Keybindings & cursor mode

A reference for every key kin binds — in the composer, globally, in cursor (browse) mode, and inside the modals. Press ++f1++ in the app for the same map as an overlay.

Composer keys

The composer is a multi-line text field. Sending is the dominant action, so ++enter++ sends and ++shift+enter++ inserts a newline.

Key	Action
++enter++	Send the message (queues if a turn is already running)
++shift+enter++	Insert a newline for multi-line editing
++ctrl+s++	Send (an alias of ++enter++ for muscle memory)
++ctrl+v++	Attach the clipboard image as an @-mention (macOS; ordinary terminal text paste is unaffected)
++up++ / ++down++	++up++ takes back a queued follow-up for editing; otherwise walk prompt history (and ++down++ returns toward your newer draft)
/	Open the slash-command menu
@	Open the file-mention picker
!<command>	Run <command> in a real shell instead of sending it to the model — see the tip below

! shell passthrough

!git status (or any shell command) runs immediately in your shell — no model turn involved. The output shows up right in the transcript, and a summary (command + exit code + output) rides into the model’s context on your next turn, so it can react to what you just ran. Only works while kin is idle (a running turn or /compact refuses it with a notify); the command runs with your full environment (real credentials, so !gh pr list and !git push work) and is never something the model can trigger itself — only a literal ! you type. Bare ! with nothing after it is sent to the model as ordinary text. See docs/decisions/0075-shell-passthrough.md for the full design.

Tip

With the composer empty or on a single line, ++up++ and ++down++ recall your previous prompts. A queued follow-up is the first ++up++ stop: taking it back removes it from automatic sending until you submit it again, so editing or deleting it is safe. The recalled text replaces the buffer with the caret at the end; a newer unsent draft returns on ++down++. Recall is project-scoped and survives restarts: model prompts, slash commands, and literal ! command lines are retained (shell output is not). The default keeps the newest 100; configure prompt_history_cap, or set it to 0 for memory-only recall. Ephemeral launches (--no-save, KIN_NO_SAVE, or no_save = true) also keep history only for the current process. Automatic memory-curation prompts are internal and never enter this recall history.

Ctrl+R: search your history

++ctrl+r++ opens a search overlay over the same history ↑/↓ recalls linearly — type to filter (substring, case-insensitive), ++up++ / ++down++ move the highlight, ++enter++ copies the match into the composer, ++escape++ closes without changing anything, and pressing ++ctrl+r++ again while the overlay is open steps to the next-older match (readline muscle memory). The search uses the same durable, project-scoped history as ↑/↓. See Slash commands for the composer’s other overlays.

Global keys

These work anywhere in the app (a few are suppressed while a modal owns the screen, so you can’t, for example, flip mode behind an open approval prompt).

Key	Action
++shift+tab++	Toggle the permission mode: auto ↔ strict
++escape++	Interrupt the running turn; exit cursor mode
++escape++ ++escape++	On an empty, idle composer (no turn running, no modal open): open the rewind picker — press again within ~1s of the first tap
++ctrl+b++	Enter cursor / browse mode (composer must be empty)
++ctrl+r++	Search your prompt history — type to filter, ++up++ / ++down++ move the highlight, ++enter++ inserts, ++escape++ closes, ++ctrl+r++ again steps to the next-older match
++ctrl+n++	Expand or collapse all reasoning blocks
++ctrl+t++	Expand or collapse all tool calls
++ctrl+f++	Search the transcript — opens an overlay; type to filter, ++up++ / ++down++ or n / shift+n step, ++enter++ jumps to a match, ++escape++ closes
++ctrl+o++	Open the agent panel (bg shells / agents (fg + bg subagents) / tasks); press again or ++escape++ to close
++ctrl+l++	Open the session switcher: running, saved, new, and Outpost sessions
++ctrl+g++	Toggle the file-tree sidebar (also /tree)
++ctrl+j++	Expand or collapse the pinned todo panel (click the title too)
v (on the tree)	Peek the focused file in a read-only viewer (also /view <path>)
++pageup++ / ++pagedown++	Scroll the transcript — or, with a modal open, that modal’s own content (plan, help, proposal diffs)
++ctrl+home++ / ++ctrl+end++	Jump to the top / bottom of the same scroll surface
++f1++	Open the help overlay
++ctrl+c++	Quit kin

See Modes & permissions for what the ++shift+tab++ cycle changes.

