Hot keys

Mouse is fine for browsing. Keyboard is how you stay in the tree when you are capturing mid-call or filing Inbox at speed. This page is the everyday shortcut set for SEO Note on Windows — not every menu command, the ones you will actually press.

SEO Note is a local tree outliner: one file, notes as nodes, editor on the right. Shortcuts below match the shipped behavior described across the About docs. Exact bindings can vary slightly by version; if a key does nothing, check the menus for the same action.

Learn these first

1 Insert — child note

2 Ctrl+Shift+Insert — sibling

3 F2 — rename

4 Ctrl+S — save

5 Ctrl+F — find in RTF/HTML

Files

• Ctrl+N — new file
• Ctrl+O — open a file from disk
• Ctrl+S — save
• Ctrl+Q — quit
• F12 — quick file switcher (where available)

Launch the program itself from C:\Program Files\SEONote\SEO Note.exe or Start → Programs → SEO Note. F12 helps when you keep more than one data file open in rotation. Save before imports, big pastes, or large tree moves — the shortcut is useless if you never use it.

Tree / notes

• Insert — add a child note under the selected node
• Ctrl+Shift+Insert — add a sibling note
• F2 — rename the selected note

Child vs sibling is the whole game. Insert drills down (Brief under Acme). Ctrl+Shift+Insert stays at the same level (Acme next to Beta). Wrong level once is a drag-and-drop fix; wrong level every day is a messy archive.

Projects
  Acme          ← selected
    Brief       ← Insert creates here (child)
  Beta          ← Ctrl+Shift+Insert creates here (sibling of Acme)

Rename with F2 before you leave a node called “New.” Search and your future self both depend on titles that mean something next month.

Rule: capture into Inbox with Insert under that node; file later with drag or sibling/child keys — do not invent the perfect path while someone is still talking.

Editing

• Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V — copy / cut / paste
• Ctrl+A — select all text in the article
• Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y — undo / redo
• Ctrl+F — find in rich text and HTML notes

These are standard Windows habits on purpose. Focus matters: clipboard keys act on the editor when the article has focus; tree keys act when the tree has focus. Click once if a shortcut seems “dead.”

Plain text notes stay simple. Rich text brings Word-like formatting and OLE objects where the source program supports it. HTML notes add pictures and links; for those, also remember:

• Ctrl+R — HTML source view (View → HTML → Source)
• Ctrl+W — HTML web view (View → HTML → Web)

Source mode is for fixing a broken link or pasted markup. Web view is for reading. Flip deliberately; do not edit half-blind in the wrong mode.

	Focus on tree	Focus on editor
Insert / Ctrl+Shift+Insert / F2	Create and rename nodes	Usually not — click the tree first
Ctrl+C / X / V / A / Z / Y	Limited / context-dependent	Edit article text
Ctrl+F	—	Find in RTF / HTML
Ctrl+S / N / O / Q	File-level — available from the main window

Panels

• Ctrl+T — date / time panel
• Ctrl+D — calendar panel

Stamp meeting notes and deadlines while you type. It is faster than scrolling up later to guess the day. Neither panel replaces a full calendar app — they stamp context into the article you already have open.

Where hotkeys help vs where they do not

Worth muscle memory

• Inbox capture (Insert)
• Sibling lists (Ctrl+Shift+Insert)
• Rename (F2) and save (Ctrl+S)
• Find (Ctrl+F) before scrolling

Still use the mouse

• Dragging a whole subtree
• Resizing tree vs editor
• Toolbar formatting (fonts, colors)
• Bookmark panel switching

A 10-minute drill

1. Open a throwaway file (Ctrl+N, Ctrl+S)
2. Under a root, make five siblings with Ctrl+Shift+Insert
3. Nest two children with Insert
4. Rename each with F2
5. Type a unique word, then Ctrl+F to find it
6. Insert today’s stamp with Ctrl+T, quit with Ctrl+Q

When the drill feels boring, you are ready for the real file. Boring is the point — outlining should be quiet work.

Workflow tips

• Capture fast into Inbox; structure later
• Rename early so search stays useful
• Save before big imports or exports (txt / rtf / doc / html, or TreePad 2.7 / KeyNote 1.6.5 trees)
• Use bookmark panels for multiple trees in one file when Work and Personal should not share one root
• Export a branch when sharing; do not hand someone your whole private file

Honest limits

• Not every toolbar action has a memorable shortcut — menus still matter
• Find (Ctrl+F) is aimed at rich text / HTML articles; do not assume identical behavior in every plain-text edge case
• No cloud “open this note on phone with the same keys”
• F12 file switcher is for multi-file habits; one well-backed-up file is still the simplest start

For layout of panels and toolbars, see Graphical user interface. For first-run setup, see Quick Start.

Mini FAQ

Insert made a child when I wanted a sibling? Delete or drag it, then use Ctrl+Shift+Insert. Or create the sibling on purpose next time — the mistake teaches the difference faster than a diagram.

Shortcut does nothing? Click the tree or editor so the right pane has focus, then try again. Check the menu for the same command.

Can I rebind keys? Treat the list above as the documented defaults. Do not invent custom bindings in guides unless your build’s options clearly offer them.

Next steps

1. Print or pin this page until Insert / F2 / Ctrl+S are automatic
2. Run the 10-minute drill once
3. Read Main Features for formats and bookmark panels
4. Keep a USB or second-folder copy of the data file

If you want the outliner that matches these keys, download SEO Note and practice on a disposable file first.

Related: Quick Start · How to operate · Main Features · GUI · Tree outliner guide · FAQ · About · Download