Keyboard navigation is a first-class part of Sambee.
Keyboard-First Principles
- Focus matters: Shortcuts act on the item that currently has focus.
- The active pane matters: In dual-pane mode, many file browser commands target the currently active pane.
- Important actions stay discoverable: The same actions are also available through visible controls and the in-app shortcuts help.
- Safety still wins: Shortcuts that would be unsafe in text fields, dialogs, or incompatible states are intentionally blocked.
If you want the live in-app list, press ? or F1. While editing Markdown or text, use F1 so you can type question marks normally.
File List and Main UI
Use these shortcuts when the main file list or browser shell has focus.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Up / Down | Move to the previous or next row in the current file list |
| Home / End | Jump to the first or last visible item |
| Page Up / Page Down | Move up or down by a page in the current list |
| Enter | Open the focused file or enter the focused directory |
| Backspace | Go up to the parent directory |
| Ctrl + Down | Open the connection selector |
| Ctrl + K | Open smart navigation |
| Ctrl + Alt + F | Filter the current directory in the active pane |
| Ctrl + P | Open commands |
| Ctrl + , | Open settings |
| ? / F1 | Show keyboard shortcuts help |
| Ctrl + R | Refresh the current file list |
| F2 | Rename the focused item |
| Del | Delete the focused item |
| F7 | Create a new directory |
| Shift + F7 | Create a new file |
| Ctrl + Enter | Open the focused file in the companion app |
When the focused item is a local shortcut or filesystem link, Sambee resolves its target before activating it. A directory target opens in its drive and directory, including a different local drive. A file target follows the same behavior as opening that file directly: Enter uses the selected viewer, while Ctrl + Enter opens it in the companion app. If the target is missing or inaccessible, Sambee shows an error instead of opening the link itself.
Selection and Dual-Pane Workflows
These shortcuts matter most when you are working keyboard-first across one or two panes.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ins or Space | Toggle selection on the focused item and move down |
| Shift + Up / Shift + Down | Extend selection upward or downward |
| Ctrl + A | Select all items in the current list |
| Ctrl + B | Toggle dual-pane mode |
| Ctrl + 1 / Ctrl + 2 | Focus the left or right pane |
| Tab | Move focus to the other pane |
| F5 / F6 | Copy or move selected items to the other pane |
Viewers
Viewers share a common keyboard model for closing, searching, paging, and visual controls.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Esc | Close the viewer |
| D | Download the current file |
| Ctrl + F | Search inside supported viewers |
| F3 / Shift + F3 | Jump to the next or previous search result |
| Home / End | Jump to the first or last page or item |
| Page Up / Page Down | Move to the previous or next page |
| Left / Right | Move to the previous or next page or item |
| + / - | Zoom in or out |
| 0 | Reset zoom |
| R / Shift + R | Rotate right or left |
| F | Toggle fullscreen |
| ? / F1 | Show keyboard shortcuts help |
Some viewer shortcuts depend on the file type. For example, search applies to searchable viewers, and page navigation applies to paged or gallery-style viewers.
Markdown Editor
Markdown files build on the shared viewer shortcuts and add editor-specific formatting actions.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| E | Switch a Markdown file from viewing to editing |
| Ctrl + S | Save the current Markdown file |
| Ctrl + B | Toggle bold text |
| Ctrl + I | Toggle italic text |
| Ctrl + F | Search in the current Markdown content |
| Ctrl + H | Open find and replace for the current Markdown content |
| F3 / Shift + F3 | Jump to the next or previous search result |
| Enter in the Replace field | Replace the current match |
| Ctrl + Alt + Enter in the Replace field | Replace all matches |
| Alt + C | Toggle case-sensitive matching while the find panel is open |
| Alt + W | Toggle whole-word matching while the find panel is open |
| Alt + R | Toggle regular-expression matching while the find panel is open |
| Alt + Z | Toggle word wrap |
| F1 | Show Text editor shortcuts |
| Ctrl + K | Create a link |
| Ctrl + Alt + T | Insert a table |
| Ctrl + Alt + H | Insert a thematic break |
| Ctrl + E | Apply inline code |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | Insert a code block |
| F1 | Show Markdown editor shortcuts |
| Esc | Close the Markdown viewer |
Find and replace opens as a compact panel in the upper-right of the viewer, with a small margin below the toolbar. It shows the current match and total result count. Use the visible previous, next, replace, and replace-all controls after entering a search. The fields display Search (⇅ for history) and Replace (⇅ for history) until you type; each keeps up to ten recent values locally, available with Up and Down. Invalid regular expressions are reported without changing the document.
Text Editor
Text files use the same CodeMirror find controls as the Markdown editor. Find is available while viewing or editing a supported text file; replace is available while editing.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + F | Search in the current text content |
| Ctrl + H | Open find and replace while editing |
| F3 / Shift + F3 | Jump to the next or previous search result |
| Enter in the Replace field | Replace the current match |
| Ctrl + Alt + Enter in the Replace field | Replace all matches |
| Alt + C | Toggle case-sensitive matching while the find panel is open |
| Alt + W | Toggle whole-word matching while the find panel is open |
| Alt + R | Toggle regular-expression matching while the find panel is open |
| Alt + Z | Toggle word wrap |
When to Use the Built-In Shortcut Help
This page summarizes the most useful keyboard shortcuts by UI area.
Use the built-in shortcuts help when you want the live in-app list for your current screen, or when you want a quick reminder without leaving the file browser.