Joplin Keyboard Shortcuts
Joplin combines Standard Notes' privacy focus with a notebook-and-tag hierarchy closer to a traditional note app's structure, and its shortcut set reflects that hybrid — Markdown formatting shortcuts follow conventions shared broadly with Typora and other Markdown-first editors, while its notebook navigation shortcuts exist because, unlike Simplenote, Joplin does support a real folder-like notebook hierarchy alongside tags. Because Joplin is explicitly designed to sync to storage you control (your own Nextcloud instance, a WebDAV server, or a generic cloud storage provider) rather than a proprietary company-run sync service, its sync-related actions and status indicators carry more visibility here than in a note app whose sync backend is fixed and invisible to the user. Being fully open-source also means Joplin has a genuinely large plugin ecosystem, and some of its most powerful capabilities (like enhanced Markdown rendering or integration with external tools) come from community plugins that can add their own custom shortcuts beyond the built-in default set. Privacy-conscious professionals in regulated industries and open-source enthusiasts who distrust proprietary sync services are Joplin's core audience, choosing it specifically because they can point it at infrastructure they already trust or control rather than accepting a note app's own opaque cloud backend, which is a meaningfully different value proposition than choosing a note app for its interface polish or feature depth alone.
Note Notebook Management
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create new note | Ctrl+N | Cmd+N | Creates a new note within the currently selected notebook, standard convention shared broadly with other note-taking software. |
| Create new notebook | Ctrl+Shift+N | Cmd+Shift+N | Creates a new notebook, Joplin's folder-equivalent organizational structure, a real hierarchy that differentiates it from folder-less note apps like Simplenote. |
| Delete current note | Ctrl+Delete (varies) | Cmd+Delete | Deletes the current note, moving it to the deleted-items view where it remains recoverable for a configurable retention period before permanent removal. |
| Attach file to note | Ctrl+Shift+A (varies) | Cmd+Shift+A | Attaches a file to the current note, storing it alongside the note's content and syncing it through the same configured backend as the rest of your notes. |
| Toggle sidebar visibility | Ctrl+Shift+T (varies) | Cmd+Shift+T | Shows or hides the notebook and tag sidebar, freeing horizontal space for the editor on smaller screens. |
Formatting
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold selected text | Ctrl+B | Cmd+B | Wraps selected text in Markdown bold syntax, standard convention shared broadly across Markdown-first note and writing apps. |
| Toggle between editor and rendered viewer | Ctrl+Shift+L (varies) | Cmd+Shift+L | Switches the note view between raw Markdown editing and rendered preview, or shows both side by side depending on layout configuration. |
| Italicize selected text | Ctrl+I | Cmd+I | Wraps selected text in Markdown italic syntax, rendering in the preview pane once toggled to viewer mode or immediately if using the rich Markdown editor variant. |
Sync Search
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trigger manual sync | Ctrl+Shift+S (varies) | Cmd+Shift+S | Forces an immediate sync with your configured storage backend (Nextcloud, WebDAV, Dropbox, or others), useful when you don't want to wait for the automatic sync interval. |
| Search notes | Ctrl+F | Cmd+F | Searches across notes by content, title, or tag, with support for advanced search operators for more precise filtering. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that Joplin syncs to 'storage you control' rather than a company's own servers?
Joplin doesn't run its own proprietary cloud sync service by default — instead, you configure it to sync through a backend you choose and control, such as your own Nextcloud instance, a generic WebDAV server, or a third-party cloud storage provider's account, meaning your notes' actual storage location and access policy is entirely up to you rather than tied to Joplin's own infrastructure.
Is Joplin's notebook system the same as folders in a traditional file manager?
Conceptually similar — notebooks can be nested to create a hierarchy, and each note belongs to exactly one notebook, functioning much like a folder structure, though Joplin also layers a separate tagging system on top that lets a note carry multiple tags independent of which single notebook it's filed under, giving more flexible cross-cutting organization than folders alone.
Does using a plugin in Joplin add new keyboard shortcuts automatically?
Some plugins do register their own keyboard shortcuts as part of their functionality, though this varies by plugin — since Joplin's plugin API allows fairly deep customization, a specific plugin's documentation is the best source for whether and how it adds shortcut-triggered features beyond Joplin's own built-in default set.
Does Joplin support end-to-end encryption for notes stored on a third-party sync backend?
Yes — Joplin supports enabling end-to-end encryption independently of which sync backend you choose, meaning even if you're syncing through a generic cloud storage provider you don't fully trust with plaintext access, your notes remain encrypted before they ever leave your device, with only you holding the decryption key.
Can I import notes from Evernote or another note app into Joplin?
Yes — Joplin includes a dedicated Evernote import feature (reading .enex export files) along with generic Markdown and other format imports, which has historically been one of its more popular onboarding paths for users leaving Evernote specifically over data-control or pricing concerns.
Is there an official mobile app, and does it sync shortcuts settings too?
Yes, Joplin ships official iOS and Android apps syncing through the same configured backend as desktop, though the mobile interface is designed primarily for tapping through notes and notebooks rather than mirroring desktop's keyboard-driven editing, so any custom keybindings set up on desktop stay there rather than carrying over to the phone or tablet apps.
Does Joplin support tables and other extended Markdown features beyond basic formatting?
Yes — Joplin supports GitHub-flavored Markdown extensions including tables, checkboxes, and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting, and its plugin ecosystem extends this further with additional rendering options like math notation and diagrams for users who need more specialized Markdown extensions.
Can I run Joplin entirely offline without ever configuring a sync backend?
Yes — sync is entirely optional, and Joplin functions as a fully capable local-only note app if you never configure a sync target, storing everything on your device alone; sync only becomes relevant once you want the same notes accessible across multiple devices.
Is there a way to view note revision history in Joplin?
Yes — Joplin keeps a note revision history that lets you view and restore earlier versions of a note, functioning similarly in purpose to version history in Google Docs, configurable in terms of how long revisions are retained before being cleaned up.
Is there a shortcut for converting a note to a to-do item in Joplin?
Yes — Ctrl+Shift+T (Cmd+Shift+T on Mac) toggles the currently open note between a regular note and a to-do item, adding or removing the checkbox and due-date fields that distinguish a to-do from a plain note in Joplin's data model.