Keyboard Shortcuts

Kdenlive has many keyboard shortcuts already defined by default. You can change these anytime through Menu ‣ Settings ‣ Configure keyboard shortcuts or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+, . See also the Configure Shortcuts chapter.

You can also download keyboard shortcut definition files (aka Kdenlive Keyboard Schemes) from the KDE Store. See also the Useful Resources chapter.

File

Action Name

Shortcuts

Description

New

Ctrl+N

Creates a new Kdenlive project

Open…

Ctrl+O

Opens a Kdenlive project

Quit

Ctrl+Q

Exits Kdenlive

Save

Ctrl+S

Saves the current state of the project

Save As…

Ctrl+Shift+S

Saves the current state of the project with the name of your choice

General

Action Name

Shortcuts

Description

Collapse/Expand Item

<

Copy
Ctrl+C or
Ctrl+Ins

Current selection

Delete Selected Item

Del

Find Action…

Ctrl+Alt+I

Opens the action window. Only possible with this shortcut.

Full Screen Mode

Ctrl+Shift+F

Kdenlive Handbook

F1

Switch Monitor Fullscreen

F11

Monitor

Paste
Ctrl+V or
Shift+Ins

Redo

Ctrl+Shift+Z

Rename…

F2

Show Menu Bar

Ctrl+M
Show Menu Bar
Shows the menu bar again after it has been hidden

Select All

Ctrl+A

Works in:

Undo

Ctrl+Z

Up

Alt+Up

What’s This?

Shift+F1

Zoom In

Ctrl++

Works in Timeline only

Zoom In
Ctrl+= or
Ctrl+Mouse wheel

Works in:

Zoom Out

Ctrl+-

Works in Timeline only

Zoom Out

Ctrl+Mouse wheel

Works in:

  • Timeline

  • Clip Monitor

  • Project Monitor

  • Project Bin

  • Effects keyframe panel

Increment, Decrement

Mouse wheel

Works in:

  • Timeline: scroll the timeline left/right

  • Timeline Ruler

  • Project and Clip Monitor

  • Project Bin

  • Effects keyframe pane, numbers and selections

Add to the selection
Shift+left click
Shift+dragging

Works in:

  • Timeline: adds clicked clips to the selection

  • Timeline: adds multiple clips to the selection

  • Titler: adds clicked clips to the selection

  • Project Bin: adds all clips between already selected clip and clicked clip

Add to the selection

Ctrl+left click

Works in:

  • Project Bin: adds clicked clips to the selection

  • Effect: select keyframes

Double click

Works in:

  • Edit bookmark

  • Project Bin: on a clip shows properties

  • Project Bin: on an empty place opens add clip or folder

  • Timeline: on a clip shows duration

  • Timeline: into an empty part of a track makes the track active

  • Monitor: opens monitor in a second monitor (if installed) in fullscreen mode

Project Bin

Action Name

Shortcuts

Description

Closing the extra bins

CTRL+w

Editing

Action Name

Shortcuts

Description

Focus Timecode

=

Insert Zone in Project Bin

Ctrl+I

Clip monitor

Set Zone In

I

Set Zone Out

O

Adjust timeline zone

Shift+z

Adjusts timeline zone to selected clips

Switch Monitor

T

Switch between clip monitor and project monitor (timeline)

Select Target 1

Ctrl+1

3-point-editing

Select Target 2

Ctrl+2

3-point-editing

Select Target 3

Ctrl+3

3-point-editing

Select Target 4

Ctrl+4

3-point-editing

Select Target 5

Ctrl+5

3-point-editing

Select Target 6

Ctrl+6

3-point-editing

Select Target 7

Ctrl+7

3-point-editing

Select Target 8

Ctrl+8

3-point-editing

Select Target 9

Ctrl+9

3-point-editing

Switch All Tracks Active

Alt+Shift+A

3-point-editing

Toggle All Track Lock

Ctrl+Shift+L

Tracks

Toggle All Tracks Active

Shift+A

3-point-editing

Toggle Track Active

A

3-point-editing Activate the track as a target with shortcut A (this connects the track to the source)

Slip multiple clips at once

Shift+move

select all clips you want to slip with the selection tool using Shift then enable the slip tool and go ahead…

Slip a clip

left/right

Slip can be done with the mouse, with the left/right keys and with the buttons on the monitor toolbar.

Timeline

Action Name

Shortcuts

Description

Add Clip to Selection

Alt++

Adds the clip of the active track to the selection at playhead position.

Add Marker/Guide quickly

Num+*

On Numlock pad: * adds a marker/guide

Add Subtitle

Shift+S

Adds a subtitle at playhead position.

Add Transition to Selection

Alt+Shift+ +

Add/Remove Guide

G

Adds a guide at playhead position.