Hover hints (tooltips)

Several chrome widgets advertise their function on hover so screen-reader users and the curious don’t have to chase docs.

Widget	Hover hint	Opens
WorkflowCard (running)	“click for the full run — /workflows”	/workflows modal
BgAgentsBar	“background agents — ++ctrl+o++ for the panel”	the agent panel
RetryNote	“re-send the failed request”	the redrive action
TopBar	“context meter · model · git branch”	— (informational; workspace paths under your home use ~/)

The composer keeps a quiet Message Kin… placeholder. Guidance is progressive: the idle status line shows one motionless hint set (starting with enter sends · / commands · @ files · f1 help and rotating only after a completed turn), while F1 is the complete map.

Every overlay’s one-line hint follows the same voice: lowercase key names, one indicative present-tense verb per key (enter picks, esc closes, d revokes), and · separators. A hint carries only what the overlay’s own button row doesn’t — the /models and /mcp hubs show Save & apply [ctrl+s] and Close [esc] as buttons, so their hint lists row actions only. F1 is the complete map, so it appends the button-carried keys; it reads each overlay’s declared hint rather than restating it, which is why the two can’t drift apart.

Mouse selection & clipboard

Drag-select any assistant or user message text with the mouse and it copies automatically on release — no extra key, no toast to dismiss first. A short toast confirms (copied — N chars); ++escape++ clears the selection. Click a fenced code block (a hover tooltip reads “click to copy”) to copy the whole block in one click, without having to drag-select it precisely.

Copying writes two ways at once:

• OSC 52 — the terminal escape sequence, fire-and-forget. Works over SSH when your terminal honours it (Ghostty does; some VTE-based terminals silently drop it). Inside the tmux detach/reattach wrapper the session sets set-clipboard on, so OSC 52 passes through even while detached.
• A local clipboard tool, as a fallback: wl-copy (Wayland), xclip / xsel (X11), or pbcopy (macOS) — whichever applies, run in the background so it never blocks the UI. When none is available the toast says so (OSC52 required — clipboard-capable terminal) rather than silently claiming success.

There’s no config toggle for this — ++escape++ clearing the selection is the opt-out, and the risk of an unwanted copy is low (you have to have dragged over text for it to fire).

Cursor / browse mode

Cursor mode lets you walk the transcript with the keyboard to read, copy, or expand individual items. Enter it from an empty composer with ++ctrl+b++ (or ++up++ once prompt history is exhausted) — the highlight lands on the last item. The composer must be empty; with text in it the key is left alone.

Key	Action
++up++ / ++down++ or j / k	Move between transcript items
g / G	Jump to the first / last item
y	Copy the focused item to the clipboard
++tab++	Expand or collapse the focused item (reasoning / tool call)
++escape++	Exit cursor mode and return to the composer

Moving past the bottom returns you to the composer. Typing any other printable character drops you out of cursor mode and back into editing.

Modal keys

When the harness needs an answer it parks the turn and shows a modal. Each modal binds its own keys.

