---
title: "Keyboard Shortcuts"
description: "Every keyboard shortcut in Cerevisor, with context, modifier behavior, and the Escape stack."
slug: reference/keyboard-shortcuts
section: reference
canonical_url: https://cerevisor.com/docs/reference/keyboard-shortcuts
last_verified: 2026-05-18
last_verified_version: "1.2.0"
updated_at: 2026-05-18T15:08:18.053416+00:00
---

Cerevisor's keyboard shortcuts are context-aware. A shortcut may do different things depending on which view you're in (canvas, workshop, memory) and whether a text field has focus. The tables below note context where it matters.

> Throughout these docs, **Ctrl** means **⌘ Cmd** on macOS. The app handles this for you; both modifiers work on Mac.

## File and workflow

| Shortcut | Context | Action |
|---|---|---|
| **Ctrl+N** | Anywhere except text fields | New workflow. Prompts to save if the current one has unsaved changes. |
| **Ctrl+O** | Anywhere except text fields | Open file dialog. Loads `.cerevisor`, `.cerevisor-world`, or `.opaal` files. |
| **Ctrl+S** | Anywhere — even inside text fields | Save the current workflow (or skill, if you're in the Workshop). |
| **Ctrl+Shift+S** | Anywhere | Save As — forces the file picker, lets you write to a new path. |
| **Ctrl+E** | Canvas | Export the generated prompt to a `.md` file (the "Launch in Claude Code" path). |

## Edit

| Shortcut | Context | Action |
|---|---|---|
| **Ctrl+Z** | Canvas or editor | Undo the last action. Cerevisor keeps 50 levels of undo per workflow. |
| **Ctrl+Shift+Z** | Canvas or editor | Redo. |
| **Ctrl+A** | Canvas | Select all agents. |
| **Ctrl+C** | Canvas, no active text selection | Copy selected agents to clipboard. |
| **Ctrl+V** | Canvas, no active text selection | Paste agents at the canvas centroid. |
| **Ctrl+D** | Canvas | Duplicate selected agents in place. |
| **Delete** / **Backspace** | Canvas, no active text selection | Delete selected agents and connections. |

## View and navigation

| Shortcut | Context | Action |
|---|---|---|
| **V** | Canvas, not in placement mode | Toggle between Select and Pan modes. |
| **Space (hold)** | Canvas, not in placement mode | Temporarily switch to Pan mode while held. Release returns to your previous mode. |
| **P** | Canvas | Toggle the Prompt preview modal open/closed. |
| **F11** | Anywhere | Toggle fullscreen mode. Title bar and status bar collapse; the canvas takes the entire window. |
| **Escape** | Anywhere | Close the topmost overlay. See the [Escape stack](./interactions.md#the-escape-stack) for the full order. |
| **?** or **Ctrl+/** | Anywhere | Toggle the Keyboard Shortcuts overlay. |

## Control groups

Control groups let you save a multi-agent selection to a numbered slot and recall it instantly, like RTS unit groups.

| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| **Ctrl+1** through **Ctrl+9** | Save the current selection to slot 1–9. |
| **Ctrl+Shift+1** through **Ctrl+Shift+9** | Recall the agents in slot 1–9 (replaces current selection). |

Slot indicators appear in the status bar with a count of how many agents are in each. Hover a badge to see the slot's contents.

## Placement (quick-add agents)

These shortcuts enter placement mode for the corresponding agent role. After pressing, your cursor becomes the agent's ghost, click anywhere on the canvas to place it.

| Shortcut | Adds |
|---|---|
| **1** | The first agent role in the visible palette order. |
| **2** | Second. |
| **3** | Third. |
| **…** | … |
| **9** | Ninth. |
| **0** | Tenth. |

The role for each number depends on your current Agent Palette ordering. You can reorder via Settings → Agents → Reorder.

Press **Escape** during placement to cancel without dropping anything. Right-click also cancels.

## Multi-workflow (World View)

| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| **Alt+1** through **Alt+9** | Fly the camera to the N-th workflow in the rail and activate it. |
| **Ctrl+Shift+W** | Replay the world-intro cinematic. |

## AI Builder (chat-to-build)

| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| **Ctrl+L** | Toggle the AI Chat Builder panel (the floating chat window). |
| **Ctrl+Shift+L** | Launch the current workflow in Claude Code (only available if you have the Claude CLI installed and configured). |

Inside the chat input:

| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| **Enter** | Submit the message. |
| **Shift+Enter** | Insert a newline without submitting. |

## When shortcuts are suppressed

By design, shortcuts that would steal focus or destructively act on the canvas are suppressed when you're typing into a text field. Specifically:

- **Delete, Backspace, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+D, Ctrl+A** do nothing if a text field has focus or you have an active text selection.
- **Ctrl+S** is the exception; it saves even from inside text fields, because losing in-progress text edits to a missed save is worse than the focus-stealing.
- **V, Space, 0–9** are suppressed when an input is focused, so typing letters or numbers into a text field works normally.

## Modifier semantics

| Modifier | Behavior |
|---|---|
| **Shift + click an agent** | Add to or remove from current selection. |
| **Shift + drag empty canvas** | Marquee-select. |
| **Hold Space** | Temporary pan mode. |
| **Alt + click an agent connection handle** | (Reserved.) |

## Mac vs. Windows

| Key on Windows | Key on macOS |
|---|---|
| **Ctrl** | **Cmd (⌘)** |
| **Alt** | **Option (⌥)** |
| **Windows key** | **Cmd (⌘)** |

Cerevisor accepts both Ctrl and Cmd on macOS for backward compatibility, Mac users can use either.

## The "I forgot the shortcut" affordance

Press **?** any time, anywhere in the app. The Shortcuts Overlay opens with the full list grouped by area. It's the same list you see above, just always one keystroke away.