Portals is built for keyboard-first workflows. Most actions you perform regularly — switching modes, panning the canvas, invoking Portal Agent — have a dedicated shortcut so you can keep your hands off the mouse. The tables below cover every shortcut available in the app.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.asquareportal.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
On macOS, shortcuts use Cmd. On Windows and Linux, replace Cmd with Ctrl unless otherwise noted.
Canvas navigation
These shortcuts work in Brainstorming and Design modes wherever an infinite canvas is active.| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Pan canvas | Hold Space and drag |
| Zoom in / out | Scroll wheel or pinch (trackpad) |
| Zoom with drag | Hold Z and drag left/right |
| Reset zoom to 100% | Cmd+1 |
| Recenter / fit canvas | Cmd+0 |
| Duplicate card | Hold Alt and drag a card |
Mode switching
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Toggle between Brainstorming and Design | Tab |
| Toggle Brainstorming / Storyboard view | Ctrl+` (backtick, not Cmd) |
The Ctrl+` shortcut uses the physical Ctrl key on all platforms, including macOS. It does not work when in Design mode.
Portal Agent
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open Portal Agent status bar | Cmd+/ |
| Hold-to-talk (Dynamic AI voice) | Hold Left Ctrl |
| Open floating chat panel | Cmd+E |
| Toggle Cursor Portal | Cmd+` or Cmd+Shift+` |
Design tools
These shortcuts are active only when Design mode is open and no text input field is focused.| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Selection tool | V |
| Copy layer | Cmd+C |
| Paste layer | Cmd+V |
| Delete selected layer | Delete or Backspace |
General
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Toggle light / dark theme | ` (backtick, no modifier) |
| Cancel screenshot capture mode | Escape |
Tips for using shortcuts
Shortcuts don't work — what to check
Shortcuts don't work — what to check
Most canvas shortcuts are disabled when a text input or editable field has focus. Click anywhere on the canvas background to deselect the focused element, then try the shortcut again.
Using a non-Mac keyboard on macOS
Using a non-Mac keyboard on macOS
On a Windows keyboard connected to a Mac, the Windows key acts as Cmd for Portals shortcuts. The Alt key maps to Option.
Tab key in brainstorming vs. design
Tab key in brainstorming vs. design
Pressing Tab while a card or input is focused may insert a tab character or move focus within the card. Click the canvas background first to ensure the global Tab mode-switch handler is active.