Configuring Hotkeys

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Overview

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Available Commands

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Setting Up Hotkeys

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Step 1: Open Hotkey Settings

1. Open Settings (⚙️ gear icon)
2. Navigate to Hotkeys in the left sidebar
3. Filter for “Local” in the search box

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Step 2: Assign Keyboard Shortcuts

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Recommended Hotkey Setup

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Context Menu

• macOS: ⌘ + M (Command + M)
• Windows/Linux: Ctrl + M
• Alternative: Ctrl + Shift + L

• You have text selected and want to run a saved action
• You want to browse all available actions
• You’re working with frequently used actions

1. Select text you want to process
2. Press ⌘ + M (or your configured hotkey)
3. Choose an action from the menu
4. AI processes the selection

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Action Palette

• macOS: ⌘ + J (Command + J)
• Windows/Linux: Ctrl + J
• Alternative: Ctrl + Shift + P (similar to VS Code command palette)

• You want to ask a one-time question
• You need to reference specific files
• You want to override the default AI provider
• You need to use a custom system prompt

1. Press ⌘ + J (or your configured hotkey)
2. Type your question or instruction
3. (Optional) Add file references with @filename
4. (Optional) Select a different AI provider or model
5. Press Enter to submit

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Quick Access Actions

• You use certain actions extremely frequently
• You want the fastest possible workflow
• You’re optimizing for muscle memory

1. Select text with grammar errors
2. Press ⌘ + Shift + G (or your configured hotkey)
3. AI immediately fixes the text (no menu navigation)

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Hotkey Configuration Tips

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Choosing Good Hotkey Combinations

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Keyboard Layout Differences

• QWERTY: Standard US/UK layout
• AZERTY: French layout (Z and W swapped)
• QWERTZ: German layout (Y and Z swapped)
• Dvorak: Alternative efficiency-focused layout

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Command Reference

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Show Context Menu

Command ID: local-gpt:show-context-menu
Default hotkey: None
Requires selection: Recommended (works without, but less useful)

1. Open Obsidian Settings
2. Go to Hotkeys
3. Filter "Local" and you should see "Local GPT: Show context menu"
4. Click on `+` icon and press hotkey (e.g. `⌘ + M`)

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Action Palette

Command ID: local-gpt:action-palette
Default hotkey: None
Requires selection: No (but can use selection)

• Type custom prompts
• Reference files with @ mentions
• Select AI provider and model
• Choose system prompts
• Use Enhanced Actions (RAG)

5. Filter "Local" again and you should see "Local GPT: Action Palette"
6. Click on `+` icon and press hotkey (e.g. `⌘ + J`)

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Individual Action Commands

Command ID: local-gpt:run-action-[action-name]
Default hotkey: None (must be configured manually)
Requires selection: Depends on action configuration

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Workflow Examples

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Example 1: Writing Assistant

• ⌘ + M: Context menu (general access)
• ⌘ + Shift + C: Continue writing
• ⌘ + Shift + G: Fix grammar
• ⌘ + J: Action palette (for questions)

1. Draft a paragraph
2. Press ⌘ + Shift + G to fix grammar
3. Continue writing
4. Press ⌘ + Shift + C to have AI continue your thought
5. Have a question? Press ⌘ + J and ask
6. Need a different action? Press ⌘ + M to browse all options

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Example 2: Research & Note-Taking

• ⌘ + M: Context menu
• ⌘ + Shift + S: Summarize
• ⌘ + J: Action palette with Enhanced Actions

1. Paste research content
2. Press ⌘ + Shift + S to summarize key points
3. Have a question about related notes? Press ⌘ + J
4. Type question and let RAG pull context from linked notes
5. Need a different action? Press ⌘ + M

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Example 3: Code Documentation

• ⌘ + Shift + D: “Document Code” custom action
• ⌘ + Shift + R: “Review Code” custom action
• ⌘ + J: Action palette for one-off questions

1. Paste code snippet
2. Press ⌘ + Shift + D to generate documentation
3. Review the code? Press ⌘ + Shift + R
4. Specific question about the code? Press ⌘ + J

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Accessibility Considerations

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For Users with Mobility Impairments

• Use single-hand key combinations when possible
• Consider using the command palette (Ctrl/⌘ + P) to type command names instead of complex hotkeys
• Enable Obsidian’s ribbon icons for mouse-based access

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For Screen Reader Users

• All Local GPT commands are labeled and accessible via the command palette
• Action results are inserted as regular text, readable by screen readers
• The Action Palette modal is keyboard-navigable

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For Users Who Can’t Use Keyboards

• Enable the Local GPT ribbon icon in settings
• Use Obsidian’s command palette with voice typing
• Consider voice control software that can trigger Obsidian commands

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Troubleshooting

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Hotkey Not Working

1. Check for conflicts: Go to Settings → Hotkeys and search for the key combination
2. Restart Obsidian: Sometimes hotkeys need a restart to register
3. Check your keyboard layout: Some layouts remap keys
4. Try a different combination: Some system shortcuts can’t be overridden

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Action Command Not Appearing

1. Verify the action exists: Go to Settings → Local GPT → Actions
2. Check the action name: Commands are generated from action names
3. Restart Obsidian: New actions require a restart to register commands

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Hotkey Works in Edit Mode but Not Reading Mode

• This is expected behavior for selection-based actions
• Switch to Edit mode to use selection-dependent hotkeys
• Use the Action Palette (which works in both modes) for non-selection queries

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Wrong Action Triggered

• Check for duplicate action names
• Verify you assigned the hotkey to the correct command
• Review Settings → Hotkeys for the specific command

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Advanced Hotkey Patterns

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Modifier-Based Workflows

⌘ + M: Context menu (base)
⌘ + Shift + M: Action palette (enhanced)
⌘ + Alt + M: Specific frequently-used action

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Vim-Style Shortcuts

Space + g + g: Fix grammar
Space + g + c: Continue writing
Space + g + s: Summarize
Space + g + p: Action palette

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Context-Aware Shortcuts

Code blocks:
  ⌘ + Shift + D: Document code
  ⌘ + Shift + R: Review code
  
Prose writing:
  ⌘ + Shift + C: Continue writing
  ⌘ + Shift + G: Fix grammar
  
Research notes:
  ⌘ + Shift + S: Summarize
  ⌘ + Shift + A: Find action items

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Related Resources