Reference
Keyboard shortcuts
Every shortcut in IdeaM, and the touch gesture that does the same job on an iPhone or iPad. 43 actions in all. Learn a handful and the outline starts to feel like an instrument.
The same action on every device. What you learn on a Mac you already know on Windows, and your fingers already know it on an iPad.
This page is laid out to print — one sheet per group.
Getting around
9 actionsMoving through an outline and changing how much of it you can see.
Move to the item above or below
- Mac
- ↑ ↓
- Windows & Linux
- ↑ ↓
- iPhone & iPad
- Scroll and tap
Select an item
- Mac
- Click
- Windows & Linux
- Click
- iPhone & iPad
- Tap
Open or close one branch
- Mac
- Click the arrow
- Windows & Linux
- Click the arrow
- iPhone & iPad
- Tap the arrow
Expand everything
- Mac
- ⌘E
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+E
- iPhone & iPad
- Down-arrow toolbar button
Compress everything
- Mac
- ⌘⇧E
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Shift+E
- iPhone & iPad
- Up-arrow toolbar button
Search this outline
Control, not Command — on a Mac, ⌘F belongs to the browser’s own page search, so we leave it alone.
- Mac
- ⌃F
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+F
- iPhone & iPad
- Search field in the toolbar
Focus on one branch
- Mac
- ⌘⇧F
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Shift+F
- iPhone & iPad
- Focus toolbar button
Step back out
- Mac
- Esc
- Windows & Linux
- Esc
- iPhone & iPad
- Focus button again
Show or hide the sidebar
- Mac
- ⌘B
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+B
- iPhone & iPad
- Sidebar button
| Action | Mac | Windows & Linux | iPhone & iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move to the item above or below | ↑ ↓ | ↑ ↓ | Scroll and tap |
| Select an item | Click | Click | Tap |
| Open or close one branch | Click the arrow | Click the arrow | Tap the arrow |
| Expand everything | ⌘E | Ctrl+E | Down-arrow toolbar button |
| Compress everything | ⌘⇧E | Ctrl+Shift+E | Up-arrow toolbar button |
| Search this outlineControl, not Command — on a Mac, ⌘F belongs to the browser’s own page search, so we leave it alone. | ⌃F | Ctrl+F | Search field in the toolbar |
| Focus on one branch | ⌘⇧F | Ctrl+Shift+F | Focus toolbar button |
| Step back out | Esc | Esc | Focus button again |
| Show or hide the sidebar | ⌘B | Ctrl+B | Sidebar button |
Building the outline
11 actionsAdding items, naming them, and moving them around the hierarchy.
New item below this one
- Mac
- Return
- Windows & Linux
- Enter
- iPhone & iPad
- Green + button
Rename an item
- Mac
- Double-click
- Windows & Linux
- Double-click
- iPhone & iPad
- Tap it again once it is selected
Finish renaming
- Mac
- Return
- Windows & Linux
- Enter
- iPhone & iPad
- Return
Cancel renaming
- Mac
- Esc
- Windows & Linux
- Esc
- iPhone & iPad
- Tap elsewhere
Start typing in a brand-new item
- Mac
- Space
- Windows & Linux
- Space
- iPhone & iPad
- Tap it again
Indent
- Mac
- Tab
- Windows & Linux
- Tab
- iPhone & iPad
- Swipe right
Outdent
- Mac
- ⇧Tab
- Windows & Linux
- Shift+Tab
- iPhone & iPad
- Swipe left
Move an item
- Mac
- Drag
- Windows & Linux
- Drag
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press, then drag
Delete an item
- Mac
- Delete
- Windows & Linux
- Delete
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press → Delete
Duplicate an item
- Mac
- ⌘D
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+D
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press → Duplicate
Open the item menu
- Mac
- Right-click
- Windows & Linux
- Right-click
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press
| Action | Mac | Windows & Linux | iPhone & iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| New item below this one | Return | Enter | Green + button |
| Rename an item | Double-click | Double-click | Tap it again once it is selected |
| Finish renaming | Return | Enter | Return |
| Cancel renaming | Esc | Esc | Tap elsewhere |
| Start typing in a brand-new item | Space | Space | Tap it again |
| Indent | Tab | Tab | Swipe right |
| Outdent | ⇧Tab | Shift+Tab | Swipe left |
| Move an item | Drag | Drag | Long-press, then drag |
| Delete an item | Delete | Delete | Long-press → Delete |
| Duplicate an item | ⌘D | Ctrl+D | Long-press → Duplicate |
| Open the item menu | Right-click | Right-click | Long-press |
Copying whole branches
9 actionsThese carry an item and everything underneath it — not just the line you clicked.
