Master these shortcuts and you'll fly through Kolab like a pro.
Tip: Need a reminder mid-session? Press ? or Ctrl + K (Cmd + K on Mac), or click the ? help button at the bottom-left of the screen, to open help with the full shortcut list.
Navigation
Getting around the canvas quickly.
Panning (Moving Around)
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Drag to pan | Click and drag on empty canvas |
| Pan with Space | Hold Space, then drag anywhere |
| Pan with right-click | Right-click and drag |
| Pan with arrow keys | Arrow keys (when nothing is selected) |
| Pan faster | Shift + Arrow keys |
Note: Arrow keys only pan the canvas when no elements are selected. If something is selected, arrow keys nudge the selection instead.
Select / Hand (Miro-Style Controls)
Hosts and facilitators who turn on Miro-style controls in Settings get a Select / Hand button on the toolbar, plus these keys:
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Select: dragging empty canvas draws a selection box | V |
| Hand: dragging empty canvas moves the board | H |
In Select, hold Space or right-click and drag to move the board. These keys do nothing unless the setting is on. See Miro-style controls.
Zooming
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom in/out | Pinch, mouse wheel, or Ctrl + scroll | Pinch, mouse wheel, or Cmd + scroll |
| Move the board | Two-finger scroll on a trackpad | Two-finger scroll on a trackpad |
| Zoom in | Ctrl + = | Cmd + = |
| Zoom out | Ctrl + - | Cmd + - |
| Reset zoom | Ctrl + 0 | Cmd + 0 |
Selection
Grabbing what you need.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Select item | Click on it |
| Add to selection | Shift + click |
| Toggle in selection | Ctrl / Cmd + click |
| Cycle through stacked elements | Alt + click (adds to selection: Shift + Alt + click) |
| Box select | Shift + drag or Ctrl + drag (works even starting on an element) |
| Select all | Ctrl / Cmd + A |
| Deselect all | Esc |
| Edit selected | Enter |
Note: Box select needs Shift or Ctrl/Control even on Mac—dragging with no modifier pans the canvas instead, and Cmd doesn't trigger it. The exception: with Miro-style controls on and Select chosen, a plain mouse drag draws the box.
Editing
The classics.
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z or Ctrl + Y | Cmd + Shift + Z |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Cmd + V |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cmd + X |
| Duplicate | Ctrl + D | Cmd + D |
| Delete | Delete or Backspace | Delete or Backspace |
Moving Elements
Move selected items around the canvas.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Drag to move | Click and drag selected elements |
| Nudge 1 pixel | Arrow keys |
| Nudge 10 pixels | Shift + Arrow keys |
Tip: Hold the arrow key down for continuous movement.
Text Formatting
Available while you're editing text in a sticky note, shape, or text element.
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl + B | Cmd + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I |
| Underline | Ctrl + U | Cmd + U |
| Add link | Ctrl + K | Cmd + K |
| Clear formatting | Ctrl + \ | Cmd + \ |
| Exit editing | Esc | Esc |
Alignment
Line things up beautifully. Select 2 or more elements first. Locked elements stay put, and the others line up to them.
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Align left | Ctrl + ← | Cmd + ← |
| Align right | Ctrl + → | Cmd + → |
| Align top | Ctrl + ↑ | Cmd + ↑ |
| Align bottom | Ctrl + ↓ | Cmd + ↓ |
| Center horizontally | Ctrl + Shift + ← | Cmd + Shift + ← |
| Center vertically | Ctrl + Shift + ↑ | Cmd + Shift + ↑ |
Distribution
Space things evenly. Select 3 or more unlocked elements. Locked elements don't move.
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Distribute horizontally | Ctrl + Shift + → | Cmd + Shift + → |
| Distribute vertically | Ctrl + Shift + ↓ | Cmd + Shift + ↓ |
Audio & Video
Quick toggles for your mic and camera.
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle microphone | Alt + A | Option + A |
| Toggle camera | Alt + V | Option + V |
Quick Reference Card
The essentials to learn first:
| What you'll use constantly | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Undo a mistake | Ctrl / Cmd + Z |
| Cancel / deselect | Esc |
| Mute yourself quickly | Alt / Option + A |
| Select multiple things | Shift + click |
| Edit text in a shape | Enter or double-click |
Troubleshooting
Shortcuts not working?
- Click on the canvas first — The canvas needs focus for shortcuts to work
- Check if you're typing — Shortcuts are disabled while in a text field
- Try clicking elsewhere — Another element might have captured focus
Arrow keys moving elements instead of panning?
Arrow keys nudge selected elements. To pan with arrow keys, press Esc first to deselect everything, or use one of these alternatives:
- Space + drag
- Right-click + drag
- Click and drag on empty canvas
On a laptop without arrow keys?
- Use Space + drag to pan
- Drag directly on empty canvas
- Use scroll/pinch to zoom
- Use the zoom controls in the bottom-right corner
Related
- Using the Canvas — Full canvas guide
- Navigating the Space — Movement basics