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Uxie provides comprehensive keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate documents, control reading modes, and work more efficiently without touching your mouse.

Quick Reference

Press ? (question mark) in most views to see context-specific keyboard shortcuts.

PDF Reader Shortcuts

Control document navigation and reading features:
ActionShortcutNotes
Next pagePage Down or Arrow DownWhen not reading
Previous pagePage Up or Arrow UpWhen not reading
First pageHomeJump to start
Last pageEndJump to end
Zoom inCtrl/Cmd + PlusIncrease magnification
Zoom outCtrl/Cmd + MinusDecrease magnification
Reset zoomCtrl/Cmd + 0Return to 100%
FullscreenF11Browser fullscreen

Reading Controls

When read-along mode is active:
ActionShortcutDescription
Play / PauseSpaceStart or pause reading
Next sentence (Right Arrow)Skip forward
Previous sentence (Left Arrow)Go back
Stop readingEscStop and clear highlights
Toggle follow-alongFEnable/disable auto-scroll
// Keyboard shortcuts for reading
useEffect(() => {
  const handleKeyDown = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
    if (readingStatus === READING_STATUS.IDLE) return;
    
    switch (e.code) {
      case "Space":
        e.preventDefault();
        readingStatus === READING_STATUS.READING
          ? pauseReading()
          : resumeReading();
        break;
      case "ArrowRight":
        e.preventDefault();
        skipSentence();
        break;
      case "ArrowLeft":
        e.preventDefault();
        skipToPreviousSentence();
        break;
    }
  };
  
  window.addEventListener("keydown", handleKeyDown);
  return () => window.removeEventListener("keydown", handleKeyDown);
}, [readingStatus]);

RSVP Speed Reader Shortcuts

When RSVP (speed reading) mode is active:
ActionShortcut
Play / PauseSpace
StopEsc
Previous word
Next word
// RSVP keyboard shortcuts
const SHORTCUTS = [
  { label: "Play / Pause", displayKey: "Space", hotkey: "space" },
  { label: "Previous word", displayKey: "←", hotkey: "arrowleft" },
  { label: "Next word", displayKey: "→", hotkey: "arrowright" },
  { label: "Increase speed", displayKey: "↑", hotkey: "arrowup" },
  { label: "Decrease speed", displayKey: "↓", hotkey: "arrowdown" },
  { label: "Follow along", displayKey: "F", hotkey: "f" },
  { label: "Close", displayKey: "Esc", hotkey: "escape" },
];

useHotkeys(
  SHORTCUTS.map(s => s.hotkey).join(","),
  (e, handler) => {
    const hotkey = handler.keys?.join("") as Hotkey;
    hotkeyActions[hotkey]?.(e);
  },
  { enabled: rsvpOpen }
);

Speak-Along Shortcuts

When speak-along (pronunciation practice) mode is active:
ActionShortcutDescription
Toggle microphoneSpaceStart/stop listening
Previous wordNavigate backward
Next wordNavigate forward
Hear pronunciationEnterPlay audio of current word
StopEscExit speak-along mode
Speak-along shortcuts only work when the speak-along panel is active and focused.

Note Editor Shortcuts

The BlockNote editor supports standard text editing shortcuts:

Text Formatting

ActionWindows/LinuxmacOS
BoldCtrl + B⌘ + B
ItalicCtrl + I⌘ + I
UnderlineCtrl + U⌘ + U
StrikethroughCtrl + Shift + X⌘ + Shift + X
CodeCtrl + E⌘ + E
LinkCtrl + K⌘ + K

Editor Navigation

ActionShortcutDescription
Select allCtrl/⌘ + ASelect all text
CopyCtrl/⌘ + CCopy selection
CutCtrl/⌘ + XCut selection
PasteCtrl/⌘ + VPaste from clipboard
UndoCtrl/⌘ + ZUndo last action
RedoCtrl/⌘ + Shift + ZRedo last undone action
FindCtrl/⌘ + FSearch in notes

Slash Commands

Type / in the editor to open the slash command menu:
  • /heading1 - Large heading
  • /heading2 - Medium heading
  • /heading3 - Small heading
  • /paragraph - Normal text
  • /bullet - Bulleted list
  • /number - Numbered list
  • /check - Checkbox list
  • /code - Code block
  • /image - Insert image
  • /table - Insert table
// Slash menu items
export const getSlashMenuItems = (editor: BlockNoteEditor) => [
  {
    name: "Heading 1",
    execute: () => editor.updateBlock(editor.getTextCursorPosition().block, {
      type: "heading",
      props: { level: 1 },
    }),
  },
  {
    name: "Heading 2",
    execute: () => editor.updateBlock(editor.getTextCursorPosition().block, {
      type: "heading",
      props: { level: 2 },
    }),
  },
  // ... more commands
];
Switch between different tools in the right sidebar:
ActionShortcutDescription
Switch tabsAlt + 1-4Jump to specific tab
Notes tabAlt + 1Open notes
Chat tabAlt + 2Open chat
Flashcards tabAlt + 3Open flashcards
Download notesCtrl/⌘ + SExport as Markdown
Tab switching shortcuts are system-dependent and may conflict with browser shortcuts in some cases.

