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GitHub Shortcuts

This page is a complete keyboard shortcut reference for GitHub on macOS, covering all 75 shortcuts organized into 11 sections. Whether you’re new to GitHub or looking to master advanced features, this cheat sheet has every key combination you need — from basic editing and navigation to app-specific power-user actions.

Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to work in GitHub. Every time you use a shortcut instead of reaching for the mouse, you save a few seconds — and those seconds compound into hours over weeks and months. Start with the shortcuts you use most (copy, paste, undo, save), then gradually add app-specific ones as they become relevant to your workflow. Bookmark this page or download the PDF cheat sheet for quick reference.

Using keyboard shortcuts in GitHub reduces context switching between keyboard and mouse, helping you maintain focus and work more efficiently. Research shows that shortcut-driven workflows can save up to 8 working days per year compared to menu-driven navigation. On macOS, most GitHub shortcuts follow standard conventions — once you learn the modifier key patterns, new shortcuts become intuitive.

Tips for Learning Shortcuts

  • Practice one new GitHub shortcut each day. Muscle memory builds faster when you focus on a single combination at a time rather than trying to learn them all at once.
  • Print or bookmark this page for quick reference while working in GitHub. Having shortcuts visible nearby helps bridge the gap between looking them up and recalling them from memory.
  • Start with the shortcuts you use most. In GitHub, common actions like copy, paste, undo, and save are worth learning first since they apply across nearly every workflow.

Site wide shortcuts5

ActionShortcut
Show keyboard shortcuts?
Focus search barS
Close hovercardEsc
Command PaletteK
Command Palette in MarkdownK

Source code editing11

ActionShortcut
Open web editor.
Edit fileE
Find in editorF
Find nextG
Find previousG
ReplaceF
Replace allF
Jump to lineG
UndoZ
RedoY
Toggle edit/previewP

Source code browsing6

ActionShortcut
File finderT
Jump to line in codeL
Switch branch or tagW
Expand URL to canonical formY
Show/hide diff commentsI
Open blame viewB

Comments7

ActionShortcut
Bold textB
Italic textI
Create linkK
Toggle write/previewP
Submit comment
Insert suggestionG
Quote selected textR

Issue and pull request lists8

ActionShortcut
Filter by assigneeA
Create issueC
Focus search bar/
Filter by authorU
Filter by labelsL
Exclude labelsClick
Filter by milestonesM
Open issue

Issues and pull requests5

ActionShortcut
Request reviewerQ
Set milestoneM
Apply labelL
Set assigneeA
Toggle write/previewP

Changes in pull requests6

ActionShortcut
Open commits listC
Open changed filesT
Move selection downJ
Move selection upK
Comment on diff
Toggle outdated commentsClick

Project boards14

ActionShortcut
Start moving column
Cancel moveEsc
Move column left
Move column to leftmost
Move column right
Move column to rightmost
Move card down
Move card to bottom
Move card up
Move card to top
Move card to top of left column
Move card to top of right column
Move card to top of leftmost column
Move card to top of rightmost column

GitHub Actions1

ActionShortcut
Workflow suggestionsSpace

Notifications4

ActionShortcut
Mark as doneE
Mark as unreadU
Mark as readI
UnsubscribeM

Network graph8

ActionShortcut
Scroll leftH
Scroll rightL
Scroll upK
Scroll downJ
Scroll all the way left
Scroll all the way right
Scroll all the way up
Scroll all the way down

Frequently Asked Questions

Access GitHub shortcuts from your menu bar

KeyShortcut detects the active app and shows its shortcuts instantly. No memorization needed.