# Sidebar keyboard navigation

When the sidebar has focus, you can navigate the entire sidebar structure using only the keyboard — no mouse required.

The tables and tips below show Solo's default bindings. In combined labels, `Cmd` and `Option` are the macOS modifiers, while `Ctrl` and `Alt` are the Windows and Linux equivalents. Registry-backed commands can be remapped or disabled in **Settings > Hotkeys**, which shows their current bindings. The unmodified arrow keys and the Backslash filter-focus key are fixed controls.

## Moving between items

| Key | Movement |
|-----|----------|
| `↑` | Move selection up one item |
| `↓` | Move selection down one item |

Arrow keys move through visible projects, section headers, add rows, todos, scratchpads, commands, agents, and terminals one by one, crossing section boundaries naturally.

## Moving from sidebar or terminal focus

These four commands require an existing sidebar selection. They work from sidebar or terminal focus only when no editable text control or blocking modal or pane overlay owns the keystroke. App-level shortcuts are suspended while **Settings > Hotkeys** is open.

| Key | Movement |
|-----|----------|
| `Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+↑` | Move selection to the previous visible sidebar item and focus the sidebar |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+↓` | Move selection to the next visible sidebar item and focus the sidebar |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+↑` | Jump to the previous running sidebar item |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+↓` | Jump to the next running sidebar item |

The running-item shortcuts skip stopped processes.

## Moving between sections

| Default shortcut | Movement |
|-----|----------|
| `Option/Alt+↑` | Jump to the previous section or project header |
| `Option/Alt+↓` | Jump to the next section or project header |
| `Option/Alt+A` | Jump directly to the visible Agents section in the active project |
| `Option/Alt+C` | Jump directly to the visible Commands section in the active project |
| `Option/Alt+T` | Jump directly to the visible Terminals section in the active project |

These shortcuts can cross a project boundary and select the [section header](../sidebar/understanding-sections.md) or project-header row itself. On a section header, `→` expands it when collapsed and moves to its first visible child when expanded. `←` collapses it when expanded and moves to its parent project when already collapsed. If an expanded section has a visible item, `↓` moves to that first item; expand a collapsed section before pressing `↓`.

## Collapsing and expanding

| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `←` | Collapse the selected expandable row, or move to its parent when already collapsed |
| `→` | Expand the selected expandable row, or move to its first visible child when already expanded |
| `Option/Alt+←` | Jump to the parent project header |

Left and right are context-sensitive for selected project, section, and nested-agent rows. Depending on the selected row and its state, they can collapse or expand it, move to a parent or first visible child, or do nothing.

## Focusing the sidebar

If the terminal pane is focused, use `Cmd/Ctrl+Left` or click anywhere in the sidebar to return focus. You can also use `Option/Alt+1-9` to jump to a specific project, which returns sidebar focus automatically.

## Tips for efficient navigation

- Use `Option/Alt+↓` to jump among section and project headers, then expand a collapsed section before pressing `↓` to step into its first visible item.
- Use `Cmd/Ctrl+1-9` for [direct process selection](./switching-projects-commands.md) by position — faster than arrow keys when you know the order.
- When **Show filter input** is on, the sidebar has focus, no text-entry control or overlay owns the keystroke, and no modifier is pressed, use `\` to focus the [filter input](../sidebar/filtering.md) and type to quickly find a specific command, especially across projects.
- By default, press `Enter` after selecting a process row. It starts a stopped selected process; otherwise it invokes the selected sidebar row's click action. You can remap or disable **Activate selection** in **Settings > Hotkeys**.

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Are you a human? Read this doc on the web: https://soloterm.com/docs/keyboard-shortcuts/sidebar-navigation