Zendesk Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List (Windows & Mac)

Quick answer: Zendesk keyboard shortcuts use the Ctrl + Alt combination on Windows and Control + Option on Mac. For example, Ctrl + Alt + S (Windows) or Control + Option + S (Mac) saves and submits a ticket as Solved. Shortcuts are turned on per agent enable them via your profile icon → Help → Keyboard shortcuts.

If you handle dozens of tickets a day, the seconds lost to clicking add up fast. This guide lists every current Zendesk keyboard shortcut for tickets, navigation, and the composer, gives you the Mac equivalents, explains the newer macro shortcut, and clears up the confusion between keyboard shortcuts and Zendesk’s separate text “Shortcuts” feature.

What Are Zendesk Shortcuts? (Two Different Features)

Zendesk uses the word “shortcuts” for two completely different things, which is why search results are often confusing:

1. Keyboard shortcuts – hotkeys (like Ctrl + Alt + O) that perform actions in Zendesk Support, such as opening a ticket, switching views, or submitting a reply. This is what most people mean by “Zendesk shortcuts.”
2. Text “Shortcuts” – saved snippets of text (canned phrases) used in Zendesk Chat and messaging. Agents type a short trigger and Zendesk expands it into a full reply. These are covered in the Text “Shortcuts” section near the end.

This article covers both, but the tables below focus on the keyboard shortcuts most agents are looking for.

How to Enable or Disable Zendesk Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are controlled by each individual user there’s no global on/off switch for an account.

1. Click your profile icon in the upper-right corner of the page header.
2. Select Help → Keyboard shortcuts. (If omnichannel routing isn’t activated, or you’re in your Guide knowledge base, open your user profile first, then choose Help → Keyboard shortcuts.)
3. At the bottom-left of the list, tick or untick Enable keyboard shortcuts.
4. To control the macro shortcut, tick or untick Enable keyboard shortcuts for macros and shortcuts in composer.
5. Click anywhere outside the box to close it your settings save automatically.

Zendesk Ticket Shortcuts

These are the workhorse shortcuts for creating, updating, and submitting tickets.

Zendesk Navigation Shortcuts

Use these to move around lists and views without touching your mouse.

Most-Used Zendesk Shortcut Keys

If you only memorize a handful, make it these.

The Macro Keyboard Shortcut (Updated Method)

Older guides tell you to press Ctrl + Alt + M to open the macro list. That method is now legacy. On accounts with Agent Workspace, the current way to apply a macro from the keyboard is:

1. Click into a ticket’s comment/composer field.
2. Type a forward slash: /
3. Your most-used macros appear in a list. Start typing the macro’s name to filter it.
4. Use the arrow keys to highlight the one you want and press Enter to apply it.
5. Press Esc (or the spacebar) to exit the macro menu without applying anything.

This keeps your hands in the composer while you compose a reply, so a typical fast workflow looks like:

Type / → pick your reply macro → Enter → edit as needed → Ctrl + Alt + P to submit as Pending.

If your account has Chat or messaging activated, the same / list shows both macros and your text Shortcuts together.

Zendesk Shortcuts on Mac (Option Key)

There is no separate “Mac version” of Zendesk the shortcuts are identical, with one substitution: wherever a shortcut uses Alt, a Mac uses the Option key instead. So Ctrl + Alt + S on Windows is Control + Option + S on a Mac.

Free Zendesk Shortcuts PDF Cheat Sheet

Want a printable one-pager to keep next to your desk? Download the Zendesk Shortcuts PDF cheat sheet.

It includes every ticket, navigation, and most-used shortcut above, with Windows and Mac keys side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I turn on keyboard shortcuts in Zendesk?

Click your profile icon in the top-right corner, select Help → Keyboard shortcuts, then tick Enable keyboard shortcuts at the bottom-left of the list. Settings save automatically.

Do Zendesk keyboard shortcuts work on a Mac?

Yes. They’re the same shortcuts, except you press the Option key wherever a shortcut shows Alt. So Ctrl + Alt + O becomes Control + Option + O.

What is the shortcut to submit a ticket as Solved?

Ctrl + Alt + S on Windows, or Control + Option + S on Mac.

What is the Zendesk shortcut for On-hold?

Ctrl + Alt + D (Windows) or Control + Option + D (Mac). The On-hold status must first be enabled by an admin.

How do I apply a macro with the keyboard?

Click into a ticket’s comment field and type /, then start typing the macro name, use the arrow keys to select it, and press Enter. The older Ctrl + Alt + M method has been replaced by the / shortcut.

Why aren’t my Zendesk shortcuts working?

The most common reasons are that shortcuts are disabled in your profile, your operating system or browser has overridden the key combination, or the action you’re trying isn’t available on the current screen.

What’s the difference between keyboard shortcuts and “Shortcuts” in Zendesk?

Keyboard shortcuts are hotkeys that perform actions. “Shortcuts” (capital S) are saved text snippets used in Chat and messaging to insert common phrases.

Summary

The Zendesk shortcuts worth memorizing first are Ctrl + Alt + O/P/S/D to submit tickets as Open, Pending, Solved, or On-hold, Ctrl + Alt + C and Ctrl + Alt + X to switch between a public reply and an internal note, and / in the composer to apply a macro. Mac users swap Alt for Option on every shortcut. Enable everything from your profile under Help → Keyboard shortcuts, and remember that the separate text “Shortcuts” feature in Chat is for saved canned phrases, not hotkeys.

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