# Keyboard shortcuts

Last updated: 2026-10-27

> The keys that open search and layers, make the map full screen, start a comment, edit a record and finish a drawing, on a Mac and on Windows.

On a computer, these shortcuts work when the corresponding feature is available in your app. Comment shortcuts require comments to be enabled. Hover over a map button to see its key in the tooltip, for example **Layers (shift+L)**.

![The map's layers button with its tooltip, Layers (shift+L)](https://restorationscope.com/docs/figures/en/layers-shortcut.png)

## Anywhere in the app

| Mac | Windows | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cmd+K | Ctrl+K | Opens or closes search. Not every app has this: if you don't see the magnifier in the navigation bar, ask us. See [Search](https://restorationscope.com/docs/search). |

## On the map

| Mac | Windows | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shift+L | Shift+L | Opens or closes **Layers**. |
| Shift+. | Shift+. | **Full screen map (⇧.)**: hides the panel beside the map. Press it again to bring the panel back. |
| C | C | Turns comment mode on or off. |
| Esc | Esc | Leaves comment mode. |
| Enter | Enter | Sends the comment you're writing. If mention suggestions are open, selects the highlighted person instead. Shift+Enter starts a new line. |
| / | / | Opens or closes **Search place or coordinate (/)**, in apps that have it. |
| ← → | ← → | Moves to the previous or next date when a basemap with a timeline is on. See [Change the basemap](https://restorationscope.com/docs/basemaps). |

![The map's full screen button with its tooltip, Full screen map (⇧.)](https://restorationscope.com/docs/figures/en/full-screen-map-shortcut.png)

## Lists and records

| Mac | Windows | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| E | E | Opens **Edit** on the record you have open. Only people who can edit the record have it. |
| Cmd+Enter | None | Saves the form you're filling in, like clicking **Create** or **Update** followed by the record type, for example **Create Tree**. |
| Esc | Esc | Closes the table you expanded with **Expand table**. If you're typing in a field or a menu or dialog is open, Esc closes that first: click outside the field and press Esc again. |
| ← → | ← → | Shows the previous or next photo when you have a photo open. |

## While you draw a shape

| Mac | Windows | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Enter | Enter | Finishes the shape, like clicking **Done** (**Save** when you edit a shape). |
| Delete | Backspace | Removes the last corner you placed. |
| Delete | Delete or Backspace | When you edit a shape, removes the corner under the pointer. |
| Esc | Esc | Closes the drawing menu if one is open; otherwise stops drawing or editing without keeping your changes. |

The steps for drawing are in [Draw a boundary, line or point on the map](https://restorationscope.com/docs/draw-shapes).

## When a key does nothing

Single keys such as `C`, `E` and `Shift+L` don't work while you're typing in a box: click outside it first. `Cmd+Enter` works only on a Mac; on Windows, click the button instead. On a phone, there are no shortcuts.

To learn the map's buttons, see [Use the map](https://restorationscope.com/docs/use-the-map).