select
Ghost Text: AI autocomplete appears as faded text — press Tab to accept, Cmd+Right for just the first word, Escape to dismiss
Find & Replace: Use Cmd+F to find text, Cmd+H to find and replace. Press Enter/Shift+Enter to navigate between matches
Folding: Hover over a heading or nested list item to see a fold arrow. Click it or press Cmd+Shift+[ to collapse/expand. Use Cmd+Shift+Alt+[ / ] to fold/unfold all
Date Mentions: Type @ and select Today/Yesterday/Tomorrow to insert a date mention chip linked to that day’s journal entry
Tags: Type #tag (autocompletes vault-wide); Cmd/Ctrl+click a tag to search every file that uses it
Quick Capture: Press Cmd+Shift+N (or the /capture slash command) to jot something down. Tags decide where it lands — a tag matching a note’s title or alias appends it to that note

Vim Mode

Enable Settings > Editor > Vim Keybindings (off by default). One switch turns vim on across three editing surfaces, and the status bar shows the current mode (-- NORMAL --, -- INSERT --, -- VISUAL --; -- INSERT (math) -- while a block editor holds the keys).

Surface	How you get there	What is available
Source Mode	`Cmd+/` / `Ctrl+/`, and code-file tabs (JSON, Python, …)	Full vim: modal editing, motions, operators, counts, text objects (`ciw`, `di"`), `.` repeat, search (`/`, `n`), marks, macros, registers
WYSIWYG	The normal rich-text editor	Modal editing on the rendered document — see the command list below
Code blocks	Click into (or move into) a code block in a WYSIWYG document	Full vim, as in Source Mode, plus boundary crossing back to the document

WYSIWYG commands

Group	Keys
Modes	`i` `a` `I` `A` · `o` `O` · `v` (charwise) `V` (linewise) · `Esc`
Motions	`h` `j` `k` `l` and the arrow keys · `0` `$` `^` (Home/End) · `w` `b` · `gg` `G` (first / last line, on its first non-blank; a code block is entered at its start — use `:N` for a specific line)
Find in line	`f` `F` `t` `T` + a character · `;` `,` to repeat
Search	`/` forward · `?` backward · `n` `N` repeat — see Search
Operators	`d` `c` `y` with a motion (`dw`, `cw`, `dj`, `d$`, `dfx`, `dgg`) · doubled for whole lines (`dd` `yy` `cc`)
Counts	Any motion or operator (`3j`, `2d3w` = six words)
Edit	`x` · `p` `P` · `u` `Ctrl+r` · `Space` toggles the task item under the cursor
Visual	`d`/`x` delete · `y` yank · `v`/`V` switch charwise ↔ linewise · `Esc`
View	`zz` `z.` center the cursor line (also in visual mode)
Ex	`:w` save · `:q` close tab · `:N` / `:$` go to a line

Structure-aware behavior: tables, math blocks, images and hard-break segments each count as one line for j/k; a code block counts as one line from the outside. Inside a table, h/l cross cell boundaries so every cell in a row is reachable, while j/k move down a row keeping the column; dd on a table row deletes the row (the header row and the only remaining data row are protected); dd inside a list keeps nested children. The cursor is kept on screen after every command.

The cursor column works as in vim: j/k remember the column they started from, so a short or empty line on the way does not lose it, and after $ they follow each line’s end. Leaving insert mode with Esc moves the cursor one character left of where the insert cursor was (never past the start of the line), as in vim, and :N lands on the line’s first non-blank like gg/G, following Vim’s default startofline (Neovim defaults to nostartofline, which keeps the column when possible). A selection made in insert mode (Shift+arrows, a drag, Cmd+A) does not survive Esc: it collapses to one cursor on the character where the selection ended (a selection that ends just after a code block lands on the last character before the block). In normal mode the cursor never sits past the end of a line that has text — after x or d$ removes a line’s last character, or a click past the end of a line, it lands on the last character. ^, I, z., gg/G and :N treat a link or tag at the start of a line as its first non-blank and stop on it.

YAML frontmatter at the top of a note is one line for j/k, 0/$ and line operators such as dd, but ^, I, z., gg/G, :N and insert-mode Esc work on each YAML line. Inside it, the cursor can also rest on the end of a YAML line.

