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TryDevUtils provides comprehensive keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate and execute actions without reaching for your mouse. All shortcuts work across web, desktop, and extension versions.
Press ? anytime to display the keyboard shortcuts help dialog.
These shortcuts help you move around the application quickly:
​
⌘K / Ctrl+K
shortcut
Open the command palette to search and navigate to any utility.
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/
shortcut
Open the command palette (alternative shortcut, works like Vim/Spotlight).
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Esc
shortcut
Go back to the homepage when viewing a utility, or close any open dialog.
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?
shortcut
Show the keyboard shortcuts help dialog.

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Desktop app only

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⌘F / Ctrl+F
shortcut
Focus the sidebar filter input to quickly find utilities in the sidebar.

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Utility action shortcuts

These shortcuts perform actions within utilities:
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⌘Enter / Ctrl+Enter
shortcut
Execute the current utility action (format, convert, generate, etc.).This is the primary action for each utility, such as:
  • Format JSON in the JSON Toolbox
  • Convert timestamp in the Timestamp Converter
  • Generate UUID in the UUID Generator
  • Execute regex test in the RegExp Tester
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⌘Shift+C / Ctrl+Shift+C
shortcut
Copy the output to your clipboard.
This shortcut only works when no text is selected. If you have text selected, use the standard copy shortcut (⌘C / Ctrl+C) instead.
​
⌘L / Ctrl+L
shortcut
Clear all inputs in the current utility.
This action cannot be undone. Make sure you’ve saved any important data before clearing.
​
⌘Shift+V / Ctrl+Shift+V
shortcut
Paste from clipboard into the current utility’s input.

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General shortcuts

Standard keyboard navigation within dialogs and lists:
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Tab
shortcut
Navigate between form elements and interactive components.
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↑ / ↓
shortcut
Navigate up and down in lists (command palette, autocomplete menus, etc.).
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Enter
shortcut
Select the current item or confirm an action.

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Platform differences

Keyboard shortcuts automatically adapt to your platform:
  • Uses ⌘ (Command) as the primary modifier key
  • Command palette: ⌘K
  • Execute action: ⌘Enter
  • Copy output: ⌘Shift+C
  • Clear inputs: ⌘L
  • Uses Ctrl as the primary modifier key
  • Command palette: Ctrl+K
  • Execute action: Ctrl+Enter
  • Copy output: Ctrl+Shift+C
  • Clear inputs: Ctrl+L

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Implementing shortcuts in utilities

Utilities can implement keyboard shortcuts by using the useUtilKeyboardShortcuts hook: 
import { useUtilKeyboardShortcuts } from "@/components/KeyboardShortcuts";

function MyUtility() {
  const handleExecute = () => {
    // Execute the utility's primary action
  };
  
  const handleClear = () => {
    // Clear all inputs
  };
  
  const handleCopy = () => {
    // Copy output to clipboard
  };
  
  useUtilKeyboardShortcuts({
    onExecute: handleExecute,
    onClear: handleClear,
    onCopy: handleCopy,
  });
  
  return (
    // Your utility UI
  );
}
The keyboard shortcuts system uses custom events (trydevutils:execute, trydevutils:clear, trydevutils:copy) to communicate between the global keyboard handler and individual utilities.

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Smart typing detection

TryDevUtils intelligently detects when you’re typing in an input field and automatically disables conflicting shortcuts:
  • Single-key shortcuts (/, ?) are disabled when typing in <input>, <textarea>, or contenteditable elements
  • Modifier-based shortcuts (⌘K, ⌘Enter) work everywhere
  • The ⌘L shortcut for clearing inputs is carefully designed to avoid conflicts with the browser’s address bar focus

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Command palette on homepage

When you’re on the homepage, typing any letter (a-z, A-Z) automatically opens the command palette with that character already entered. This provides instant search without needing to press ⌘K first.
This feature makes it incredibly fast to jump to a utility:
  1. Start on the homepage
  2. Type j → Command palette opens with “j” entered
  3. See “JSON Toolbox” and “JWT Decoder/Encoder” filtered
  4. Press Enter to select the first result

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Source code reference

All keyboard shortcuts are implemented in /src/components/KeyboardShortcuts.tsx:37-63 with the shortcut definitions in the help dialog.

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