Press K (Mac) or CtrlK (Windows/Linux) to open the Command Palette and access all navigation commands, including search. Press ? to open the quick reference dialog.

Note: On macOS use , on Windows/Linux use Ctrl

Quick Reference

ShortcutAction
K / CtrlKCommand Palette / Search
? / Ctrl?Keyboard Shortcuts Quick Reference
F1Help Documentation

Global Shortcuts

These work anywhere in MakeTimeFlow.

ShortcutAction
1 / Ctrl1Focus (start timers)
2 / Ctrl2Tasks
3 / Ctrl3Goals
4 / Ctrl4Voice
0 / Ctrl0Flow / Focus (jump to active session or start one)
, / Ctrl,Settings / Preferences
[ / Ctrl[Back
] / Ctrl]Forward

Task Views

Cycle through task views (List → Outline → Table → Timeblock):

ShortcutAction
Shift] / CtrlShift]Next task view
Shift[ / CtrlShift[Previous task view

Actions

ShortcutAction
ShiftA / CtrlShiftAAdd a Task (opens quick-add modal)
R / CtrlRRefresh

Quick-Add Modal

When adding a task via ShiftA:

ShortcutAction
Enter / CtrlEnterAdd task and start timer
EnterAdd task
TabExpand options
EscClose modal

View-Specific Shortcuts

Focus Page

The Focus page (accessed via 1) is where you choose what to work on and start a timer. Once a timer is active, you’re in Flow Mode (see below).

When browsing tasks to start:

ShortcutAction
or kMove to previous task
or jMove to next task
Enter or SpaceSelect task and start timer

List View

The List view shows your tasks organized by buckets (@today, @next, @later). See Task List Shortcuts for full keyboard shortcuts including:

  • Vim-style navigation (j/k)
  • Bucket assignment (t/n/l)
  • Quick timers (s/5/1/2/4)
  • Bulk task sorting

Task List Shortcuts

ShortcutAction
or jMove to next task
or kMove to previous task
TabMove to next focusable element

Task Actions

ShortcutAction
EnterEdit selected task (opens card)
Enter / CtrlEnterToggle task completion
SpaceToggle task completion
(Backspace)Delete/restore task
/ CtrlDelete task

Bucket Assignment

Move tasks between buckets for quick triage. After moving, selection automatically advances to the next task for efficient bulk sorting.

ShortcutAction
tMove to @today
nMove to @next
lMove to @later

Closing the Loop

See Closing the Loop for the full workflow guide.

ShortcutAction
> (Shift+.)Complete task and open followup dialog
w or WMark as waiting for (adds @waiting_for tag, moves to @next)

Adding Tasks

ShortcutAction
aFocus quick-add input for current bucket
ShiftA / CtrlShiftAOpen quick-add modal

Quick-Add Input (inline)

  • Enter - Add the task
  • Esc - Clear and exit
  • / - Return to task list

Timers

ShortcutAction
sStart timer (uses task duration or 25m default)
5Start 5-minute timer
1Start 10-minute timer
2Start 25-minute timer
4Start 45-minute timer

Card Editing

When a task card is open:

ShortcutAction
EscClose card
EnterClose card (when not in textarea)
Enter / CtrlEnterToggle task completion
ShiftEnterNew line in notes

Tips

  • Bulk sorting: Use j/k to navigate and t/n/l to assign buckets. Selection auto-advances for fast triage.
  • Quick capture: Press a to add tasks without leaving the keyboard.
  • Vim-style: Navigation uses vim-style j/k keys alongside arrow keys.
  • Focus flow: Start a timer with s or quick-start with number keys.
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Outline View

The Outline view provides a hierarchical, keyboard-driven task editor. See Task Outliner Shortcuts for full keyboard shortcuts including:

  • Creating and nesting tasks
  • Expanding/collapsing sections
  • Moving tasks up/down
  • Setting buckets and priorities
  • Inline search (F / CtrlF)
ShortcutAction
F / CtrlFFind matching tasks within the outliner

Task Outliner Shortcuts

A full reference of every keyboard shortcut in the outliner. If you’d rather click than memorise, the Task Outliner Toolbar surfaces the most common commands as buttons with their shortcuts shown alongside.

Task Creation & Structure

ShortcutAction
EnterCreate new task (splits at cursor)
Enter / CtrlEnterCreate sibling task (insert after, no split)
ShiftEnter / CtrlShiftEnterCreate child task (subtask)
TabIndent task (make subtask)
ShiftTabOutdent task (un-nest)

Task Movement

ShortcutAction
/ CtrlMove task up
/ CtrlMove task down

Expand & Collapse

ShortcutAction
. / Ctrl.Toggle expand/collapse
Shift. / CtrlShift.Toggle all nested
/ CtrlProgressive expand (one level per press), or jump to end of line
Shift / CtrlShiftExpand current and all nested
/ CtrlCascade collapse (current → parent → root)
Shift / CtrlShiftCollapse current and all nested

These shortcuts work at any level of the task hierarchy. When in a parent task, they affect all nested subtasks.

