Tana Keyboard Shortcuts
Tana starts from the same outliner foundation as Logseq or Roam, nesting bullets via the Tab key to demote a node under its neighbor and Shift+Tab to promote it back out, but layers a more structured typing system on top through supertags, which is where its shortcut set diverges most from other outliner-style tools. Typing # followed by a tag name doesn't just add a label the way a hashtag would in most note apps; it can attach an entire supertag schema to that node, complete with defined fields, which is closer to instantiating a database record inline in your notes than tagging text. Because search and command execution are central to navigating a growing structured workspace rather than a flat note pile, Tana's search-everything shortcut doubles as a command palette, letting you jump to a node, create a new supertagged item, or run a saved search all from the same entry point, which is a deliberately more unified interaction model than apps that keep search and command-running as separate shortcuts. This page suits people already committed to Tana's specific mental model of combining freeform outlining with structured supertag schemas, rather than someone comparing it against a simpler flat-note tool, since supertags are genuinely the feature that most changes how you should think about organizing information here versus a more conventional note app. Expect the basic outlining shortcuts to feel instantly familiar from day one, while the supertag and field-entry shortcuts take longer to become second nature simply because the underlying concept — typed, schema-bearing nodes living inside a freeform outline — doesn't have a direct equivalent in most other tools people have already used.
Outlining
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indent current node | Tab | Tab | Nests the current node one level deeper beneath the node above it, the basic structural action shared with most outliner-style note apps. |
| Outdent current node | Shift+Tab | Shift+Tab | Moves the current node one level shallower in the outline hierarchy. |
| Create new sibling node | Enter | Return | Creates a new node at the same outline level directly after the current one, the primary way new content gets added while writing. |
| Move node up/down within siblings | Alt+Shift+Up/Down | Option+Shift+Up/Down | Reorders the current node relative to its sibling nodes at the same outline level, without changing its indentation depth, useful for reprioritizing a list without retyping or cutting and pasting content. |
Supertags Structure
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply a supertag | # | # | Typing # opens an autocomplete to apply an existing supertag (or create a new one) to the current node, instantiating any fields that supertag's schema defines — functionally closer to creating a typed database record than adding a plain hashtag label. |
| Add a field value to a supertagged node | :: or field autocomplete | :: | Adds a structured field and value to a node that has a supertag applied, letting notes carry queryable, database-like attributes rather than only unstructured text. |
| Insert a reference to another node | [[ | [[ | Opens an autocomplete to link to or embed another node by name, similar to the bidirectional linking conventions used in Roam and Logseq. |
| Create a Search Node (live query) | Type a search query then convert to Search Node via command palette | Same | Builds a live, continuously updating view filtered by supertag and field criteria, functioning like a saved database query embedded directly inside the outline rather than a static one-time search result. |
Search Commands
| Action | Windows | Mac | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open search / command palette | Ctrl+K (or Ctrl+Enter, varies) | Cmd+K | One entry point handles three jobs at once here: type a node's title to jump straight to it, type a supertag name to spin up a new schema-bearing item, or type a saved search's name to re-run it — no separate quick-switcher and command palette to remember. |
| Zoom into a node (focus its subtree) | Click node bullet or Ctrl+. (varies) | Click node bullet | Focuses the view on a single node and its children, hiding everything else, letting you work within a specific branch of a large workspace without the surrounding context creating visual clutter. |
| Navigate back to previous zoom/view | Alt+Left | Cmd+[ | Steps back to whatever node or view you were zoomed into before the current one, the same browser-back mental model applied to navigating between zoomed contexts in the outline. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the actual difference between a Tana supertag and a hashtag in a normal note app?
A plain hashtag in most apps is just a label used for grouping or search. A Tana supertag can define a schema of structured fields (like a due date, status, or assignee) that get attached to any node it's applied to, and nodes sharing a supertag can be viewed and queried together like rows in a database table — a meaningfully more structured concept than a simple text label.
Do outlining shortcuts like Tab/Shift+Tab work the same as in Logseq or Roam Research?
Yes, at the basic indent/outdent level Tana follows the same conventions shared broadly across outliner-style note apps, since that pattern has become a de facto standard; the differences between these tools show up more in their linking and structuring systems (supertags versus plain backlinks) than in the fundamental outline-navigation shortcuts.
Can I build something like a task list or project tracker using supertags instead of a separate app?
Yes, this is one of Tana's primary use cases — applying a supertag with fields like status and due date to task-like nodes, then building a filtered/sorted view over all nodes carrying that supertag, effectively creates a lightweight database view similar in spirit to what Notion databases or Airtable offer, but built from within the same outliner used for freeform notes.
What's the difference between a regular search and a Search Node?
A regular search through the command palette returns a one-time snapshot of results at the moment you run it. A Search Node is embedded directly into your outline as a living element and continuously re-evaluates its underlying query, meaning new nodes that later match its criteria (say, newly created tasks with a matching supertag) automatically appear in that Search Node's results without you needing to re-run anything manually.
Does zooming into a node change the node's actual position in the outline?
No — zooming is purely a view-focus action, not a structural move. The node stays exactly where it was in the broader outline hierarchy; zooming just narrows what's currently displayed to that node and its children, and navigating back restores the previous, wider view without anything about the outline's actual structure having changed in the process.
Can I quickly convert a node into a supertag in Tana with a keyboard shortcut?
Not directly by converting an existing node — typing # followed by a tag name while creating or editing a node applies a supertag to it going forward, Tana's core organizational mechanism, but retroactively tagging an already-typed node still means placing the cursor in it and typing the # syntax there.