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Plan keyboard shortcuts for your app

  • Concept
  • 4 minutes

Keyboard shortcuts let users save time when performing common actions. They turn power-user workflows into muscle memory and make Dynatrace apps fully operable without a mouse. They are also a WCAG requirement, ensuring every feature is accessible from the keyboard alone.

This guide helps you plan when to add new shortcuts, how to align them across apps, and where to surface them so users can discover them. You will also learn about platform guidance and how to track adoption in Dynatrace dashboards.

Identify user journeys that benefit from shortcuts​

Start by mapping the repeat-heavy tasks in your app. High-frequency paths include filtering a table, stepping through log lines, or toggling chart legends. Also, consider flow breakers, which are interactions that force users to leave the keyboard, such as opening a context menu or expanding a panel.

Ask yourself: "If I had to do this 50 times an hour, would I still want to use the mouse?" If that feels inefficient or frustrating, a shortcut could save time and effort.

Avoid shortcuts for​

  • Deep-link functions used only once per session
  • Destructive actions requiring confirmation
  • Mobile views, where shortcut indicators are typically hidden to keep the UI clear on smaller screens

Choosing and aligning shortcut patterns​

Consistency across apps is critical. Users should not have to learn different keys for the same action in each Dynatrace app.

Reuse the baseline set​

  • Universal shortcuts like Copy (Ctrl/Cmd+C), Paste (Ctrl/Cmd+V), Undo (Ctrl/Cmd+Z), and Search (Ctrl/Cmd+F) should behave as users expect. Do not override them.

Follow platform modifiers​

  • On macOS, use ⌘ instead of Ctrl, per Apple HIG conventions.
  • On Windows/Linux, use Ctrl and follow patterns like Alt, F6, Ctrl+Tab, and arrow keys, per Microsoft Fluent guidance.

Reserve keys for global patterns​

  • For example:
    • Ctrl/⌘+K for the command palette (open.search)
    • Shift+/ or ? to open the keyboard-shortcuts overlay (open.keyboard)
    • Ctrl/⌘+F for in-context search
  • Use the keyBindings schema to declare both macOS and Windows/Linux variants so each OS displays the correct label.

Surfacing shortcuts in the UI​

Shortcuts should be easy to discover and use. Consider these methods for surfacing them:

Tooltips​

  • Provide contextual, low-noise hints next to icons or buttons.
  • Ensure tooltips are visible on focus (for keyboard users) as well as hover.
  • Display shortcuts in dropdown or kebab menus, aligning them right-justified to improve readability.
  • Refer to the Keyboard Shortcuts Design Guide for additional best practices.

Global cheat-sheet modal​

  • Offer a complete, searchable reference (e.g., Shift+/ or ?).
  • Keep it up-to-date automatically via uiCommands.

Command palette (Ctrl/⌘+K)​

  • Use the palette for long-tail actions and display matching shortcuts in the results list.

Onboarding tips​

  • Introduce new users to critical shortcuts sparingly.
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