If you use Scrivener, it’s likely that you’re interested in maximizing your writing productivity. Scrivener is a powerful writing tool that gives you flexibility and control over almost every aspect of your writing. One of the best ways to speed up your writing workflow is to become a power user through the use of keyboard shortcuts. Below I’ve included a comprehensive list of Scrivener’s keyboard shortcuts for the Mac version of Scrivener.  

Scrivener Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac

  • ⌘ = Command Key (Apple Key)
  • ⌥ = Option Key (Alt Key)
  • ⇧ = Shift Key
  • ⌃ = Control Key
  • ↑ = Up Arrow Key
  • ↓ = Down Arrow Key
  • → = Right Arrow Key
  • ← = Left Arrow Key
  • ↩ = Return Key
  • ⎋ = ESC Key (or ESC)
  • ⇥ = Tab Key
  • ⌫ = Delete Key

Shortcut List

SCRIVENER

  • Preferences ⌘,
  • Hide Scrivener ⌘H
  • Hide Others ⌥⌘H
  • Quit Scrivener ⌘Q

FILE

  • New Project ⇧⌘N
  • Open… ⌘O
  • Close Project ⇧⌘W
  • Close Project and Clear Interface Settings ⌥⇧⌘W
  • Close Window ⌘W
  • Save ⌘S
  • Save and Rebuild Search Indexes ⌥⌘S
  • Save As… ⇧⌘S
  • Import > Files… ⇧⌘I
  • Import > Web Page… ⌥⌘W
  • Export > Files… ⇧⌘E
  • Page Setup… ⇧⌘P
  • Print Current Document… ⌘P
  • Compile Draft… ⌥⌘E

EDIT

  • Undo ⌘Z
  • Redo ⇧⌘Z
  • Cut ⌘X
  • Copy ⌘C
  • Copy Special > Copy without Comments and Footnotes ⌥⇧⌘C
  • Paste ⌘V
  • Paste and Match Style ⌥⇧⌘V
  • Select All ⌘A
  • Select Current Text ⌥⌘A
  • Complete ⌥⎋
  • Complete Document Title ⌃⎋
  • Insert > Line Break ⌥⌘↩
  • Insert > Bookmark Annotation ⇧⌘B
  • Insert > Current Date & Time ⌥⇧⌘D
  • Scrivener Link > New Link… ⌘L
  • Find > Find… ⌘F
  • Find > Find Next ⌘G
  • Find > Find Previous ⇧⌘G
  • Find > Use Selection for Find ⌘E
  • Find > Jump to Selection ⌘J
  • Find > Project Search ⌃⌥F
  • Find > Find by Formatting… ⌃⌥⌘F
  • Find > Find Next Formatting ⌥⇧⌘G
  • Find > Find Previous Formatting ⌃⌥⌘G
  • Spelling and Grammar > Show Spelling and Grammar ⌘:
  • Spelling and Grammar > Check Document Now ⌘;
  • Spelling and Grammar > Check Spelling While Typing ⌘\
  • Special Characters ⌥⌘T

VIEW

  • Document/Scrivenings ⌘1
  • Corkboard ⌘2
  • Outline ⌘3
  • Zoom > Zoom In ⇧⌘>
  • Zoom > Zoom Out ⇧⌘<
  • Go To > Previous Document ⌥⌘↑
  • Go To > Next Document ⌥⌘↓
  • Go To > Enclosing Group ⌃⌘R
  • Go To > Editor Selection ⌘4
  • Layout > Show/Hide Binder ⌥⌘B
  • Layout > Show/Hide Inspector ⌥⌘I
  • Layout > No Split ⌘’
  • Layout > Split Horizontally ⌥⌘=
  • Layout > Split Vertically ⌘”
  • Layout > Show Layouts ⇧⌘)
  • Editor > Lock in Place ⌥⌘L
  • Editor > Forward in Document History ⌘]
  • Editor > Backward in Document History ⌘[
  • Editor > Other Editor > Forward in History ⌥⌘]
  • Editor > Other Editor > Backward in History ⌥⌘[
  • Editor > Other Editor > Scroll Up ⌃⌥⌘↑
  • Editor > Other Editor > Scroll Down ⌃⌥⌘↓
  • Media > Play Media FIle ⌘↩
  • Media > Fast Forward ⌥⌘}
  • Media > Rewind ⌥⌘{
  • Page View > Show/Hide Page View ⌥⇧⌘P
  • Corkboard > Show Pins ⌃⌘P
  • Corkboard > Show Stamps ⌃⌘S
  • Corkboard > Show Keyword Colors ⌃⌘K
  • Move Focus To > (Next Pane) ⌃⇥This menu item cycles left to right through Binder, Left/Top Editor, Right/Bottom Editor, changing to the next target.
  • Move Focus To > Binder ⌃⌥⌘B
  • Move Focus To > (Left/Bottom) Editor ⌃⌥⌘E
  • Move Focus To > Right/Top/Supporting Editor ⌃⌥⌘R
  • Inspect > Synopsis ⌃⌥⌘I
  • Inspect > Notes ⌃⌥⌘H
  • Inspect > References ⌃⌥⌘N
  • Inspect > Keywords ⌃⌥⌘J
  • Inspect > Custom Meta-Data ⌃⌥⌘M
  • Inspect > Snapshots ⌃⌥⌘M
  • Inspect > Comments and Footnotes ⌃⌥⌘K
  • Outline > Expand All ⌘9
  • Outline > Collapse All ⌘0
  • Outline > Previous Container ⌃⌥↑
  • Outline > Next Container ⌃⌥↓
  • Reveal in Binder ⌥⌘R
  • Enter/Exit Full Screen [OS 10.7 (Lion)+ Only] ⌃⌘F
  • Enter/Exit Composition Mode ⌥⌘FYou can also use ⎋ to exit composition mode if this option is selected in Scrivener > Preferences:Compose.

