# draw.io keyboard shortcuts

The draw.io editor has a very large shortcut list. These are the ones that change how fast you work.

![image-20260907-082416.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/700b0004-9d88-4544-8dea-e7e2ab8b6024.webp)

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## Worth knowing

* Learning three of these saves more time than learning all of them.
* Shortcuts work while the editor has focus, not while the page does.
* On macOS, use Cmd wherever Ctrl is listed.

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## Shortcuts

| **Shortcut**                | **Does**                                                      |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Ctrl+Shift+H                | Fit the diagram to the window                                 |
| Ctrl+D                      | Duplicate the selection                                       |
| Ctrl+G / Ctrl+Shift+U       | Group / ungroup                                               |
| Ctrl+E                      | Edit the style of the selection                               |
| F2                          | Rename the selected shape                                     |
| Ctrl+Shift+F / Ctrl+Shift+B | Bring to front / send to back                                 |
| Ctrl+Shift+L                | Open the layers panel                                         |
| Alt+Shift+X / Alt+Shift+C   | Align horizontal / vertical centre                            |
| Escape                      | Cancel the current connector or edit                          |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y             | Undo / redo                                                   |
| Ctrl+Shift+M                | Edit the diagram XML                                          |
| Right-click                 | Context menu, which is where most of the useful commands live |

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## A few things that catch people out

* Shortcuts apply while the editor has focus. Click the canvas first if a shortcut seems dead.
* On macOS, Cmd replaces Ctrl throughout.
* Ctrl+Shift+H is the one to learn first. It solves being lost.

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## Related

[Drafts and recovery in draw.ioSaving is manual, and there is a safety net.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/drafts-and-recovery-in-draw-io.html)

[Fix draw.io editor problemsThe five things that actually go wrong.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/fix-draw-io-editor-problems.html)

[draw.io editorBack to the editor overview.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/draw-io-editor.html)

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_The canvas rewards ten minutes of learning._