Use Figma products with a keyboard

Who can use this feature

Available on any plan

When you’re in the zone, the last thing you want is for the tool you’re using to interrupt your flow. Whether you prefer a keyboard-first workflow or simply want to avoid repetitive mouse movements, these keyboard controls will help keep you focused on the canvas, not the cursor.

Keyboard controls are enabled by default for all users and cannot be disabled.

Navigate the canvas

With nothing selected, you can use the arrow keys to pan around the canvas. You can also pan while a tool is active, such as the Frame or Text tool.

Hold Shift while pressing the arrow keys to increase the pan distance and move faster. The distance changes based on your current zoom level. To zoom in or out, hold Command (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) and press + or -.

Add objects to the canvas

You can create new objects like frames, shapes, or text layers using keyboard controls.

To create a new object:

1. Enable the desired tool using its keyboard shortcut, the actions menu, or press F6 (Mac) or Ctrl F6 (Windows) until the toolbar is focused, then use the arrow keys to select the tool.
2. The crosshair cursor indicates where the new object will be placed. Press Enter to place the object.

Select objects on the canvas

The Keyboard box selection tool lets you select objects on the canvas using your keyboard. Use the shortcut to activate the Keyboard box selection tool:

• Mac: Option Space
• Windows: Ctrl Space

Once activated, a pink cursor appears on the canvas. Use the arrow keys to position the cursor over and object and press Enter to select it. If the selected object is a parent layer, use Tab and Shift Tab to move between its child layers.

To select multiple layers at once, draw a selection box by holding Command (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) and use the arrow keys to resize the box. You can hold Shift while resizing to increase the adjustment size. As you move the box, the viewport adjusts to ensure the full selection is visible.

Press Esc to close the Keyboard box selection tool.

Adapt content for a screen reader

You can use the accessibility settings to adapt content on the canvas for screen readers and other assistive technologies.

To enable this setting, do one of the following:

• Open the Main menu, then navigate to Preferences > Accessibility settings > Adapt content for screen readers
• Type Screen reader in the actions menu and press Enter

Use keyboard shortcuts

You can use keyboard shortcuts to increase the speed of your workflow. Many shortcuts appear when you hover over a setting, but you can also view a list of available shortcuts in the shortcuts panel.

Open the shortcuts panel

Open the keyboard shortcuts panel to view a selection of shortcuts. Shortcuts you’ve already used are highlighted.

There are a few ways to open the shortcuts panel:

• Click Help and resources in the bottom-right and select Keyboard shortcuts
• Type Keyboard shortcuts in the actions menu
• Use the keyboard shortcut:
  • Mac: Control Shift ?
  • Windows: Ctrl Shift ?

The shortcuts panel opens along the bottom of your screen. Use the tabs to explore shortcuts by category, or select the Layout tab to manage your keyboard layout preferences. You can continue working while the keyboard shortcuts panel is visible. Try out a new shortcut and watch the panel update. Click the to close the panel.