Graph Keyboard Shortcuts
Complete keyboard reference for graph diagram editing. Keyboard shortcuts for building graphs, navigating nodes, controlling layout, and editing.
Graph diagrams support extensive keyboard shortcuts for efficient editing without reaching for the mouse. These shortcuts cover graph building, navigation, layout control, selection, and editing operations.
Graph Building
These shortcuts create new nodes and edges while maintaining graph structure.
| Shortcut | Action | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Tab | Create child node | Node selected |
| Enter | Create sibling node (after) | Node selected |
| Shift+Enter | Create sibling node (before) | Node selected |
| Double-click canvas | Create new node | Empty space |
| Shift+Drag | Create edge to target | From node to node |
Navigation
Arrow key navigation behaviour depends on the current authoring mode.
Mind Map Mode (Structural Navigation)
In Mind Map mode, arrow keys traverse the tree structure rather than spatial positions:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow Up | Select parent node |
| Arrow Down | Select first child node |
| Arrow Left | Select previous sibling |
| Arrow Right | Select next sibling |
Conceptual and Graph DB Modes (Spatial Navigation)
In Conceptual and Graph DB modes, arrow keys select the nearest node in that direction:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow Up | Select nearest node above |
| Arrow Down | Select nearest node below |
| Arrow Left | Select nearest node to the left |
| Arrow Right | Select nearest node to the right |
Layout Control
These shortcuts control the force simulation and node positioning.
| Shortcut | Action | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Toggle Exploration/Design mode | Graph focused |
| P | Toggle pin on selected nodes | Node(s) selected |
| R | Relax layout (unpin all) | Graph focused |
| Arrow keys | Move selected nodes by 10px | Design mode, node(s) selected |
| Shift+Arrow | Move selected nodes by 1px | Design mode, node(s) selected |
Selection
Shortcuts for selecting and managing selections.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+A | Select all nodes |
| Ctrl+Click | Toggle node in selection |
| Escape | Clear selection |
| Click canvas | Clear selection |
Editing
Shortcuts for editing node labels and deleting elements.
| Shortcut | Action | Context |
|---|---|---|
| F2 | Edit node label | Node selected |
| Alt+Enter | Open property sheet | Node or edge selected |
| Double-click node | Edit node label | On node |
| Double-click edge | Edit edge label | On edge |
| Delete / Backspace | Delete selected element | Node or edge selected |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo | Any |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo | Any |
Canvas Navigation
Shortcuts for moving around the canvas.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Scroll wheel | Zoom in/out |
| Right-click+Drag | Pan canvas |
| Ctrl+F / Cmd+F | Open node search |
Node Search
The search feature helps find nodes in large graphs.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+F / Cmd+F | Open search input |
| Enter | Navigate to next match |
| Shift+Enter | Navigate to previous match |
| Alt+Enter | Open properties for highlighted result |
| Escape | Close search |
Visual Layers
Toggle derived visual layers for graph analysis.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| D | Toggle depth colouring |
| V | Toggle validation overlay |