Focus In / Out

ShortcutAction
/ CtrlAltFocus into task’s subtree
/ CtrlAltFocus out to parent

Focus In scopes the outliner to show only a task’s descendants, with a breadcrumb trail to navigate back up. Press Focus Out to zoom back to the parent level, or click any breadcrumb link to jump directly.

Scheduling (Buckets)

ShortcutAction
1 / Ctrl1Send to @today
2 / Ctrl2Send to @next
3 / Ctrl3Send to @later
0 / Ctrl0Send to @inbox
B / CtrlBToggle Today bucket (alternative)
I / CtrlIToggle Next bucket (alternative)

Priority

ShortcutAction
Shift1 / CtrlShift1High priority (P1)
Shift2 / CtrlShift2Medium priority (P2)
Shift3 / CtrlShift3Low priority (P3)

Task Actions

ShortcutAction
D / CtrlDToggle complete (Done)
/ CtrlBackspaceToggle cancel
E / CtrlEEdit task
ShiftS / CtrlShiftSStart timer
A / CtrlASelect all siblings; press again to select every task in the outline
ShortcutAction
F / CtrlFOpen search
or Next match
or Previous match
EnterJump to match (selects text)
EscapeCancel search and restore position

Search highlights all matches in yellow, with the current match in orange. Collapsed sections automatically expand to show matches. When you press Escape, your original cursor position and collapsed state are restored.

Commands

ShortcutAction
/Set parent task (opens parent-picker menu)
@Set bucket (@today, @next, @later, …)

Help

ShortcutAction
? / Ctrl?Show this shortcut reference in a modal, without leaving the outliner
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Flow Mode

When you start a timer and enter Flow Mode, you’re working on a task with panels for notes, related tasks, and upcoming items. See Flow Mode Shortcuts for full keyboard shortcuts.

Flow Mode Shortcuts

Panel Controls

When in an active Flow Mode session (working with a running timer):

ShortcutAction
nToggle Notes panel
tToggle Tasks panel
uToggle Upcoming panel
pPin open panel
P (Shift+p)Pin/unpin all panels

Task Actions

ShortcutAction
dComplete task
wWaiting for (adds @waiting_for tag, moves to @next)
> (Shift+.)Complete + followup (opens followup dialog)

Session Control

ShortcutAction
sStop session
Esc or hHide/back

Tasks Panel: Focus In / Out

When the Tasks panel is open, these outliner shortcuts let you zoom into and out of subtrees:

ShortcutAction
/ CtrlAltFocus into task’s subtree
/ CtrlAltFocus out to parent

You can also click the breadcrumb links above the outliner to navigate directly to any ancestor level.

See Task Outliner Shortcuts for the full outliner keyboard reference.

Tips

  • Panel management: Toggle panels as needed to focus on what matters. Pin panels to keep them visible.
  • Complete + followup: Use > to mark a task done and immediately create a followup task, ensuring nothing drops through the cracks.
  • Waiting for: Mark tasks you’re blocked on with w to keep your @today list actionable.
  • Focus In: When working on a complex project, use Focus In to scope the Tasks panel to just the subtasks that matter right now.
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Task Text Format

When editing a task title (in any view), you can use inline shortcuts that are parsed automatically:

ShortcutExampleResult
Duration10m, 1h, 1.5hSets expected duration
Bucket@today, @next, @laterMoves to bucket
Start datestart tomorrow, start mondaySets start date
Due datedue friday, due in 1 weekSets deadline
X-factor2x, 3xSets effort multiplier

Example: Review proposal 30m @today due friday creates a 30-minute task in @today due Friday.

Desktop App Only

ShortcutAction
ShiftM / CtrlShiftMQuick add (customizable in settings)

Tips

  • Learn the Flow Home shortcut (0) — it always takes you back to your active flow session, or to Focus if you don’t have one. See Flowing with Your Keyboard for how to stay in the zone with just a few shortcuts.
  • Use the Command Palette (K) to access all features including rituals, task filters, tools, and settings
  • Vim-style navigation: Most views support j/k for up/down alongside arrow keys
  • Quick on-screen reference: Press ? for a quick on-screen shortcuts dialog
  • Context-sensitive help: Look for keyboard hint bars at the bottom of each view showing the most-used shortcuts
  • Bulk sorting: In List view, use j/k to navigate and t/n/l to assign buckets — selection auto-advances for fast triage
  • Quick capture: Press a in List view to add tasks without leaving the keyboard
  • Focus flow: Start a timer with s or quick-start with number keys (5=5min, 1=10min, 2=25min, 4=45min)