00 · Getting started

Density toggle and keyboard shortcuts

Switch the admin between Cozy and Dense, and the keyboard shortcuts that actually work today on the desktop dashboard.

5 min read · updated 28/05/2026

Overview

If you live in the dashboard all day, two things speed you up: fitting more rows on the screen, and keeping your hands off the mouse. Cozy mode gives roomy rows that are easy to tap; Dense mode tightens them so a long Orders list fits without scrolling. The keyboard shortcuts let you jump anywhere, start work, and close panels without reaching for the mouse.

Where to find it

Both live in the desktop admin dashboard topbar. The Cozy / Dense pill sits in the top-right utility controls next to Notifications and Help. This is a web-desktop feature — the mobile field apps have no density control. Every role that sees the admin shell (OWNER, MANAGER, ACCOUNTANT, OPERATOR) gets the same toggle and the same shortcuts; there is no extra permission to switch them on.

To see the full list any time, press ? to open the keyboard cheat sheet.

Key concepts

  • Cozy — the default density. Roomy table rows (about 48px tall), easy to read and tap.
  • Dense — tightened rows (about 36px) with smaller 12.5px body text, so power users fit more on one screen.
  • Command palette — a search box you open with CtrlK to jump to any page by typing its name.
  • Your density choice is remembered on this browser — pick it once and every screen stays that way until you change it.

Common workflows

1
Switch density with the keyboard
Press Ctrl\\ anywhere in the dashboard. It flips Cozy → Dense → Cozy each time. The whole dashboard re-flows instantly.
2
Or click the pill
Top-right of the topbar, hit Cozy or Dense. Same result. Your choice sticks on the next login from this browser.
3
Jump to any page
Press CtrlK to open the command palette. Type a few letters of the page name, use / to move, and Enter to open it.
4
Start a new order fast
On the Orders page, press N to open the new-order screen — no clicking through menus.
5
Close anything
Press Esc to close the command palette, the help sheet, or any open panel.

Role notes

The density toggle and the shell shortcuts (Ctrl\\, CtrlK, ?, Esc) behave the same for every role — they are display and navigation helpers, not actions that touch data.

The one shortcut that depends on your access is N on the Orders page, which opens the new-order draft:

  • Owner and Manager reach Orders and can draft, so N works for them.
  • Operator can create order drafts too — that is the operator's one write path — so the shortcut works, though an operator still can't confirm the order afterwards.
  • Accountant has no order access at all and does not see the Orders page, so N there does not apply. The accountant still gets density and the navigation shortcuts everywhere they do have access.

Tips & time-savers

Tip
Working on a small laptop with a long Orders or Invoices list? Tap Ctrl\\ once to drop into Dense — rows tighten from ~48px to ~36px and you see several more rows without scrolling. Tap it again to go back to Cozy for reading.

You don't have to memorise anything — press ? for the on-screen cheat sheet. The labels show ⌘-style symbols on a Mac and Ctrl-style words on Windows/Linux automatically, so the keys match your machine.

Gotchas

Warning
Only these shortcuts are wired and reliable today: Ctrl\\ (density), CtrlK (command palette), ? (help), Esc (close), and N for a new order on the Orders page. The cheat sheet also lists go-to jumps like GH and P for record-payment — those are planned, not live yet, so don't lean on them.

Two more things to know: the ? help key and the N new-order key are ignored while you're typing in a search box or text field, so they won't fire by accident mid-typing. And your density choice is saved per browser — switch to a different computer or a fresh browser and it starts back at Cozy.

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