Obsidian keyboard shortcuts for Mac
Find notes, use commands and follow links while respecting your vault's own hotkey settings.
Documentation reviewed 2026-11-05 · 6 task guides · Mac bindings and focus notes
What do you want to do?
Find Obsidian commands and their shortcuts on Mac
Command-P opens Obsidian’s Command palette on Mac when that core plugin is enabled. Type the command name, use Arrow keys to choose a result and press Return. Assigned hotkeys are shown beside commands; not every command has one.
Steps, keys and context ↗Delete words or a line safely in Obsidian on Mac
Obsidian documents Option-Backspace for deleting the previous word on Mac, Command-Backspace for deleting to the line’s beginning, and Command-Shift-K for deleting the current line when no text is selected. Command-Z undoes a recent change.
Steps, keys and context ↗Format text and paste without formatting in Obsidian on Mac
Obsidian’s documented Mac editing shortcuts include Command-B for bold, Command-I for italic and Command-Shift-V for pasting without formatting. These editor actions differ from configurable command hotkeys.
Steps, keys and context ↗Find, open and create Obsidian notes on Mac
Command-O opens Obsidian’s Quick switcher on Mac when enabled. Type a note name, choose a result and press Return. Command-Return opens the selection in a new tab; Shift-Return creates a note with the exact typed name even when similar results exist.
Steps, keys and context ↗Select words and lines in Obsidian on Mac
In Obsidian on Mac, Option-Left Arrow and Right Arrow move by words. Adding Shift extends the selection. Command-Left Arrow and Right Arrow move to line boundaries; Command-Shift-Arrow selects to those boundaries.
Steps, keys and context ↗Search across an Obsidian vault on Mac
Command-Shift-F opens Obsidian’s vault Search on Mac when the core plugin is enabled. Use plain words or supported operators such as path: and file: to narrow results. Command-O is for finding notes by name, not the same search.
Steps, keys and context ↗
Quick reference
Selected bindings from the linked task guides. Check the context before pressing a key: the focused control, app version and your custom settings can change what it does. This is a documentation reference, not an exhaustive live menu reading.
| Action | Keys | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Open Command palette | Command-P | Requires the Command palette core plugin. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Delete previous word | Option-Backspace | Delete backward from the text caret. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Bold text | Command-B | Apply basic emphasis within the editor. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Open Quick switcher | Command-O | Requires the Quick switcher core plugin. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Previous or next word | Option-Left Arrow or Option-Right Arrow | Move the caret inside the editor. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Open vault Search | Command-Shift-F | Search available content in the current vault. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Choose a command | Up Arrow or Down Arrow | Move through the filtered palette results. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Delete to line start | Command-Backspace | Remove text before the caret on this line. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Italic text | Command-I | Use for the intended selected wording. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Open selected note | Return | A no-match query can create a new note. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Select by word | Option-Shift-Left Arrow or Option-Shift-Right Arrow | Extend the selected text through words. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Quick switcher | Command-O | Find a note by name or alias instead. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Run selected command | Return | Read the selected command before confirming. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Delete current line | Command-Shift-K | Documented for the editor when no text is selected. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Paste without formatting | Command-Shift-V | Bring in text without rich formatting. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Open in a new tab | Command-Return | Open the selected existing note separately. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Line boundary | Command-Left Arrow or Command-Right Arrow | Move to the current line’s beginning or end. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Undo | Command-Z | Recover the most recent unintended edit. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
When a shortcut behaves differently
- Confirm you are using the Mac binding, and check whether the guide describes a desktop app or its web version.
- Put focus in the control named in the guide. Editing text, selecting an object and navigating a sidebar can use different keys.
- Look up the command in the app's menu or shortcut settings. Customized keys and non-US keyboard layouts can differ from documented defaults.
The cited documentation was checked for these guides; a documentation review is separate from testing your particular running app. How we verify and update guides →
Official sources
- Editing shortcuts — Obsidian Help — checked 2026-11-04
- Command palette — Obsidian Help — checked 2026-11-04
- Hotkeys — Obsidian Help — checked 2026-11-04
- Quick switcher — Obsidian Help — checked 2026-11-04
- Search — Obsidian Help — checked 2026-11-04