Keyboard shortcuts
By Dawn has a shortcut for most things you do every day: opening a screen, searching, creating a ticket and copying its ID or link. This page lists them all, grouped by where they work, so you can move around without the mouse.
To see the shortcuts on screen, hold ⌘ (Ctrl on Windows and Linux). By Dawn shows each one beside the thing it opens.
How to read the keys
Section titled “How to read the keys”The keys below are the Mac’s. On Windows and Linux, press Ctrl wherever you see ⌘, and Alt wherever you see ⌥. For example, ⌘K is CtrlK.
A few keys belong to the browser, such as the ones that open and close its tabs, so in the web app By Dawn’s version adds ⌥. The tables give that form under In the web app. Everywhere else, the keys are the same in the desktop app and the web app.
Most shortcuts wait while you’re typing in a field, so they don’t interrupt a sentence. A few work from anywhere: ⌘K, ⌘N, and the ticket’s ⌘., split view and file-finder keys.
Anywhere in By Dawn
Section titled “Anywhere in By Dawn”These work wherever the sidebar is showing, which is everywhere except Settings.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘K | Search tickets, Docs pages and Memory. See Command palette and search |
| ⌘\ | Hide or show the sidebar |
| ⌘J | Ask about the code, in the open project |
| ⌘G | Group the board by epic, or stop grouping |
| ⌘N | New ticket. In the web app: ⌘⌥N |
| ⌘⇧F | Send feedback to the SawRun team, where your organization has feedback turned on. This one works in Settings too |
Go to a screen
Section titled “Go to a screen”| Shortcut | Opens |
|---|---|
| ⌘1 | Board |
| ⌘2 | Epics & Milestones, at the first open epic, when the project has one |
| ⌘3 | Terminals, when By Dawn is connected to a machine with terminals |
| ⌘4 | Repos |
| ⌘5 | Cycles, when the project uses cycles |
| ⌘6 | Releases |
| ⌘7 | Insights |
| ⌘8 | Docs |
| ⌘9 | Pull requests |
Some browsers keep ⌘1 to ⌘9 for switching their own tabs. If yours does, use the desktop app or the sidebar.
On the board
Section titled “On the board”| Shortcut | What it does | In the web app |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘N | Open the quick-add bar to write a ticket | ⌘⌥N |
| ⌘⇧N | Open the full ticket composer | ⌘⌥⇧N |
| ↵ or ⌘↵ | Create the ticket you’ve written | |
| Esc | Step the quick-add bar back down: from the full composer to the bar, then smaller | |
| ⌘⇧D | Change how tightly the cards are packed | |
| ↵ | In the list view: open the ticket in the row you’re on | |
| Space | In the list view: select the row |
⌘-click, or middle-click, a ticket card or a link to a ticket to open it in a tab without leaving where you are.
In a ticket
Section titled “In a ticket”| Shortcut | What it does | In the web app |
|---|---|---|
| Esc or ⌘. | Close the ticket. ⌘. works even from its terminal | |
| ⌘⇧] and ⌘⇧[ | Next and previous open ticket | ⌘⌥⇧] and ⌘⌥⇧[ |
| ⌘W | Close this ticket’s tab | ⌘⌥W |
| ⌘⇧B | Split the view: the feed beside the agent’s browser | ⌘⌥⇧B |
| ⌘⇧K | Split the view: the feed beside the code | ⌘⌥⇧K |
| ⌘\ | Turn the split view on or off | |
| ⌘⇧C | Open the cycle picker, in a project that uses cycles | ⌘⌥⇧C |
| ⌘↵ | Post a comment, or save the description or a comment you’re editing | |
| ↵ and ⇧↵ | In the box for messages to the agent: send, or start a new line | |
| 1 to 9 | On a decision the agent asks you to make: pick that option | |
| ⌘↵ | On a decision: approve, or send your note |
Split views need a wide enough window. ⌥-click one of the ticket’s views to open it beside the one you’re on.
The tab keys, ⌘⇧], ⌘⇧[ and ⌘W, need ticket tabs, which you turn off in Appearance. To move a tab, focus it and press ⌥↑ or ⌥↓ in the left rail, or ⌥← or ⌥→ in the top bar.
