Browse all keyboard shortcut cheat sheets

Obsidian Keyboard Shortcuts (Latest (2026)) — Complete Cheat Sheet

Obsidian keyboard shortcuts for 2026 — create and link notes, search your vault, format markdown, and navigate your knowledge base without touching the mouse.

34 shortcuts across 3 categories · Windows · macOS · Linux

Obsidian is a markdown-based knowledge base where keyboard shortcuts are central to staying in a writing flow. From the Quick Switcher (Ctrl+O) for instant note navigation to Ctrl+K for creating wikilinks as you write, Obsidian's shortcuts are designed so your hands never need to leave the keyboard when building a second brain.

General & Navigation

Action	Shortcut	Description
Command Palette	`Ctrl` + `P`	Access all Obsidian commands; start typing to filter — the fastest way to trigger anything
Quick Switcher	`Ctrl` + `O`	Type part of a note title to jump to it instantly
New Note	`Ctrl` + `N`	Create a blank note in the current vault
Search Across Vault	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `F`	Full-text search across all notes, including backlinks
Navigate Back	`Alt` + `←`	Go back to the previously opened note (like browser history)
Navigate Forward	`Alt` + `→`	Go forward in your note navigation history
Rename Current Note	`F2`	Open the file rename UI for the active note
Open Graph View	`Ctrl` + `G`	Open the global graph view to visualise all note connections
Open Backlinks	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `B`	Show all notes that link to the current note
Follow Link Under Cursor	`Ctrl` + `Enter`	Open the [[wikilink]] under the cursor
Toggle Reading View	`Ctrl` + `E`	Switch between editing and reading (preview) mode
Toggle Left Sidebar	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `L`	Show or hide the left sidebar panel
Toggle Right Sidebar	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `R`	Show or hide the right sidebar panel
Close Active Pane	`Ctrl` + `W`	Close the currently focused note pane
Undo	`Ctrl` + `Z`	Undo the last action
Redo	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Z`	Redo the last undone action

Editing & Formatting

Action	Shortcut	Description
Bold	`Ctrl` + `B`	Wrap selected text with bold markdown
Italic	`Ctrl` + `I`	Wrap selected text with italic markdown
Underline (via plugin)	`Ctrl` + `U`	Underline selected text — requires the 'Underline' community plugin
Toggle Inline Code	`Ctrl` + `	Wrap selected text in inline code backticks
Toggle Strikethrough	`Alt` + `Shift` + `D`	Toggle strikethrough on selected text
Toggle Checklist	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `L`	Convert the current line to a task-list item (checkbox)
Toggle Comment	`Ctrl` + `/`	Comment out the selected markdown line
Duplicate Current Line	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `D`	Duplicate the current line below — handy for quick list entries
Move Line Up	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `↑`	Move the current line up in the document
Move Line Down	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `↓`	Move the current line down in the document
Indent List Item	`Tab`	Indent the current list item one level
Outdent List Item	`Shift` + `Tab`	Outdent the current list item one level

Links, Embeds & Templates

Action	Shortcut	Description
Insert Link to Note	`Ctrl` + `K`	Open the link dialog to create a [[wikilink]] to another note
Insert External Link	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `K`	Wrap selection in a markdown hyperlink [text](url)
Toggle Embed	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `M`	Quickly embed a note or block as ![[note]] inline
Insert Template	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Space`	Open the 'Insert template' dialog to apply a recurring note structure
Open Link in New Pane	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Enter`	Open the wikilink under cursor in a split pane
Open Developer Console	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `I`	Open the developer console — for power users and plugin debugging

Obsidian Tips & Tricks

Ctrl+O is your primary navigation tool: The Quick Switcher (Ctrl+O) finds any note in your vault instantly by fuzzy-matching the title. You don't need deep folder hierarchies — just link liberally with Ctrl+K and search with Ctrl+O. Your graph view becomes genuinely useful over time.
Ctrl+P runs any command you can't remember: Obsidian has hundreds of commands — most with no default shortcut. Press Ctrl+P and type what you want (e.g. 'fold', 'template', 'move file'). You can also assign a permanent shortcut to anything from inside the palette.
Ctrl+Shift+Space inserts templates without a mouse click: If you use the Templater or core Templates plugin, Ctrl+Shift+Space opens the template picker inline. Pair it with a library of note templates (daily notes, meeting notes, project briefs) and new notes take seconds to scaffold.

Frequently Asked Questions — Obsidian

How do I create a new note in Obsidian?: Press Ctrl+N (Cmd+N on Mac) to create a new note in your vault. The note opens in the editor immediately so you can start writing. If you want to create a note and link to it at the same time, type [[note name]] anywhere in your text and press Ctrl+Enter to follow the link and create the note.
How do I search across all notes in Obsidian?: Press Ctrl+Shift+F (Cmd+Shift+F on Mac) to open the full-text search panel, which searches across every note in your vault. For quick note-by-note navigation by title, use Ctrl+O (Cmd+O on Mac) to open the Quick Switcher instead.
How do I switch between editing and reading mode in Obsidian?: Press Ctrl+E (Cmd+E on Mac) to toggle between Edit mode (where you write markdown) and Reading mode (where the rendered preview is shown). Obsidian also supports Live Preview mode, which renders markdown inline as you type without needing to switch.
How do I create a link to another note in Obsidian?: While writing, press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on Mac) to insert an internal wikilink. Obsidian will show an autocomplete dropdown of existing note names. Linking notes freely is the core habit that makes the graph view useful over time — link early and often.

How to Learn Obsidian Keyboard Shortcuts

Obsidian is a markdown-based personal knowledge management tool where notes are stored as plain text files on your local device — no cloud, no subscription required for the core product. Its keyboard shortcut system is designed around the specific demands of building and navigating a knowledge base that grows over time: the Quick Switcher (Ctrl+O) opens an instant-search dialog for jumping to any note by filename, the Command Palette (Ctrl+P) provides access to any Obsidian command or plugin action, and Ctrl+K creates a wikilink while you're typing without interrupting your writing flow. These three shortcuts handle the majority of interactions in a typical Obsidian session.

Where Obsidian's shortcut system really shines is in how well it supports a writing-first workflow. The Ctrl+E shortcut toggles between editing and preview mode (in Source Mode), though most experienced users prefer Live Preview mode where markdown renders as you type without needing to switch. Alt+← and Alt+→ navigate backward and forward through your navigation history — essential for the 'follow the link, then return' exploration pattern that Obsidian's graph encourages. Obsidian supports extensive keyboard customization through its settings, and many of its most powerful features (like the Graph View, Local Graph, and Backlinks panel) have assignable shortcuts. The plugin ecosystem also adds shortcuts — the Templater plugin, Calendar plugin, and Dataview plugin each add their own keyboard actions, making Obsidian's total shortcut vocabulary highly extensible.