Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

SpaceSpider is mouse-friendly but keyboard-first. This reference lists every shortcut, grouped by context. Windows and Linux use Ctrl; macOS uses Cmd. Shortcuts that target the terminal itself (like Ctrl+C to send SIGINT) are passed straight to the PTY and follow your normal terminal behavior.

Global shortcuts

These work anywhere in the app, regardless of whether you are on the home view or inside a grid.

The command palette is the fastest way to find any action, open a space by name, or jump to a specific pane. Start typing the name of a space, and it filters live.

Home view shortcuts

Arrow key navigation is the quickest way to skim large collections of spaces. The home view virtualizes the card grid, so shortcuts work even when you have hundreds of entries.

Grid view shortcuts

These control pane focus, layout, and lifecycle. They are captured by the app, not the PTY.

The double Esc is intentional. A single Esc is often consumed by the CLI running in the focused pane (for example to cancel a completion suggestion). Pressing Esc twice within half a second tells SpaceSpider to return to the home view without killing the PTYs; when you open the space again, the same sessions are reattached.

Terminal shortcuts (passed through)

These are terminal-level behaviors. They are not handled by SpaceSpider; the xterm.js renderer simply forwards the key codes to the PTY, which then reaches the CLI running inside.

The split between Ctrl+C (send SIGINT to the CLI) and Ctrl+Shift+C (copy highlighted text) on Windows and Linux matches most modern terminals. On macOS the canonical Cmd+C is copy and Ctrl+C is SIGINT, which is what you expect.

Wizard shortcuts

The new-space wizard is keyboard-navigable end to end.

Typing the grid size as a digit on step 2 is the fastest path. Press 4 and the 2-by-2 preset is selected immediately.

CLI picker shortcuts

Filtering starts the moment you type. Typing "cla" narrows the picker to Claude Code.

Numeric pane focus

Alt+1 through Alt+9 jump straight to panes by position. The numbering is left-to-right, top-to-bottom, matching how the CSS grid lays out children:

• In a 2-pane space: Alt+1 is the left pane, Alt+2 is the right pane.
• In a 4-pane 2-by-2: Alt+1 top-left, Alt+2 top-right, Alt+3 bottom-left, Alt+4 bottom-right.
• In a 9-pane 3-by-3: rows fill first, so Alt+4 is the middle-left pane and Alt+5 is the center.

Accessibility shortcuts

SpaceSpider respects system-level zoom and high-contrast modes. A few extras on top:

• Ctrl+Shift+A toggles the accessibility outline, which adds a thick focus ring to the currently focused pane. Useful when screen-sharing or presenting.
• Ctrl+Shift+I enables a higher-contrast xterm theme in all panes until toggled off.

Custom shortcuts

Rebinding is not yet supported through the UI. If you need to remap, edit ~/.config/SpaceSpider/keymap.json (or %APPDATA%\SpaceSpider\keymap.json on Windows). The file is a flat map of action name to accelerator string in the Electron accelerator format. Changes apply on the next launch.

A typical override:

{
  "gridNextPane": "Ctrl+J",
  "gridPrevPane": "Ctrl+K"
}

Invalid combinations silently fall back to defaults, so there is no way to accidentally brick the UI.

Troubleshooting shortcuts that do not fire

• Shortcut conflicts with an OS-level binding: Spaces on macOS, for example, grabs Ctrl+Left and Ctrl+Right. Rebind the conflicting system shortcut or edit keymap.json.
• A shortcut prints a character instead of firing: focus is in the PTY and SpaceSpider is passing the key through. This is correct for Ctrl+C, Ctrl+L, etc.
• Number-key pane focus does not work: the AI CLI inside the pane is consuming Alt. Press Esc first to release, or click the pane border to move focus without entering the pane.

Frequently asked questions

Can I disable all app-level shortcuts and let the terminal take everything?

Yes, via settings > terminal > passthrough mode. With it on, only Esc Esc remains to return home.

Do these shortcuts work inside an SSH session nested in a pane?

The app-level ones do, yes. Terminal-level ones travel across SSH just like any other keycode.

Can I record a macro?

Not yet. Scripting the app is on the roadmap.

What about Vim or Emacs key chords?

They work inside panes without any config, because the pane forwards raw key codes.

Are there mouse shortcuts?

Click to focus a pane. Right-click opens the pane menu. Middle-click pastes the selection on Linux and X11.

Related reading

• Create Your First Space
• Grid Layouts: 1 to 9 Panes Explained
• Troubleshooting Common Issues