Copy a branch
- Mac
- ⌘C
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+C
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press → Copy
Cut a branch
- Mac
- ⌘X
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+X
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press → Cut
Paste a branch
- Mac
- ⌘V
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+V
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press → Paste
Undo
- Mac
- ⌘Z
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Z
- iPhone & iPad
- Undo button
Redo
- Mac
- ⌘⇧Z
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Shift+Z
- iPhone & iPad
- Redo button
Add one more item to the selection
- Mac
- ⌘Click
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Click
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press one item, then tap the others
Select a run of items
- Mac
- ⇧Click
- Windows & Linux
- Shift+Click
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press one item, then tap the others
Indent or outdent everything selected
- Mac
- Tab / ⇧Tab
- Windows & Linux
- Tab / Shift+Tab
- iPhone & iPad
- Swipe right or left
Clear the selection
- Mac
- Esc
- Windows & Linux
- Esc
- iPhone & iPad
- Tap empty space
| Action | Mac | Windows & Linux | iPhone & iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy a branch | ⌘C | Ctrl+C | Long-press → Copy |
| Cut a branch | ⌘X | Ctrl+X | Long-press → Cut |
| Paste a branch | ⌘V | Ctrl+V | Long-press → Paste |
| Undo | ⌘Z | Ctrl+Z | Undo button |
| Redo | ⌘⇧Z | Ctrl+Shift+Z | Redo button |
| Add one more item to the selection | ⌘Click | Ctrl+Click | Long-press one item, then tap the others |
| Select a run of items | ⇧Click | Shift+Click | Long-press one item, then tap the others |
| Indent or outdent everything selected | Tab / ⇧Tab | Tab / Shift+Tab | Swipe right or left |
| Clear the selection | Esc | Esc | Tap empty space |
Writing inside an item
7 actionsThe text editor in the content pane. Standard everywhere, on purpose.
Bold
While you are typing, ⌘B means bold. Outside the editor it shows and hides the sidebar.
- Mac
- ⌘B
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+B
- iPhone & iPad
- Select text → format bar
Italic
- Mac
- ⌘I
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+I
- iPhone & iPad
- Select text → format bar
Underline
- Mac
- ⌘U
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+U
- iPhone & iPad
- Select text → format bar
Select all the text
- Mac
- ⌘A
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+A
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press → Select All
Copy text
- Mac
- ⌘C
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+C
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press → Copy
Paste text
- Mac
- ⌘V
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+V
- iPhone & iPad
- Long-press → Paste
Undo your typing
- Mac
- ⌘Z
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Z
- iPhone & iPad
- Undo button
| Action | Mac | Windows & Linux | iPhone & iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| BoldWhile you are typing, ⌘B means bold. Outside the editor it shows and hides the sidebar. | ⌘B | Ctrl+B | Select text → format bar |
| Italic | ⌘I | Ctrl+I | Select text → format bar |
| Underline | ⌘U | Ctrl+U | Select text → format bar |
| Select all the text | ⌘A | Ctrl+A | Long-press → Select All |
| Copy text | ⌘C | Ctrl+C | Long-press → Copy |
| Paste text | ⌘V | Ctrl+V | Long-press → Paste |
| Undo your typing | ⌘Z | Ctrl+Z | Undo button |
Your Second Brain
5 actionsKeeping things worth keeping, and getting them back later.
Save the selected item
- Mac
- ⌘⇧B
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Shift+B
- iPhone & iPad
- Brain menu → Save
Ask your Second Brain
This one writes an answer with AI, so it uses one AI generation.
- Mac
- ⌘⇧S
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Shift+S
- iPhone & iPad
- Brain menu → Ask
Quick capture a note
- Mac
- ⌘⇧I
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Shift+I
- iPhone & iPad
- Brain menu
Search your Second Brain
Plain keyword search. Instant, on your own machine, and it uses no AI.
- Mac
- Brain menu → magnifier
- Windows & Linux
- Brain menu → magnifier
- iPhone & iPad
- Brain menu → magnifier
Open your Second Brain
- Mac
- Brain toolbar button
- Windows & Linux
- Brain toolbar button
- iPhone & iPad
- Brain menu
| Action | Mac | Windows & Linux | iPhone & iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save the selected item | ⌘⇧B | Ctrl+Shift+B | Brain menu → Save |
| Ask your Second BrainThis one writes an answer with AI, so it uses one AI generation. | ⌘⇧S | Ctrl+Shift+S | Brain menu → Ask |
| Quick capture a note | ⌘⇧I | Ctrl+Shift+I | Brain menu |
| Search your Second BrainPlain keyword search. Instant, on your own machine, and it uses no AI. | Brain menu → magnifier | Brain menu → magnifier | Brain menu → magnifier |
| Open your Second Brain | Brain toolbar button | Brain toolbar button | Brain menu |
AI and help
2 actionsThe two things that live on a key of their own.
Refresh an item from the web
Needs an item selected. It is switched off inside the built-in User Guide.
- Mac
- ⌘⇧R
- Windows & Linux
- Ctrl+Shift+R
- iPhone & iPad
- AI menu
Show the in-app shortcut card
Press it anywhere except while you are typing.
- Mac
- ?
- Windows & Linux
- ?
- iPhone & iPad
- Help button
| Action | Mac | Windows & Linux | iPhone & iPad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refresh an item from the webNeeds an item selected. It is switched off inside the built-in User Guide. | ⌘⇧R | Ctrl+Shift+R | AI menu |
| Show the in-app shortcut cardPress it anywhere except while you are typing. | ? | ? | Help button |
Two things worth knowing
- Turning on Project Management in Settings adds status, due dates and task dependencies — but it does not add any new keyboard shortcuts. Those controls live in the item menu and the content pane, so the list above is the whole keyboard story either way.
- Shortcuts that would fight the system are deliberately left alone. Search is ⌃F rather than ⌘F, and nothing is bound to the function keys or to a three-finger gesture, so your Mac and your iPad keep behaving the way you expect.
Start with four.
Return for a new item, Tab and Shift+Tab to move it in and out, ⌘Z when you change your mind. That is most of a day’s outlining right there.
Read the guide