KiCad Shortcuts: Complete Hotkey List for KiCad 10

The most used KiCad 10 shortcuts are A (place symbol), W (draw wire), L (net label) and E (properties) in the Schematic Editor, and X (route track), V (place via while routing), B (fill all zones) and F (flip to the other side) in the PCB Editor. Press Ctrl+F1 (Cmd+F1 on Mac) inside KiCad to list every hotkey for your installed version.

Most KiCad shortcut lists online were written for KiCad 4 or 5. Since then, KiCad has been rebuilt around a new tool system, and many keys changed meaning. For example, N now switches the grid, Tab jumps to the next net item, and P in the PCB Editor packs and moves footprints. Using an old list in KiCad 10 will slow you down, not speed you up.

This guide lists the default hotkeys in KiCad 10, grouped by the job you are doing: placing symbols, wiring, routing, vias, zones, layers and navigation. Each table shows the Windows/Linux key and the macOS key.

How we verified this list Every shortcut below comes from the default hotkey definitions in the KiCad 10.0 source code (the same data KiCad shows in Preferences > Hotkeys), cross checked against the official KiCad 10.0 manual. KiCad 10.0.0 was released in March 2026 and the current stable release is 10.0.5. If you have changed hotkeys in your own setup, your keys may differ.

Good to know before you start

• KiCad hotkeys are editor specific. The same key can do different things in the Schematic Editor and the PCB Editor. R rotates in both, but G drags in the schematic and switches to free angle drag in the PCB router.
• Some keys only work while a tool is active. For example, V places a via only while you are routing a track.
• Many actions have no default hotkey. You can assign your own in Preferences > Hotkeys (covered below).
• Esc always cancels the current tool and returns you to the selection pointer.

Top 15 KiCad Shortcuts to Learn First

If you only learn fifteen keys, learn these. They cover most of a typical schematic to PCB workflow.

KiCad Schematic Editor Shortcuts

The Schematic Editor (called Eeschema in older versions) is where you place symbols and draw the circuit. These are its default KiCad 10 hotkeys.

Placing Symbols, Power and Labels

Wiring and Buses

Editing and Transforming

Nets, Selection and Navigation

Symbol Editor and Simulator

Tip: Press G instead of M when a symbol is already wired. G drags the symbol and keeps its wires attached, while M moves it on its own and breaks the connections.

KiCad PCB Editor Shortcuts

The PCB Editor (called Pcbnew in older versions) is where you place footprints, route tracks and pour copper. These are its default KiCad 10 hotkeys.

Footprint Placement and Editing

Interactive Router (Tracks)

Vias

The via keys below work while you are routing a track. Press the key and KiCad drops a via and continues the track on the next layer.

Outside the router, Ctrl+V is plain Paste and V toggles between the two layers in the active layer pair.

Length Tuning

Zones and Drawing

Layers and Display

Net Highlighting and Selection

Tip: Press V in the middle of a track to change layers without leaving the router. Combine it with W to step up the track width on power nets as you go.

General KiCad Shortcuts (All Editors)

These shortcuts work the same way in the Schematic Editor, PCB Editor, Symbol Editor and Footprint Editor. Zoom keys are the main place where Windows and Mac differ.

View and Zoom

The mouse wheel also zooms, and holding the middle mouse button pans the view.

Grid, Units and Coordinates

File, Edit and Search

KiCad Project Manager

KiCad Shortcuts on Mac: What Changes

On macOS, KiCad uses Cmd wherever Windows and Linux use Ctrl, and Option wherever they use Alt. Single letter keys such as A, W, X and V are identical on every platform.

A few defaults are deliberately different on Mac, because the Windows keys clash with macOS or are missing from Mac keyboards:

How to View, Change and Export KiCad Hotkeys

KiCad lets you see every hotkey, reassign any action, and move your setup to another computer. Many actions have no default key at all, so custom hotkeys are worth setting up for tools you use daily.

See every hotkey for your version

1. Open the Schematic Editor or PCB Editor.
2. Press Ctrl+F1 (Cmd+F1 on Mac), or go to Help > List Hotkeys.
3. Scroll or search the list. It always matches your installed KiCad version.

Change a hotkey

1. Go to Preferences > Preferences > Hotkeys (shortcut Ctrl+, or Cmd+,).
2. Type the action name in the search box, for example “via” or “zone”.
3. Double click the action and press the new key combination.
4. If the key is already used, KiCad warns you and asks whether to reassign it.
5. Click OK to save. The change applies to all KiCad editors that share the action.

Export, import and back up hotkeys

KiCad stores your hotkeys in a plain text file called user.hotkeys. Copy this file to back up your setup or share it with your team, then load it on another machine with the Import Hotkeys button in the hotkey editor.

Download the KiCad Shortcuts PDF

Get every shortcut on this page as a printable cheat sheet, updated for KiCad 10. It fits on two A4 or US Letter pages: Schematic Editor on one side, PCB Editor on the other.

Download KiCad 10 Shortcuts PDF

KiCad Shortcuts FAQs

How do I see all shortcuts in KiCad?

Press Ctrl+F1 on Windows and Linux, or Cmd+F1 on Mac, in any KiCad editor. You can also open Help > List Hotkeys. The list always matches your installed version.

How do I change KiCad shortcuts?

Open Preferences > Preferences > Hotkeys, search for the action, double click it and press the new key. KiCad warns you if the key is already assigned to another action.

What is the shortcut to add a via in KiCad?

Press V while routing a track to place a through via. Use Alt+Shift+V for a blind or buried via and Ctrl+V for a microvia. To place a via without routing, use Ctrl+Shift+X.

What is the KiCad shortcut to route a track?

Press X to route a single track and 6 to route a differential pair. Press / to switch the track posture and End or double click to finish.

How do I fill zones in KiCad?

Press B to fill all copper zones and Ctrl+B to unfill them. Refill after every change near a zone so the copper pour stays up to date.

How do I flip a footprint to the bottom layer?

Hover over the footprint, or select it, and press F. KiCad moves it to the opposite side and mirrors it.

How do I rotate a part in KiCad?

Press R to rotate counterclockwise and Shift+R to rotate clockwise. This works in both the Schematic Editor and PCB Editor.

Do KiCad shortcuts work on Mac?

Yes. Letter keys are the same on every platform. On Mac, Ctrl becomes Cmd and Alt becomes Option, and zoom uses Cmd++, Cmd+- and Cmd+0 instead of F1, F2 and Home.

Why don’t old KiCad shortcuts work anymore?

KiCad 6 and later rebuilt the editors on a new tool system, and KiCad 10 continued those changes. Keys like N, Tab, P and O now do different things. See the KiCad 5 vs KiCad 10 table above.

Where are KiCad hotkeys stored?

In a file named user.hotkeys inside the KiCad 10.0 settings folder: %APPDATA%\kicad\10.0 on Windows, ~/.config/kicad/10.0 on Linux and ~/Library/Preferences/kicad/10.0 on macOS.

Conclusion

Start with the fifteen keys in the quick reference table, then add the router and via keys once you begin laying out boards. Within a week of daily use, A, W, X, V and B become muscle memory, and Ctrl+F1 covers everything else. Coming from another tool? Compare these with our Altium Designer shortcuts.

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