Discourse Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List
Discourse keyboard shortcuts let you navigate forums, read topics, reply, and moderate posts without touching your mouse. Whether you’re a daily community member or a forum admin, learning even a handful of these hotkeys makes browsing Discourse noticeably faster.
This is the complete, organized list of Discourse keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Mac, and all major browsers grouped by what they do, with a free PDF cheat sheet you can download below. The fastest way to see every shortcut at any time is to press ? on your keyboard while viewing any Discourse forum.
What Are Discourse Keyboard Shortcuts?
Discourse keyboard shortcuts are single keys or key combinations that trigger actions in the Discourse forum interface like replying to a topic, liking a post, or jumping to your bookmarks without using a mouse. Discourse is open-source forum software used by thousands of communities, and its shortcuts work the same way across Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
Most shortcuts are single keys (press l to like a post). Some are sequences, where you press one key then another (press g then h to go home). A few use modifier keys like Shift or Ctrl.
How to Open the Discourse Shortcut Menu
You don’t need to memorize anything to get started. Discourse has a built-in shortcut list you can pull up instantly:
- Open any Discourse forum in your browser.
- Make sure you’re not typing in a text box or the composer.
- Press ? (Shift + / on most keyboards).
- A panel appears showing every available keyboard shortcut.
Press ? again or Esc to close it. This works on every Discourse-powered site, so it’s the quickest way to find a shortcut you’ve forgotten.
Action Shortcuts
These shortcuts perform actions on a topic or post liking, bookmarking, sharing, editing, and moderating. Use them while viewing or hovering over a post.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Toggle bookmark topic | F |
| Share post | S |
| Like post | L |
| Flag post | ! |
| Bookmark post | B |
| Edit post | E |
| Delete post | D |
| Pin or unpin the topic | Shift + P |
| Share topic | Shift + S |
| Print topic | Ctrl + P |
| Mute topic | M then M |
| Regular topic | M then R |
| Track topic | M then T |
| Watch topic | M then W |
Jump to Shortcuts
Press g followed by a second key to jump straight to any main section of the forum. These two-key sequences are the fastest way to move around Discourse.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Home | G then H |
| Latest | G then L |
| New | G then N |
| Unread | G then U |
| Categories | G then C |
| Top | G then T |
| Bookmarks | G then B |
| Profile | G then P |
| Messages | G then M |
| Drafts | G then D |
Composing Shortcuts
These shortcuts open the composer and handle replies, quotes, and new topics useful for anyone who posts often.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Return to composer | Shift + C |
| Fullscreen | Shift + F11 |
| Reply to topic | Shift + R |
| Create a new topic | C |
| Reply as linked topic | T |
| Reply to post | R |
| Quote post | Q |
Application Shortcuts
Application shortcuts control the interface itself: opening menus, searching, and pulling up the help panel.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open hamburger menu | = |
| Open user menu | P |
| Show updated topics | . |
| Search | / |
| Open keyboard help | ? |
| Dismiss new posts | X then R |
| Dismiss topics | X then T |
Navigation Shortcuts
Navigation shortcuts let you move between topics and posts using your keyboard, similar to Gmail-style navigation with j and k.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Back | U |
| Go to post # | # |
| Move selection up | K |
| Move selection down | J |
| Open selected topic | O |
| Next section | Shift + J |
| Previous section | Shift + K |
Can You Customize Discourse Keyboard Shortcuts?
By default, Discourse keyboard shortcuts are fixed and cannot be reassigned through the standard user settings. The shortcut list shown by the ? panel reflects the built-in defaults.
Forum administrators can extend or modify shortcuts through themes and plugins, and community members have built userscripts and overlays to display or learn shortcuts more easily. If you’re a regular user, the simplest approach is to learn the defaults rather than try to remap them.
Discourse vs Discord: Don’t Confuse Them
Discourse and Discord are completely different platforms with different shortcuts. Discourse is open-source forum software for threaded discussions and community sites. Discord is a real-time chat and voice app. The keyboard shortcuts in this guide apply only to Discourse forums. If you were looking for the chat app, you’ll need a different shortcut list.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I see all keyboard shortcuts in Discourse?
Press ? (Shift + /) while viewing any Discourse forum and you’re not typing in a text field. A panel will list every available shortcut.
What is the shortcut to reply to a topic in Discourse?
Press Shift + R to reply to the topic, or r to reply to the specific post you have selected.
Are Discourse keyboard shortcuts different on Mac?
No. Almost all shortcuts are single letters and work identically on Mac and Windows. Only Ctrl-based shortcuts like print differ, becoming Cmd on Mac.
Do Discourse shortcuts work on mobile?
Keyboard shortcuts are designed for desktop use with a physical keyboard. They generally don’t apply to the Discourse mobile app or touch browsing.
Can I turn off or change Discourse shortcuts?
Standard users can’t reassign them. Administrators can adjust behavior through themes and plugins.
Conclusion
Discourse keyboard shortcuts turn forum browsing into something you can do almost entirely from the keyboard. Start with the few you’ll use most j and k to move between topics, l to like, r to reply and pull up the full list anytime by pressing ?. Download the PDF cheat sheet above to keep every shortcut within reach.
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