How to use the web more efficiently with browser shortcuts
If you want to work faster while browsing the internet, you need to start using your keyboard as a controller as well.
This is accomplished with keyboard shortcuts.
A keyboard shortcut is a combination of keys that will trigger an event in your browser (make something happen).
There are literally hundreds of combinations but I'll list the most useful ones:
Moving between tabs:
- CTRL+TAB: Next tab
- CTRL+SHIFT+TAB: Prev tab
Open/Closing tabs:
- CTRL+W: Closes current tab
- CTRL+T: Opens new tab
- CTRL+N: Opens new window
Alternative to (Right Click + "Open link in new tab"):
- CTRL+Mouse Click: Opens link in new tab
Navigation:
- CTRL+K: Search query in address bar
- F6: Set focus to URL address bar
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Here's a quick guide on how I use these myself:
I work with a lot of open tabs so moving fast between them is something utterly important for me.
If you have a lot of open tabs, you can move faster by leaving your shortcut keys pressed and then releasing them when you're approaching your desired tab (depending on the number of opened tabs, sometimes you're able to see the favicon for each tab)
A favicon is that small squared image that will indicate which website is on that particular tab.
Tip: If you reached the last tab at your right and hit another CTRL+Tab to keep going to your right, you'll end up in your first tab, so think of your tabs like being in a carroussel and you'll be able to grasp this concept easier.
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Real life scenario:
Let's pretend you get an email from a traffic exchange and you receive a lot of links to be clicked on so you can earn traffic points to your sites in exchange.
You could CTRL+Click each link, then hit CTRL+Tab once to check the first site, when you're done with that site and earned your traffic credits hit CTRL+W to close it and move forward to the next tab.
(You wouldn't have to use your mouse even once by doing this, unless there is something to click on of course!)
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For users that are already used to these techniques and already know about these shortcuts, a simpler way to take this to next level is changing your keyboard speed so you move even faster.
How to change your keyboard speed:
Go to Control Panel, Keyboard, keyboard properties and change:
Repetition delay: set it to "short"
Repetition speed: set to "fast"
Click "Apply", and "Accept" and you're good to go!
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Short disclaimer:
I used Google Chrome to write this guide and every shortcut mentioned here, works the same for at least Opera, Firefox and IE, excepting for CTRL+K which will produce slightly different results.
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If you have any other questions by all means get in touch and I'd be more than happy to assist you if possible. ;-)
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." ~Leonardo da Vinci
Sergio Felix
3 people like it
Comments (5)
Nigel Morris WebStra...
6
very useful article , thanks Keep posting tips, thanks felix
Sergio Felix
7
IT Pro
Glad you liked it Philippe,
And thank you, I really tried my best! ;-)
Philippe Moisan
16
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
All that's missing is how to choose the right symbol on TEs with the keyboard. I'm pretty sure it's feasible, I guess I will try.
Very nice article, and very good presentation. Keep writing, Sergio. :)
Sergio Felix
7
IT Pro
Hey Don!
Changing a pattern is normally about getting out of our comfort zone and I know it's hard but here's a very easy to do exercise:
Try to remember at least one combination for only a day.
In your case if you like right clicking, then just learn the CTRL-Click shortcut.
(note that this only works for opening links in new tabs without leaving the actual page)
Glad you liked this short article (my first one) and thanks for reading and leaving a comment, I really appreciate it!
Don Dousharm
9
Entrepreneur, Publisher
I appreciate the list of control keys but I have become very efficient using the right mouse click Lol. I have heard about the keyboard speed but never had to use it. I liked reading your article though...