You can reach most of Canto from the keyboard. Three keys get you most of the way: ⌘K finds and runs anything, ⌘J opens Ask, and ⌥Space captures a thought from any app.
In Canto, Help › Keyboard Shortcuts (⌘/) opens Settings › Keyboard, which lists the same shortcuts. The tables on this page are generated from Canto's own list, so they match the app.
Shortcuts you can change#
Change any of these in Settings › Keyboard › Shortcuts you can change: click the shortcut and type the new keys. If the keys you type already belong to another shortcut, Canto offers to swap them.
Shortcuts you can change| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ⇧⌘K | AI commands for this note | Opens ⌘K on this note’s AI commands. A selection is offered first. In a note. |
|---|
| ⌘. | Ask about the selection | Opens Ask beside the note with the selected text quoted. In a note, with text selected. |
|---|
| ⌘L | Quote the selection in Ask | Adds the selected text to what you are writing in Ask. In a note, with text selected. |
|---|
| ⌘J | Show or hide Ask | The toolbar’s Ask button. Menu: View › Ask. Main window. |
|---|
| ⇧⌘V | Dictation | Starts or stops dictation where you are typing. Where you type. |
|---|
| ⇧⌘R | Read aloud | Reads the selection, or the note, aloud. In a note (in the Ask composer ⇧⌘R is Think). |
|---|
| ⌘T | Live transcription | Opens the live transcription panel. Main window. |
|---|
Quick capture#
Quick capture works in every app, even when Canto's window is closed. A small window takes a thought, a link or a selection and saves it to your Inbox, without switching to Canto. Turn it off or choose other keys in Settings › Keyboard › Quick capture. It's also File › Quick Capture….
Quick capture| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ⌥ Space | Quick capture | Opens a small window that saves a thought to the Inbox, from any app. Menu: File › Quick Capture…. Anywhere on your Mac, even with Canto’s window closed. |
|---|
Navigation#
Navigation| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ⌘N | New note | Menu: File › New Note. |
|---|
| ⌥⌘N | New note from a template | Menu: File › New Note from Template…. |
|---|
| ⇧⌘N | New folder | Menu: File › New Folder. |
|---|
| ⌘W | Close the document (the one before it shows) | Menu: File › Close. |
|---|
| ⇧⌘T | Reopen the last closed document | Menu: File › Reopen Closed Document. |
|---|
| ⌘[ | Back | Menu: Go › Back. |
|---|
| ⌘] | Forward | Menu: Go › Forward. |
|---|
| ⌃⇥ | Next split pane (⇧ for the one before) | |
|---|
| ⇧⌘H | Home | Menu: Go › Home. |
|---|
View and search#
View and search| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ⌘K | Go to, search, run a command or ask (⌘P too) | Menu: View › Command Bar…. |
|---|
| ⌘↩ | Ask about what you typed in ⌘K | |
|---|
| ⇧⌘F | Search notes, chats and files, with filters | Menu: Go › Search…. |
|---|
| ⌘F | Find in the note | Menu: Edit › Find…. |
|---|
| ⌘\ | Show or hide the sidebar | Menu: View › Show or Hide Sidebar. |
|---|
| ⇧⌘\ | Open the document in a split | Menu: View › Open in Split. |
|---|
| ⌥⌘I | Move to the inspector (Ask · Context · Info) | Menu: View › Inspector. |
|---|
| ⌘, | Settings | Menu: Canto › Settings…. |
|---|
Editor#
Editor| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ⌘B | Bold | |
|---|
| ⌘I | Italic | |
|---|
| ⌘E | Code in a line | |
|---|
| ⇧⌘Y | The note’s history | Menu: View › Note History. |
|---|
Markdown shortcuts work as you type, too: type # and a space for a heading, - for a list, [ ] for a to-do, and so on. The "/" menu shows the shortcut beside each block type.
Composer#
These work in every Ask composer: beside a note, on a chat page and on Home.
Composer| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ↩ | Send | |
|---|
| ⇧↩ | New line | |
|---|
| / | Actions (type at the start of a message) | |
|---|
| ⌘↩ | Research instead (a cited report for this message) | |
|---|
| Esc | Stop the answer (when the field is empty) | |
|---|
| ↑ | Edit your last message (when the field is empty) | |
|---|
| ⇧⌘P | Choose the model | |
|---|
| ⇧⌘R | Think on or off | |
|---|
| ⌘U | Attach files | |
|---|
| @ | Mention a note | |
|---|
| ⇥ | Put the highlighted action in the message, to add words | |
|---|
Actions#
Actions| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| / | Actions and blocks in a note (type at the start of a line) | |
|---|
Export and import#
Export and import| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ⇧⌘E | Export as Markdown | Menu: File › Export › Markdown…. |
|---|
| ⇧⌘I | Import a .canto file | Menu: File › Import › Canto File (.canto)…. |
|---|
These are in the menu bar but not in Settings › Keyboard.
Menu bar| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ⌥⇧⌘V | Paste and Match Style | Menu: Edit › Paste and Match Style. Main window. |
|---|
| ⇧⌘J | Wide Chat | Menu: View › Wide Chat. Main window. |
|---|
| ⇧⌘G | Vault Graph | Menu: Go › Vault Graph. Main window. |
|---|
| ⌘/ | Keyboard Shortcuts | Menu: Help › Keyboard Shortcuts. Main window. |
|---|
Standard Mac keys#
Standard Mac keys| Keys | Does | Details |
|---|
| ⌘H | Hide Canto | |
|---|
| ⌥⌘H | Hide Others | |
|---|
| ⌘Q | Quit Canto | |
|---|
| ⌘Z | Undo | |
|---|
| ⇧⌘Z | Redo | |
|---|
| ⌘X | Cut | |
|---|
| ⌘C | Copy | |
|---|
| ⌘V | Paste | |
|---|
| ⌘A | Select All | |
|---|
| ⌘M | Minimize | |
|---|
Same keys, different places#
A few keys do different things depending on where you are:
- ⌘↩ asks about what you typed in the ⌘K bar; in the Ask composer it turns the message into Research instead.
- ⇧⌘R reads aloud; while the Ask composer has the focus, it turns Think on or off.
- / at the start of a line in a note opens actions and blocks; at the start of a message in the composer it opens actions.
- ⌘W closes the document in the main window, and closes the Settings window when that's in front.
Canto
Tulip
opsty
subtank
Saferow