Everyday use

CLI Keybinds

Run /keybinds in CLI chat to open the shortcut editor. Changes are saved and take effect immediately.

Edit shortcuts

Use ↑ and ↓ to select an action. Press Enter and then the shortcut to bind it. To create a leader sequence, press the leader shortcut first, then its next key. The default leader is Ctrl+X.

A single letter or digit cannot be bound on its own, because it would stop you typing. Use a Ctrl, Alt or Super chord, an F-key or another key that types nothing, or a leader sequence.

Press x or Delete to unbind an action.
Press r to restore the selected action's default.
Press Esc to close the editor or cancel key capture.

Default shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Leader	`Ctrl+X`
Quit	`Ctrl+C`, `Ctrl+Z`
Change mode	`Shift+Tab`, `Ctrl+Tab`
Cycle reasoning	`Ctrl+R`
Stash draft	`Ctrl+S`
Rewind	`F9`
Switch parent/child session	`Ctrl+O`
Background eligible work	`Ctrl+B`
Toggle telemetry	`Ctrl+P`
Remove the latest queued message	`leader x`
Stop the running turn, or the viewed sub-agent	`leader s`
Stop the viewed sub-agent, or the newest running one	`leader k`
Reconnect the chat's connection to the server	`leader r`
Show help	`leader h`
Choose theme	`leader t`
Choose model	`leader m`
Choose conversation	`leader l`

The mode shortcut cycles Build, Plan, and Workflow. Ctrl+B backgrounds eligible foreground work; it does not cancel it. Ctrl+O cycles through the main conversation and then each sub-agent session.

The stop shortcut acts on the session you are viewing, so it also stops a focused sub-agent; leader k stops a sub-agent without leaving the main conversation. leader r is offered on the status line while a connection is failing or has given up. Rewind, the queue controls and mode switching belong to the main conversation and are unavailable while you view a sub-agent.

After the leader key, you have 2 seconds to press the second key. When a reply is streaming, the first F9 press stops it, and the next press removes the latest messages from the conversation. Otherwise one press removes them. Actions the agent already performed are not undone.

Ctrl+S stores the current draft. With an empty input, it brings back the most recent stashed draft.

Fixed keys

Some keys belong to the editor or open overlays:

Key	Action
`Enter`	Send a draft or confirm a choice.
`Esc`	Close an overlay or cancel key capture. Press it twice to interrupt a running turn. The second press must come within the Double Esc window set in Account → Terminal.
`↑` / `↓`	Recall history or move through a picker.
`Tab`	Complete a slash command or a file mention.
`PageUp` / `PageDown`	Scroll the transcript.

Shortcut format and persistence

A shortcut can use Ctrl, Shift, Alt, or Super, for example Ctrl+R, Alt+Enter, or Shift+Tab. Separate alternative shortcuts with commas. Use leader <key> for a leader sequence and none to unbind an action.

Custom shortcuts are stored as overrides in the keybinds section of cli-prefs.json in your Elowen config folder, ~/.config/elowen/. Reset an action in /keybinds to remove its override. You can also edit that section by hand; the editor reads the same entries. If the file is not valid JSON, the CLI leaves it untouched and shows an error instead of saving a setting; fix or delete the file.