Modal	Keys
Approval	a or bare ++enter++ allows once (the focused default) · s allows always when offered (this session — the button names the covered scope; fresh-state actions such as force-with-lease omit it) · d or ++escape++ denies · n reveals the steering-note field, and ++enter++ there denies with that note (esc closes the note first)
Sandbox access	++space++ toggles the requested permissions · o grants once · s grants for the session · w grants for the workspace (offered only when the workspace tier is available) · d declines · ++escape++ cancels
Git credentials	o permits once · s trusts this exact route for the session · h persists secret-free host-route trust · d declines · ++escape++ cancels
Confirm (e.g. /clear)	y confirms · n or ++escape++ cancels · bare ++enter++ cancels too (Cancel is the focused default — confirming a destructive action is always explicit)
Question (single-select)	++up++ / ++down++ selects · ++enter++ picks · ++escape++ cancels
Question (multi-select)	++space++ toggles · ++enter++ or Submit · ++escape++ cancels
Question (other / free text)	type into the field · ++enter++ sends
Plan	++up++ / ++down++ selects · ++enter++ picks · ++escape++ keeps planning
Proposal (artifact-edit diff, /settings change)	a or ++enter++ applies · d or ++escape++ rejects · ++pageup++ / ++pagedown++ scrolls
Model configuration (/models)	j / c / r switches between Jobs, Connections, and Routes · ++enter++ edits · a adds · m makes default · ++delete++ removes · p checks the connection · ++ctrl+s++ applies the staged draft · ++escape++ discards it
MCP manager (/mcp)	a adds · e or ++enter++ edits · d / x enable-disable · t tests · ++delete++ removes · ++ctrl+s++ applies · ++escape++ closes
Search provider key (/search-key, /brave-key)	++up++ / ++down++ picks the row · type the key into the field · ++enter++ saves · ++escape++ cancels
Model picker (bare /model)	++up++ / ++down++ selects · ++enter++ picks · f favorites · ++escape++ cancels
Effort picker (bare /effort)	++up++ / ++down++ selects · ++enter++ picks · ++escape++ cancels (a change invalidates the prompt cache)
Spinner picker (bare /spinner)	++up++ / ++down++ previews live · ++enter++ picks · ++escape++ cancels
Nudges (/nudges)	++space++ toggles · ++ctrl+enter++ applies · ++escape++ cancels
Beam (/beam)	fill the fields, then Review and Beam · one confirmation covers commit, push, and submit · ++escape++ cancels
Config hub (/config)	++up++ / ++down++ selects · v views current (singletons) · ++enter++ edits · ++escape++ cancels
Grants	++up++ / ++down++ selects · d (or r) arms a revoke · y confirms · n / ++escape++ cancels the arm, then ++escape++ closes
Workflows (/workflows)	++up++ / ++down++ picks a run · ++escape++ closes
Resume picker	++up++ / ++down++ selects · ++enter++ resumes · ++escape++ cancels
Session switcher (/sessions, ++ctrl+l++)	++up++ / ++down++ selects · ++enter++ switches · x ends the focused live session · ++escape++ closes
Rewind picker (double-++escape++)	++up++ / ++down++ selects · ++enter++ picks a turn, then a scope · ++escape++ cancels (either stage)
Find in transcript (++ctrl+f++)	++up++ / ++down++ or n / ++shift+n++ navigates · ++enter++ jumps · ++escape++ closes
Agent panel	++tab++ switches view (shells → agents → tasks) · x stops / dismisses (works on running fg rows too) · o opens raw buffered output · ++enter++ opens the agent’s rich transcript (TranscriptModal — falls through to read-only output for shell/task rows) · ++escape++ closes
Help	++escape++ or ++f1++ closes · ++pageup++ / ++pagedown++ scrolls
Read-only viewer (file peek / agent output)	++escape++ or q closes
Transcript modal (agent transcript peek)	++escape++ or q closes

The approval modal’s s (“always”) remembers the call’s signature for the rest of the session, so calls that match it stop prompting. The sandbox modal’s w and the Git credential modal’s h outlive the session — w grants the selected capabilities for the workspace, and h stores a route fingerprint globally, never a credential. Review and revoke all of them with /grants. Permission decisions are covered in Modes & permissions.