Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Quick Reference for Every Shortcut

InterviewCue's keyboard shortcuts are designed around one idea: stay present with your guest. The most important shortcuts -- the seven event capture keys -- let you mark moments without reaching for a mouse or breaking eye contact. This page is your complete reference.

For the full context on how these shortcuts fit into the interview flow, see Live Mode.

Live Mode

Event Capture

These are the core shortcuts. Keys 1 through 5 capture events instantly -- a brief flash confirms the capture with no dialog or extra step. L and N open input fields for typed content.

Key Event Behavior
1 Audio Issue Instant capture
2 Flow Interrupt Instant capture
3 Highlight Instant capture
4 Follow-Up Instant capture
5 Segment Instant capture
L Add Link Opens dialog -- enter URL and optional title, press Enter to save
N Add Note Focuses the note input -- type your note and press Enter to submit

All event shortcuts are disabled when you're typing in an input field, so you won't accidentally trigger captures while entering a link URL or note text.

Navigation

Live Mode shows your entire interview as a scrollable document. There are no keyboard navigation shortcuts to memorize -- just use the tools your browser already provides:

  • Click or tap any question title to jump to it (this also records the timestamp)
  • Scroll with your mouse wheel, trackpad, or touch
  • Cmd+F (Mac) or Ctrl+F (Windows/Linux) to search across all questions and background notes

Other Live Mode Keys

Key Action
? Open the keyboard shortcuts help overlay
Escape Close any open modal or dialog

Audio Scrubber (Post-Production)

When the audio scrubber panel is open on the post-production page, these shortcuts control playback. They're disabled when you're typing in an input field.

Key Action
Space Play / Pause
R Restart from beginning of the playback window
Left Arrow Seek backward 2 seconds
Right Arrow Seek forward 2 seconds
+ Zoom in (±30-second window around the event)
- Zoom out (±5-minute window around the event)
Escape Close the scrubber panel

Search

On the interview list and documentation pages:

Key Action
Cmd+K or Cmd+/ Focus the search input (Ctrl on Windows/Linux)
Escape Clear search and return focus to the page

Practice Mode

Practice Mode uses identical shortcuts to Live Mode -- same keys, same behavior, nothing saved. It's the best way to build muscle memory before a real interview.

Tips

  • Start with 3 (Highlight) -- it's the shortcut you'll use most. Add the others as they become natural.
  • Position your left hand near the number row during interviews. Keys 1 through 5 are all within easy reach.
  • Capture liberally -- extra markers are easy to delete in post-production. A missed moment is harder to reconstruct.
  • After two or three interviews, the hotkeys become automatic. You'll press them without thinking about it.

What's Next?

Live Interview Mode - Full guide to the live interface and event capture
Post-Production Timeline - Audio scrubbing, timeline editing, and export
Your First Interview - Walk through the complete journey from idea to published episode