How to use the command palette

What the command palette is

The command palette is a single search box that stands in for every menu in the editor. It lists the actions you would otherwise find in the top bar, the left tool rail, the mind map toolbar and the right-hand panels, then runs one of them with a couple of keystrokes.

What makes it worth learning is that it searches by intent rather than by menu location. Typing "outline" finds the accessible outline panel, typing "png" finds the PNG export, and typing "zen" finds the focus switch, even though those three things live in completely different corners of the interface.

Nothing in the palette is a hidden power feature. Every entry runs an action you could also click, which means the palette is a faster route to what already exists rather than a second control system to learn.

• One list holds tools, creation actions, edit commands, view settings and file commands
• Each row shows its keyboard shortcut on the right when one exists
• Results arrive grouped, so you can see where a command belongs
• Mind map actions appear only while a map is open

Note: The palette reaches the commands in the editor, not every property. Stroke width, opacity, blending and fonts still live in the property flyouts on the left tool rail, because those are values rather than commands.

Open it from anywhere

Ctrl/Cmd+K opens the palette from any state: the canvas, a mind map, the App Builder, or with a menu already on screen. The shortcut is global, so you never have to release the keyboard to reach a tool you use every day.

There is a button for the same thing in the top bar, labeled with the shortcut for your platform, which helps when you are sharing a screen and the audience wants to see where the command list came from. The complete Canvasola guide maps out the rest of the top bar.

Opening the palette puts the caret straight into the search field with an empty query, so the whole command list is visible before you type a single letter. That is a useful reference in itself when you are learning the interface.

1. Press Ctrl/Cmd+K. The palette opens over the workspace with the search field focused and the first result already highlighted.
2. Or use the top bar button. The Quick actions button in the top bar opens the same list and shows Ctrl K or ⌘K depending on your platform.
3. Back out safely. Press Esc to dismiss the palette without running anything and return the cursor to where it was.

Search by what you want to do

The search is fuzzy, so the letters you type do not have to be complete or in order. "mnpng" still finds the mind map PNG export, and "brsh" finds the freehand brush. The characters that matched are highlighted in the result, so you can see why an entry came up.

Type the noun of the thing rather than the wording on the button. Searching "export" surfaces every export command at once, and searching "text" surfaces the text tool along with the text-related commands, grouped so you can pick the one you meant.

Commands also carry hidden keywords that are not displayed anywhere in the list. Searching "fit" brings up Fit content to view, and searching "focus" reaches the zen mode entry even though the palette calls it Toggle zen mode.

• Two or three letters are usually enough to narrow the list
• The group name is searched too, not only the command title
• A result with no highlighted letters matched on keywords alone
• An empty query lists the commands in order, grouped by section

Move through results

Arrow keys move through the list, up and down, and the highlighted row is the one Enter will run. The footer of the palette shows how many commands matched, which tells you at a glance whether your search narrowed things down or matched nearly everything.

Enter runs the selected command and closes the palette in one go. Esc closes it without running anything, which is the right move when a search was a near miss and you would rather refine the query than commit to a command you did not mean.

Home and End jump to the first and the last result. On a touch screen the rows are tappable, and the footer says so, so the palette remains usable on a tablet even without a keyboard.

• Up and Down arrows move the highlight through the results
• Enter runs the highlighted command and closes the palette
• Home and End jump to the first and the last result
• The footer count tells you how much the query narrowed things

Note: Running a command closes the palette straight away. If you want to try two actions in a row, reopen it with Ctrl/Cmd+K rather than reaching for the mouse.

Commands worth memorizing

A handful of entries are worth learning by heart because they come up in nearly every session. Toggle zen mode, Fit content to view, Toggle layers panel and Present mind map are the four that pay off most often, and the last one only appears while a map is active.

The file group deserves a look too. Save project runs Ctrl/Cmd+S, Open project runs Ctrl/Cmd+O, and the export entries cover PNG, JPG, SVG, Markdown and OPML without opening a menu at all. The guide to naming your files covers what each of those exports produces.

The full shortcut sheet is one keystroke away. Press ? to open the list of every verified shortcut, which is faster than learning them one at a time from the palette. The keyboard cheat sheet holds the same list in a page you can keep open in a second tab.

• Toggle zen mode for a canvas without the interface around it
• Fit content to view after a zoom-out or a long scroll
• Search mind map nodes with Ctrl/Cmd+F
• Save project and Open project from the File group

Note: The shortcut sheet button is hidden on narrow screens, and the zen button in the top bar is hidden there too, but the Ctrl/Cmd+K palette still works on a phone or a small tablet.

A checklist you can reuse

• Ctrl/Cmd+K opens the palette from the canvas, a map and the App Builder
• Search terms describe the action, such as export, fit or outline
• The arrow keys move the highlight and Enter runs the selection
• Esc closes the palette without running anything
• The footer count shows how many commands matched the query
• Save project and Open project are found in the File group
• The ? shortcut sheet has been opened at least once

Common mistakes to avoid

• Searching for the button label. A label search misses commands whose titles are worded differently. Search the noun of the task, such as export or history, and read the grouped results.
• Clicking the toolbar every time. Reaching for a button costs a mouse trip and a visual hunt. The palette entry runs the same command from the keyboard.
• Running the first match blindly. A fuzzy match can land on a neighbouring command. Read the highlighted row and the group it sits in before pressing Enter.
• Expecting every control in the palette. Property values such as stroke width and opacity are not commands. Those still need the property flyouts on the left tool rail.
• Leaving the palette open. The palette is a one-shot tool. It closes when a command runs, so reopen it when you need the next one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the command palette and the shortcut sheet?

The palette runs actions: it lists tools, creation actions, edit commands, view settings and file commands, and it executes the one you pick. The shortcut sheet, opened with ?, only lists the key combinations. Use the palette when you want to do something and the sheet when you want to learn a key.

Why is a mind map command missing from the palette?

Mind map actions only appear when a map is active. If you are on a blank canvas, the entries for search, present, minimap, auto-arrange and the 3D stack are not there, because they would have nothing to act on. Open a mind map first and they reappear.

Does the palette work on a tablet?

Yes. The rows in the result list are tappable, and the footer switches to a tap hint when a touch screen is detected. The keyboard shortcut is faster, and the palette holds the same commands either way, so nothing on a tablet is locked away from you.

Can the palette reach settings inside the App Builder?

Partly. Commands such as Open App Builder, Undo, Redo, Save project and the export formats are available, because they are shared across the app. Inspector fields inside a frame, such as auto-layout gap or constraints, stay in their own panel, and the palette is not a substitute for that panel.

This guide is part of the workflow and productivity collection. For the wider product tour, read the complete Canvasola guide, and keep the keyboard shortcut cheat sheet open while you work.