GitHub keyboard shortcuts
GitHub's keyboard layer changes with the page you are on. These groups cover site navigation, repository sections, issue and pull request triage, comment editing, code browsing, and notifications.
GitHub changes its keyboard context with the page. Begin with site navigation, then use the repository, issue, pull request, and code sections for the places where review work actually happens.
Repository tabs
Sequence shortcuts that jump straight to repository sections.
| Action | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go to Code tab | GC | GC | GC |
| Go to Issues tab | GI | GI | GI |
| Go to Pull requests tab | GP | GP | GP |
| Go to Actions tab | GA | GA | GA |
| Go to Wiki tab | GW | GW | GW |
| Go to Discussions tab | GG | GG | GG |
| Go to Security and quality tab | GS | GS | GS |
Issues and pull requests
Creating, opening, and metadata triage on lists and issue pages.
| Action | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create an issueWorks on issue and pull request lists. | C | C | C |
| Open highlighted issue or pull requestEnter also opens it. | O | O | O |
| Request a reviewer | Q | Q | Q |
| Set assignee | A | A | A |
| Apply or filter by label | L | L | L |
| Link an issue or pull request | X | X | X |
| Submit a review commentIn the Files changed tab of a pull request. | CtrlShiftEnter | CmdShiftEnter | CtrlShiftEnter |
Comments and markdown
Format a comment, open the editor, submit it, or move through markdown-friendly controls.
| Action | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submit comment | CtrlEnter | CmdEnter | CtrlEnter |
| Toggle Write and Preview tabs | CtrlShiftP | CmdShiftP | CtrlShiftP |
| Quote selected text in your reply | R | R | R |
| Insert bold Markdown | CtrlB | CmdB | CtrlB |
| Insert italic Markdown | CtrlI | CmdI | CtrlI |
| Insert inline code Markdown | CtrlE | CmdE | CtrlE |
| Insert a Markdown link | CtrlK | CmdK | CtrlK |
| Insert an ordered list | CtrlShift7 | CmdShift7 | CtrlShift7 |
| Insert an unordered list | CtrlShift8 | CmdShift8 | CtrlShift8 |
Source code browsing
Use single-key actions to move through file views, diffs, blame, and the code around a change.
| Action | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activate the file finder | T | T | T |
| Jump to a line in your code | L | L | L |
| Open blame view | B | B | B |
| Expand a file URL to its canonical form | Y | Y | Y |
| Show or hide diff comments | I | I | I |
| Show or hide diff annotations | A | A | A |
| Open the source file in the editor | E | E | E |
Notifications
Open notification views and move through the updates waiting for your attention.
| Action | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark notification as done | E | E | E |
| Mark notification as readShift+U marks it unread again. | ShiftI | ShiftI | ShiftI |
| Mark notification as unread | ShiftU | ShiftU | ShiftU |
| Unsubscribe from the notification | ShiftM | ShiftM | ShiftM |
Issue and pull request lists
Filter lists by author, label, milestone, or assignee, then open the selected issue or pull request.
| Action | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus the issue or pull request filter | Ctrl/ | Cmd/ | Ctrl/ |
| Filter by author | U | U | U |
| Filter by or edit labels | L | L | L |
| Filter by or edit milestones | M | M | M |
| Filter by or edit assignee | A | A | A |
Projects and Actions
Move through project boards and workflow logs when GitHub is acting more like an operations workspace.
| Action | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus the project filter field | CtrlF | CmdF | CtrlF |
| Toggle edit mode for a project cell | Enter | Enter | Enter |
| Select a project item | ShiftSpace | ShiftSpace | ShiftSpace |
| Open a selected project item | Space | Space | Space |
| Go to the workflow file | GF | GF | GF |
| Toggle timestamps in workflow logs | T | T | T |
| Toggle full-screen workflow logs | F | F | F |
Make the useful keys stick
GitHub has many contexts, so muscle memory needs a home. Pick the page where you do the most work, learn its keys first, and let the other sections stay reference material instead of homework.
You do not need this whole page in your head. Pick two shortcuts that remove a repeated hand movement, use them until they feel ordinary, and come back for the next pair.