PROJECT

  • New Text ⌘N
  • New Folder ⌥⌘N
  • New From Template > (First Template Document) ⌥⇧⌘NIf you set a Template Folder, this shortcut is applied to the top document in the folder
  • Show/Hide Project Targets ⇧⌘T
  • Text Statistics ⌃⌥⌘S
  • Project Statistics ⌥⇧⌘S
  • Project Notes ⌥⌘P
  • Show/Hide Project Keywords ⌥⇧⌘H
  • Meta-Data Settings… ⌥⌘,

DOCUMENTS

  • Open > in (Left/Bottom) Editor ⌥⌘O
  • Open > in Right/Top/Other Editor ⇧⌘O
  • Open > With All Subdocuments > On Editor Corkboard ⌥⇧⌘O
  • Open > in External Editor ⌃⌘O
  • Snapshots > Take Snapshot ⌘5
  • Snapshots > Take Snapshot With Title ⇧⌘%
  • Snapshots > Show Changes > Next Change ⌃⌘]
  • Snapshots > Show Changes > Previous Change ⌃⌘[
  • Duplicate > with Subdocuments and Unique Title ⌘D
  • Duplicate > without Subdocuments ⇧⌘D
  • Set Selection as Title ⌥⇧⌘T
  • Move to Trash ⌘⌫
  • Split > at Selection ⌘K
  • Split > with Selection as Title ⌥⌘K
  • Merge ⇧⌘M
  • Group ⌥⌘G
  • Ungroup ⌥⌘U
  • Move > Left ⌃⌘←
  • Move > Right ⌃⌘→
  • Move > Up ⌃⌘↑
  • Move > Down ⌃⌘↓

FORMAT

  • Font > Show Fonts ⌘T
  • Font > Bold ⌘B
  • Font > Italic ⌘I
  • Font > Underline > Single ⌘U
  • Font > Strikethrough ⇧⌘_
  • Font > Bigger ⌘+
  • Font > Smaller ⌘-
  • Font > Show Colors ⇧⌘C
  • Font > Copy Font ⌥⌘C
  • Font > Paste Font ⌥⌘V
  • Text > Align Left ⌘{
  • Text > Center ⌘|
  • Text > Justify ⌥⌘|
  • Text > Align Right ⌘}
  • Text > Copy Ruler ⌃⌘C
  • Text > Paste Ruler ⌃⌘V
  • Lists > Next List Style ⌥⌘→
  • Lists > Previous List Style ⌥⌘←
  • Formatting > Copy Formatting ⌃⌥⌘C
  • Formatting > Paste Formatting ⌃⌥⌘P
  • Scriptwriting > Script Mode ⌘8
  • Scriptwriting > Show Script Elements Menu ⇧⌘Y
  • Show/Hide Ruler ⌘R
  • Show/Hide Format Bar ⇧⌘R
  • Highlight > Highlight ⇧⌘H
  • Comment ⇧⌘*
  • Footnote ⌃⌘8
  • Inline Annotation ⇧⌘A
  • Inline Footnote ⇧⌘F
  • Options > Typewriter Scrolling ⌃⌘T
  • Bibliography/Citations… ⌘Y

WINDOW

  • Minimize ⌘M
  • Minimize All ⌥⌘M
  • Zoom ⌃⌘-
  • Zoom All ⌃⌥⌘-
  • Zoom to Fit Screen ⌃⌘=
  • Layouts > Manage Layouts ⇧⌘)
  • Float QuickReference Panels ⌃⌘Q

Miscellaneous

  • Help ⇧⌘?
  • Open/Close Scratch Pad ⇧⌘↩The Scratch Pad hot key can be set in Scrivener > Preferences:General.

Inspector

  • Document/Project Notes ⌘6
  • Document/Project References ⌘6

Where Should I Send Your Editing Checklist?

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