The web browser has become the most important software on most users’ computers. You probably use your web browser for entertainment, work, learning, and other purposes. Therefore you can make your life easier by using it efficiently.

Here are some tips for keyboard shortcuts that will save you time and effort. These shortcuts were tested in the following browsers:

Mozilla Firefox

Google Chrome

Chromium

Midori

Epiphany

Tabs management

Tabs are the most basic element in modern browsers. You can use the following shortcuts:

Ctrl+T : Open a new tab

Ctrl+W : Close current tab

Ctrl+Shift+T : Re-open last closed tab

Ctrl+Tab : Move to following tab (doesn’t work in Epiphany)

Ctrl+PgDn ( Page Down ): Move to following tab

Ctrl+Shift+Tab : Move to previous tab (doesn’t work in Epiphany)

Ctrl+PgUp ( Page Up ): Move to previous tab

Ctrl+<Number> : Using a number between 1 and 8, opens the tab in that position, counting from left (doesn’t work in Epiphany). In Midori replace Ctrl with Alt .

Ctrl+9 : Go to the last (right-most) tab (doesn’t works in Epiphany). In Midori replace Ctrl with Alt.

Ctrl+N : Open a new browser window

Ctrl+Q : Quit browser (works only in Firefox and Epiphany). Use this shortcut with caution, since it may close everything without notice

Browsing

From moving around a page to searching inside one, here are some available shortcuts:

Ctrl+L : Positions the cursor in the navigation bar to write a new URL

Ctrl+Enter : autocomplete www. and .com in a URL. Try typing google and then press Ctrl+Enter. (In Midori and Epiphany this shortcut launches a search on the content in the URL bar, using the default search engine.)

Ctrl+Shift+Enter performs different functions on each browser. Firefox: Autocomplete www. and .org in a URL, similar to the shortcut above Google Chrome and Chromium: Works like Ctrl+Enter Midori: Launch a search on the content in the URL bar, using the default search engine in a new tab Epiphany: Launch a search on the content in the URL bar, using the default search engine in a new window

Alt+Shift+Enter : autocomplete www. and .net in a URL, similar to shortcuts above (only in Firefox)

Ctrl+R or F5 : Reload a page

←↑→↓ and spacebar: Move across the page

Ctrl++ : Zoom in

Ctrl+- : Zoom out

Ctrl+D : Bookmark current page

Ctrl+F : Search for text in the current page

Ctrl+P : Print the current page

Step by step

Obviously there are many shortcuts available. Don’t try to memorize all of them at once. The idea is to incorporate them slowly into your browsing sessions, until you start using them naturally.

This post is inspired by a blog entry by Elena Santos in ChicaGeek.

Image courtesy Peignault Laurent – originally posted to Unsplash as Untitled.