Changes and code
Section titled “Changes and code”| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘P | Go to a file: in Changes, one the agent changed; in the code view, any file in the repo |
| J and K | Next and previous changed file |
| N and P | Next and previous change |
Copy a ticket
Section titled “Copy a ticket”These copy something about the open ticket, and a message says what was copied. The Copy link button’s menu has the same choices.
| Shortcut | Copies |
|---|---|
| ⌘C, with no text selected | The ticket’s title as a link to it |
| ⌘⌥. | Its ID, such as SAW-123 |
| ⌘⇧, | Its URL |
| ⌘⇧' | Its title |
| ⌘⌥⇧. | The name of its git branch |
| ⌘⌥P | The ticket written as a prompt for an AI assistant |
| ⌘⌥C | Everything, with its plan and comments, as Markdown. In the desktop app only |
On an epic’s page, the same keys copy the epic: its ID, URL, name, name as a link, everything as Markdown, and the name of its staging branch.
In Terminals
Section titled “In Terminals”| Shortcut | What it does | In the web app |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘T | New terminal | ⌘⌥T |
| ⌘W | Close the terminal | ⌘⌥W |
| ⌘D | Split side by side | |
| ⌘⇧D | Split one above the other | |
| ⌘⌥←, ⌘⌥→, ⌘⌥↑, ⌘⌥↓ | Move to the next pane that way | |
| ⌘] and ⌘[ | Next and previous tab in this pane | |
| ⌘↵ | Make this pane fill the screen, or shrink it back | |
| ⌘⇧B | New agent browser | |
| ⌘⇧V | New preview | |
| ⌘⇧R | Rename the tab | |
| ⌘+, ⌘-, ⌘0 | Bigger text, smaller text, normal size |
While you’re typing in a terminal, the terminal gets your keys. On a Mac, ⌘ shortcuts still reach By Dawn. On Windows and Linux, Ctrl goes to the terminal, so click outside it first.
In Docs
Section titled “In Docs”| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘S | Save the page and keep editing |
| ⌘B, ⌘I, ⌘E | Bold, italic, inline code |
| / | Add a block: a heading, list, callout, table, image and more |
| @ | Mention a person, ticket, epic or page |
| → and ← | In the page list: open or close a section |
| ⌥↑ and ⌥↓ | In the page list: move the page up or down |
See Docs for the editor.
Elsewhere
Section titled “Elsewhere”| Where | Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Epics & Milestones | / | Jump to the search box |
| Your morning briefing | → or Space, ← | Next card, previous card |
| Your morning briefing’s review | A, R, → | Approve, reject, skip |
| Pictures and screenshots | ← and → | Previous and next |
| A menu or dialog | Esc | Close it |
In the Mac menu bar
Section titled “In the Mac menu bar”The desktop app’s menu bar on a Mac adds a few more:
| Shortcut | Menu item |
|---|---|
| ⌘N | File › New Ticket… |
| ⌘, | File › Settings…, where you left off |
| ⌘⇧. | File › Stop All Workers…, which stops every agent running on this computer straight away |
| ⌘W | File › Close Window, outside a ticket or terminal |
| ⌘R and ⌘⇧R | View › Reload and Force Reload |
| ⌘+, ⌘-, ⌘0 | View › Zoom In, Zoom Out, Actual Size |
| ⌃⌘F | View › Toggle Full Screen |
| ⌘Q | SAW › Quit SAW |
Settings › Shortcuts shows different keys. Which is right?
This page. Settings › Shortcuts still lists an older set, for example ⌘2 for Terminals, which is now ⌘3. We’re fixing it.
Why doesn't a shortcut work?
Check that you aren’t typing in a field or a terminal, and that you’re not in Settings, where the sidebar’s shortcuts are off. Some only work in one place, such as a ticket or the board, or need something turned on, such as cycles or ticket tabs. In the web app, try adding ⌥ (Alt).
Can I change the shortcuts?
Not yet.
Are there shortcuts on a phone?
No. By Dawn on a phone is touch only.