Not in WYSIWYG yet — these work in Source Mode and code blocks today: text objects (ciw, di"), . repeat, r, e/E/W/B, J, ~, >>/<<, %, {/}, zt/zb, the Ctrl+D/Ctrl+U/Ctrl+F/Ctrl+B scroll motions, marks, macros and named registers. Visual block (Ctrl+V) is intentionally not planned for the rich-text surface.

Search (WYSIWYG)

/ and ? open a search line in the status bar; Enter jumps, Esc cancels, n/N repeat in the same/opposite direction, and an empty Enter reuses the last pattern.

The pattern is a JavaScript regular expression matched line by line (^/$ anchor to a line, . does not cross lines), case-insensitive unless it contains an uppercase letter (smartcase). The search wraps around the document.
It searches only the open document and is independent of the app’s Cmd+F find bar. It moves the cursor; matches are not highlighted.
A match inside a code block lands the cursor in that block. Korean can be typed into the search line with the IME.

Code block boundaries

Keys	Action
`j` / `k` (or arrows) into a block	Enter the block on its first / last line, keeping the column (in visual mode the block is entered at its start)
Arrow keys in insert mode	Enter the block and keep typing — insert mode carries over
`Esc` (in normal mode)	Leave the block and return to document-level vim
`j` / `k` (or arrows) on the last / first line	Leave the block downward / upward
`u` / `Ctrl+r`	Undo/redo the document history, so edits inside and outside the block share one stack

Your mode follows the cursor across the boundary in both directions, whether you move by keyboard or click with the mouse: leave a block in insert and the document is in insert; press Esc inside a block and the document is in normal when you come out. Clicking between blocks or back into the document works in every mode. : and / open vim’s own prompt inside the block; keys typed there stay in the prompt. Known limitation: zz/z. do nothing inside a code block (the block scrolls with the document, not by itself).

Block editors (math, Mermaid, SVG, HTML, query)

These blocks are atoms in the document: j/k treat each as one line and dd deletes the whole block. With a block selected, i opens its editor (the status bar shows -- INSERT (math) -- and so on), Esc returns to the block in normal mode with the block still selected, and a click in normal mode selects the block without opening it.

Ex commands

Available on all three surfaces. The command line appears in the status bar as you type; Enter runs it, Esc abandons it, and Backspace on an empty line closes it.

Command	Action
`:w` / `:write`	Save the current file
`:q` / `:quit`	Close the current tab (unsaved-changes guard applies)
`:N` (e.g. `:42`)	Go to line N — lines are counted the way `j`/`k` count them, so a hard-break segment or a table row is one line and a code block is one line; out-of-range numbers land on the last line
`:$`	Go to the last line

Source Mode and code blocks also accept the CodeMirror adapter’s own ex commands and / search; WYSIWYG recognises only the four above.

Korean IME: vim commands work with the Korean input source active on every surface — in normal/visual mode keys are resolved by physical position (pressing the j key moves down even when it would type ㅓ), and stray jamo insertion is blocked. Insert mode types Korean normally. In WYSIWYG, f followed by a consonant jamo jumps by 초성 (f ㄱ finds 강, 김, 그). This behavior is verified on macOS; Windows/Linux are not yet validated.

The vim register is shared app-wide (like the clipboard) and is not written to disk; a yank inside a code block cannot yet be pasted outside it, or vice versa. Vim key sequences are not remappable via Settings > Keybindings.

Customization

All keyboard shortcuts can be remapped in Settings > Keybindings. Search for a shortcut by name or key, click Edit, then press the new key combination. Conflicts are detected automatically. Use the ↺ button to reset individual shortcuts, or Reset All Keybindings to restore defaults. Vim key sequences (see above) are a separate layer and are not remappable here.

Plugin commands appear under Plugins, each with its plugin’s name, and start with no key — a plugin cannot choose one for you. A key the app already uses can’t be given to a plugin command, the editor’s fixed formatting keys such as Cmd+B included: the conflict is shown and the confirm button stays disabled. Two plugin commands can trade a key — confirming moves it to the command you are editing. A key you gave a plugin command stays in your settings while that plugin is off or removed, and works again when it is back; meanwhile it still counts as taken, and giving it to another command removes it. Reset All Keybindings clears plugin keys too. If an app update or an edited settings file leaves a plugin key overlapping another shortcut, the plugin’s row says what happens: when the other shortcut is a core command or an earlier plugin’s command, that one runs; when it is an editor formatting key, both run.

See the full User Guide for detailed feature descriptions.