Group Clips

Ctrl+G

Current selection

Ungroup Clips

Ctrl+Shift+G

Current selection

Edit Grouped Clips

Ctrl+click

Current selection

Cut All Clips

Ctrl+Shift+R

Cuts all clips at playhead position. Except tracks which are locked.

Cut Clip

Shift+R

Cuts the clip of the active track at playhead position.

Deselect Clip

-

Deselect Transition

Shift+-

Extract Timeline Zone

Shift+X

Grab Current Item

Shift+G

Select a clip -> Shift+G -> move the clip with left/right

Insert Clip Zone in Timeline

V

Lift Timeline Zone

Z

Mix Clips

U

Or double click. Play head must be on the end/begin of 2 clips. Creates a transition between 2 clips on the same track.

Multitrack View

F12

Tool -> Multicam tool must be disabled

Overwrite Clip Zone in Timeline

B

Resize Item End

)
On active track: Cut the clip at the playhead position and delete the remainder.
On active track: Cut, delete and remove the empty space use Ripple Trim to Playhead.

Resize Item Start

(
On active track: Cut the clip at the playhead position and delete the section from the start of the clip to the playhead.
On active track: Cut, delete and remove the empty space use Ripple Trim to Playhead.

Select Clip

+

Select Transition

Shift+ +

Start Preview Render

Shift+Return

Razor Tool

X

Tools

Selection Tool

S

Tools

Spacer Tool

M

Tools

Deselect

Ctrl+Shift+A

Tracks

Select Audio Track 1

Alt+1

Tracks

Select Audio Track 2

Alt+2

Tracks

Select Audio Track 3

Alt+3

Tracks

Select Audio Track 4

Alt+4

Tracks

Select Audio Track 5

Alt+5

Tracks

Select Audio Track 6

Alt+6

Tracks

Select Audio Track 7

Alt+7

Tracks

Select Audio Track 8

Alt+8

Tracks

Select Audio Track 9

Alt+9

Tracks

Select Video Track 1

1
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Select Video Track 2

2
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Select Video Track 3

3
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Select Video Track 4

4
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Select Video Track 5

5
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Select Video Track 6

6
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Select Video Track 7

7
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Select Video Track 8

8
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Select Video Track 9

9
Track selection in general and for 3-point-editing
Multicam tool: You trim the clips in the desired track while the timeline is playing

Switch Track Target Audio Stream

'

Tracks

Toggle Track Disabled

Shift+H

Tracks

Toggle Track Lock

Shift+L

Tracks

Toggle Track Target

Shift+T
3-point-editing
Select a video or audio track in the timeline (up/down arrow key) and set it as source with Shift + T.

Resize only audio or video part of a clip

Shift+resize

Only possible with keyboard

Move audio or video part to another track independently.

Alt+move

Only possible with keyboard

Adjust the speed of a clip

Ctrl+dragging

Only possible with keyboard

Return from any tools back to Selection tool.

ESC

Only possible with keyboard

Tracks resized simultaneously

Shift+dragging

Either for video or audio tracks.

Tracks resized simultaneously to normal

Shift+double click

Normalize track height either for video or audio tracks.

Track selection

up/down

Toggle between sequence tabs
Ctrl+tab
Ctrl+Shift+tab
Go to next sequence
Go to previous sequence

Titler

Action Name

Shortcuts

Description

Add text

Alt+T

Click on the canvas to add text

Add rectangle

Alt+R

Drag the mouse to draw a rectangle

Add ellipse

Alt+E

Drag the mouse to draw a ellipse.

Insert an image

Alt+I

Insert an image

Back to selection tool

Alt+S

Move selected items vertical only.

Shift

Hold Shift moves selected items vertical only.

Move selected items horizontally only.

Shift+Alt

Hold Shift+Alt moves selected items horizontally only.

Render

Action Name

Shortcuts

Description

Render

Ctrl+Return

Opens the Render window.

Settings

Action Name

Shortcuts

Description

Configure Kdenlive…

Ctrl+Shift+,

Opens the configure window

Configure Keyboard Shortcuts…

Ctrl+Alt+,

Opens the shortcut window

Raise Widgets with Shortcuts

You can assign shortcuts to raise docked widgets. In the Menu ‣ Settings ‣ Configure Keyboard Shortcuts (or Ctrl+Alt+, window search for “raise” and it will list all widgets that can be raised. Assign a keyboard shortcut to a widget, and if you press that key combination Kdenlive will bring the focus to the respective widget and select it.

kdenlive_shortcuts

Assigning a keyboard shortcut to raise a widget

Shortcuts for Keyframe Functions

You can assign shortcuts to the following three keyframe functions: Add/Remove Keyframe, Go to next keyframe and Go to previous keyframe.

Click on a clip in the timeline and you can use the shortcuts to add/remove keyframes or jump between them.

kdenlive_ui-shortcut_keyframe

Creating keyboard shortcuts for keyframe functions