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cai/docs/tui/keyboard_shortcuts.md

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CAI TUI Keyboard Shortcuts

⚡ CAI-Pro Exclusive Feature
The Terminal User Interface (TUI) is available exclusively in CAI-Pro. To access this feature and unlock advanced multi-agent workflows, visit Alias Robotics for more information.

Master the CAI TUI with these keyboard shortcuts for maximum productivity. All shortcuts work across different terminal operating systems.

Navigation Shortcuts

Sidebar

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+S Toggle sidebar Opens/closes the sidebar panel

Usage:

  • Quick access to Teams, Queue, Stats, and Keys
  • Sidebar state persists during session
  • Width: 32 characters when open

Alternative: Click the ☰ button in the top-left corner

Terminal Navigation

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+N Next terminal Cycles forward through terminals (1→2→3→4→1)
Ctrl+B Previous terminal Cycles backward through terminals (1→4→3→2→1)

Usage:

  • Focus moves to the next/previous terminal
  • Visual indicator shows active terminal
  • Works even when sidebar is open

Alternative: Click directly on any terminal to focus it

Terminal Management

Opening Terminals

Shortcut Action Details
Click Add + button Add terminal Creates new terminal with default settings

Default Settings:

  • Agent: redteam_agent
  • Model: alias1
  • Container: local

Closing Terminals

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+E Close current terminal Closes the focused terminal

Alternative: Click directly on specific close terminal button.

Notes:

  • Terminal 1 cannot be closed (main terminal)
  • Closing removes conversation history (save with /save first)
  • Remaining terminals re-layout automatically

Clearing Terminals

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+L Clear all terminals Removes output from all terminal screens
/clear Clear current terminal Command to clear focused terminal only

Notes:

  • Only clears visual output, not conversation history
  • Use /flush to clear conversation history

Execution Control

Canceling Agents

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+C Cancel current agent Stops the agent in the focused terminal
ESC Cancel all agents Stops all running agents across all terminals

When to Use:

  • Agent is taking too long
  • Wrong prompt was sent
  • Need to interrupt for corrections
  • Agent is stuck in a loop

Effect:

  • Agent stops immediately
  • Partial output remains visible
  • Can send new prompt right away

Utility Shortcuts

Command Palette

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+P Open command palette Textual's command palette for searching actions

Features:

  • Search available commands
  • Quick access to any action
  • Fuzzy search support

Clearing Input

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+U Clear input Removes all text from the input field

Usage:

  • Quick way to start fresh
  • Clear accidental text
  • Standard Unix/Linux behavior

Exit Application

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+Q Exit CAI TUI Closes the application completely

Alternative: Click the × button in top-right corner

On Exit:

  • Session summary displayed (costs, tokens, duration)
  • Unsaved conversations are lost (use /save first)
  • API keys and configuration persist

Input Editing

Command Autocompletion

Shortcut Action Details
Tab Autocomplete Completes the current command or shows suggestions

Examples:

  • Type /ag + Tab → /agent
  • Type /mod + Tab → /model

Behavior:

  • Single match: Completes automatically
  • Multiple matches: Shows list of suggestions
  • No match: No action

Command History

Shortcut Action Details
↑ (Up Arrow) Previous command Navigate backward through command history
↓ (Down Arrow) Next command Navigate forward through command history

Features:

  • History persists across sessions
  • Stored in ~/.cai/history
  • Includes both commands and prompts
  • Maximum history size: 1000 entries

Usage Flow:

  1. Press ↑ to recall previous command
  2. Continue pressing ↑ to go further back
  3. Press ↓ to move forward in history
  4. Edit recalled command if needed
  5. Press Enter to execute

Send Prompt

Shortcut Action Details
Enter Send prompt/command Executes the current input

Behavior:

  • Commands (starting with /): Execute immediately
  • Prompts: Send to current agent
  • If agent is busy: Automatically queued

Terminal Content Copying

Copy Visible Content

Shortcut Action Details
Ctrl+Shift+X Copy visible Copies currently visible terminal content to clipboard

Use Cases:

  • Share specific output with team
  • Save important findings
  • Document tool results

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

All shortcuts work as documented. Some terminals (e.g., Terminal.app) may require:

  • Enabling "Use Option as Meta key" in preferences
  • Allowing keyboard shortcuts in Security & Privacy settings

Linux

All shortcuts work as documented. If using tmux/screen:

  • Ctrl+B conflicts with tmux prefix → Consider remapping tmux
  • Ctrl+S may freeze terminal → Disable XON/XOFF with stty -ixon

Windows

All shortcuts work in Windows Terminal and modern terminals. In older terminals:

  • Some Ctrl+Shift+ combinations may not work

Custom Shortcuts

CAI TUI currently does not support custom keyboard shortcuts. This feature may be added in future versions.

Workaround: Use command aliases or shell scripts for custom workflows.

Tips for Efficiency

Power User Workflow

  1. Keep sidebar closed (Ctrl+S) for max screen space
  2. Use Ctrl+N/Ctrl+B to switch terminals instead of mouse
  3. Master Tab completion for faster command input
  4. Use ↑ to repeat similar prompts with modifications

Recommended Shortcuts to Memorize First

Priority 1 (Essential):

  • Ctrl+S - Toggle sidebar
  • Ctrl+Q - Exit
  • Ctrl+C - Cancel agent
  • Enter - Send prompt
  • Tab - Autocomplete

Priority 2 (Common):

  • Ctrl+N / Ctrl+B - Navigate terminals
  • Ctrl+L - Clear screen
  • ↑ / ↓ - Command history
  • ESC - Cancel all

Priority 3 (Advanced):

  • Ctrl+E - Close terminal
  • Ctrl+P - Command palette

Troubleshooting Shortcuts

Shortcut Not Working?

Check 1: Terminal Compatibility

  • Some shortcuts may be intercepted by your terminal emulator
  • Check terminal preferences for keyboard settings
  • Try a different terminal (e.g., Alacritty, iTerm2)

Check 2: tmux/screen Conflicts

  • tmux uses Ctrl+B as prefix (conflicts with "Previous Terminal")
  • screen uses Ctrl+A as prefix (no conflicts with CAI TUI)
  • Consider remapping tmux prefix: set -g prefix C-a

Check 3: OS-Level Shortcuts

  • Some OS keyboard shortcuts override terminal shortcuts
  • Example: macOS Ctrl+Shift+Space opens Spotlight
  • Disable conflicting OS shortcuts or use command alternatives

Accidental Exit (Ctrl+Q)

If you frequently press Ctrl+Q by accident:

Workaround: Use the close session button instead

See Also

Last updated: October 2025 | CAI TUI v0.6+