Getting Started
tip
You can navigate Shortcat's documentation with Shortcat if you are using a supported browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox).
Activate Shortcat with your activation key combination (default is Cmd + Shift + Space
), and type basics
, then press Enter
.
Installationโ
Once you've downloaded Shortcat, you should move it into your /Applications
folder otherwise you may encounter issues with updates.
Launching Shortcat for the first time will show you the Welcome screen.
Accessibility permissionsโ
Shortcat requires permission to use the Accessibility API.
On launch, Shortcat will request permissions to use Accessibility if it does not have it.
For more detailed instructions and screenshots, see Enabling Accessibility Access.
Note: Some times you may need to delete the entry for Shortcat, then re-request it for it to work.
Basicsโ
The goal of Shortcat is to enable you to operate your interface quickly by keeping your hands on the keyboard.
Activating Shortcatโ
To activate Shortcat, use the key binding you have set. The default is Cmd + Shift + Space
.
Shortcat will enumerate your current active window's UI elements, the current application's menus, and all open windows and applications.
Searchingโ
You can type a few letters of the element you want to click on, and Shortcat will use fuzzy search quickly filter the desired elements.
Shortcat also indexes the element type. For example, if you want to only see Link
elements, you can add link
to the end of a query.
Selectionโ
If you don't know what you need to type to select a certain element, Shortcat will (by default) display all elements and their automatically assigned shortcuts, highlighted in black-on-yellow labels after 2 seconds (configurable).
Typing the 1-3 letter shortcut will select that element.
Shortcat is designed for a query to be entered that ideally returns the desired result at the top, making for fast and efficient actions. Using more keystrokes to enter a more specific query is likely to be faster than selecting manually with the methods below.
Holding Cmd
will show you the Cmd+Number
shortcut you can press to left click the element. You can use Cmd+Shift+Number
to select the element for more complex clicks or actions.
You can also use the arrow keys to move through the results list.
Actionsโ
Pressing Enter
will perform the default action for the result. In most cases, this is a click on the element's midpoint, the menu entry is activated, or the window is brought to the foreground.
Mouse Actionsโ
- To left click, press
Enter
. - To double click, press
Enter
twice in quick succession, like you would a double click. - To right click, hold
Control
and pressEnter
.
Window / App switchingโ
Enter
on aWindow
will raise the window and bring app to foregroundEnter
on anApplication
will bring the app to foreground
Supportโ
Hit up @shortcatapp on Twitter if you need help.