Library Page Shortcuts

Navigate your document library:
ActionShortcutDescription
Focus search/ or Ctrl/⌘ + KJump to search box
Clear searchEscClear search and blur
Upload fileCtrl/⌘ + UOpen upload modal
Open documentEnterWhen document card focused

Global Shortcuts

Work across all pages:
ActionShortcutDescription
Go to libraryG then HNavigate to home/library
Open settingsG then SOpen settings page
Refresh pageCtrl/⌘ + R or F5Reload current page
Browser backAlt + ←Go to previous page
Browser forwardAlt + →Go to next page

Shortcuts by Context

When Reading a Document

1

Navigate Pages

Use Page Up/Down or Arrow keys to move between pages
2

Adjust Zoom

Ctrl/⌘ + Plus/Minus to zoom in/out
3

Start Reading

Click Play or use toolbar controls
4

Control Reading

Space to pause, Arrows to skip sentences

When Taking Notes

1

Format Text

Use Ctrl/⌘ + B/I/U for bold/italic/underline
2

Use Slash Commands

Type / for quick block insertion
3

AI Assistance

Type ++ for AI completion
4

Save Progress

Notes auto-save - use Ctrl/⌘ + S to download

When Using RSVP

1

Start Reading

Press Space to begin
2

Adjust Speed

Use Up/Down arrows to change WPM
3

Navigate Words

Left/Right arrows to move word-by-word
4

Toggle Follow-Along

Press F to enable/disable auto-scroll

Custom Shortcuts

While Uxie doesn’t currently support custom keyboard shortcuts, you can use browser extensions like:
  • Shortkeys (Chrome/Edge)
  • Vimium (Chrome/Firefox)
  • Surfingkeys (Chrome/Firefox)
These let you create custom shortcuts for specific Uxie actions.

Accessibility Shortcuts

ActionShortcutDescription
Skip to contentTabNavigate interactive elements
Activate buttonEnter or SpaceTrigger focused button
Close modalEscClose dialogs and overlays
Navigate menuArrow keysMove through menu items
Toggle optionSpaceCheck/uncheck boxes
All interactive elements in Uxie are keyboard-accessible. Use Tab to navigate and Enter to activate.

Shortcut Conflicts

Browser Conflicts

Some shortcuts may conflict with browser defaults:
Common Conflicts:
  • Ctrl/⌘ + F: Browser find vs. editor find
  • Ctrl/⌘ + S: Browser save page vs. download notes
  • F11: Browser fullscreen
  • Alt + Arrow: Browser navigation
In most cases, Uxie’s shortcuts take precedence when the app is focused.

Operating System Conflicts

  • Windows: Some Alt combinations may trigger menu bar
  • macOS: Some Cmd combinations may trigger system features
  • Linux: Window manager shortcuts may intercept Uxie shortcuts
If a shortcut doesn’t work, try clicking inside the document or editor first to ensure Uxie has focus.

Shortcut Tips

Don’t try to memorize all shortcuts at once. Start with:
  1. Reading controls (Space, Arrows)
  2. Text formatting (Bold, Italic)
  3. AI trigger (++)
  4. Modal close (Esc)
Add more shortcuts as they become relevant to your workflow.
The same key can do different things in different contexts:
  • Space plays/pauses reading in reader mode
  • Space inserts a space in the editor
  • Space activates buttons when focused
Uxie automatically uses the right action based on context.
Hover over toolbar buttons to see tooltips with keyboard shortcuts. Most actions have a shortcut mentioned in their tooltip.
Remember:
  • Windows/Linux use Ctrl
  • macOS uses ⌘ (Command)
  • Alt on Windows = Option on Mac
Documentation shows both formats where applicable.

Productivity Workflows

Speed Reading Workflow

1. Open document → Click RSVP mode
2. Set speed with ↑/↓ arrows
3. Press Space to start
4. Use F to enable follow-along
5. Press Esc when done

Note-Taking Workflow

1. Select text in PDF
2. Alt+Tab to notes
3. Ctrl/⌘ + V to paste
4. Type ++ for AI expansion
5. Ctrl/⌘ + B/I for formatting
6. Slash commands for structure

Study Session Workflow

1. Open document (auto-resumes last page)
2. Space to start read-along
3. Alt + 2 to switch to Chat
4. Ask questions about content
5. Alt + 3 to generate flashcards
6. Alt + 1 back to notes

Troubleshooting

  1. Click in the document/editor to ensure focus
  2. Check if another modal or menu is open
  3. Verify you’re in the right context (e.g., reading mode vs. editing)
  4. Try refreshing the page
  5. Check for browser extension conflicts
This happens when focus is on the page container rather than a reading mode. Click the Play button or use toolbar controls to activate reading mode.
Some shortcuts like Ctrl+S (save) may trigger browser actions. This is normal - Uxie tries to override these when possible, but browser behavior varies.
Ensure the RSVP or speak-along panel is open and active. Shortcuts are only registered when these modes are enabled.

Reading Modes

Learn about RSVP, read-along, and other reading features

Note-Taking

Master the note editor and its shortcuts

AI Completion

Use AI shortcuts for faster writing

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