Keys

Every action is rebindable under [keys] in config.toml:

[keys]
sync = ",s"
half-page-down = "ctrl-f"

The in-app cheatsheet (?) always renders the effective map, defaults merged with your overrides, and so do the pager keybar and the status-line hints. The quick reference lays the default map out by task; this page is the full contract: how a binding is written, how keys resolve, and every action with its default.

Writing a sequence

A binding is a single key, a modified key, or a two-key sequence:

• Single keys: j, /, G, <. Case matters: G is shift-g.
• Modifiers: ctrl-, alt- and shift- prefixes, and they combine (ctrl-d, alt-v, ctrl-alt-x, shift-tab).
• Named keys: enter, backspace, esc, tab, backtab, space, up, down.
• Two-key sequences: two plain characters back to back (gg, zo, ,s).

An unknown action name or an unparseable sequence fails at startup, naming the entry, so a typo cannot silently unbind anything.

Two defaults share an action in two places: setting-next answers both l and enter, and open-editor both ctrl-e and ctrl-h. An override replaces the first of the pair (l, ctrl-e); the companion key keeps working.

Counts

Movement takes a vi-style count prefix: 4j moves down four, 12k up twelve. Digits accumulate until a bound key consumes them (capped at 9999); a count never starts on 0, so 0 stays bindable. Only motions repeat (move-down, move-up, half-page-down, half-page-up, pane-down, pane-up); an action with side effects runs once however many were typed.

Contexts

A key is resolved against the active surface first, then against the global table, so one key can mean different things in different places: h toggles HTML in the pager but edits headers on the review screen, while j means move-down everywhere because only the global table binds it. Rebinding an action moves it within its own context; the tables below group the actions by that context.

Text-entry surfaces (the compose fields and the :// prompts) answer only their own explicit command keys; every other key, digits included, stays literal text for the field.

Global

Global bindings answer wherever the active surface does not claim the key itself: the list, the pager and the thread view in full, and any key the review and settings surfaces leave unbound (j still moves on the review screen). A handful only make sense with a message open or previewed.

Moving

Action	Default	Does
move-down	j	move the selection down
move-up	k	move the selection up
top	gg	jump to the top
bottom	G	jump to the bottom
half-page-down	ctrl-d	half a page down
half-page-up	ctrl-u	half a page up
open	enter	open the selection (scrolls in the pager)
back	esc	back out (pager to list, thread view to its listing)
quit	q	quit (in the pager: back to the list)

Scope and the sidebar

Action	Default	Does
search	/	notmuch query in the current scope
command	:	the command prompt
next-account	gt	next account scope
previous-account	gT	previous account scope
account-1 .. account-9	g1 .. g9	jump to that account
account-unified	gu	the unified view
sidebar-next	ctrl-n	move the sidebar highlight down
sidebar-previous	ctrl-p	move the sidebar highlight up
sidebar-open	ctrl-o	open the highlighted entry
toggle-sidebar	B	show or hide the sidebar
cycle-reading-pane	p	pane below, right, off
thread-view	T	pivot onto the selected message's thread
fold-toggle	za	fold or unfold the selected subtree
fold-open	zo	unfold the selected subtree
fold-close	zc	fold the selected subtree
settings	<	the settings view
help	?	the live cheatsheet
sync	s	ask the daemon for a pass now

Acting on mail

Action	Default	Does
toggle-read	m	flip read/unread
mark-all-read	M	mark the whole listing read
toggle-flagged	F	flag or unflag
archive	a	file to the account's archive folder
move-to	c	folder picker (:move <name> by name)
delete-message	d	to trash; inside trash, delete with confirm

Writing

Action	Default	Does
compose	n	a fresh message
reply	r	reply to the sender
reply-all	R	reply to everyone
reply-list	L	reply to the mailing list
forward	f	forward

Reading (open or previewed message)

Action	Default	Does
toggle-html	h	plain or HTML rendering
open-html-browser	b	hand the HTML part to the system browser (pager or reading pane; says so when there is no HTML part)
toggle-headers	t	configured headers or all of them
open-link	o	numbered link picker
attachments	v	expand the attachment drawer
pane-down	J	scroll the reading pane
pane-up	K	scroll the reading pane

open-link and attachments work in the full pager and on the reading-pane preview alike; see reading mail for what each opens.

Review screen

Action	Default	Does
send	y	send
edit-body	e	back to the editor
edit-headers	h	back to the header fields
attach-file	a	attach a file (path prompt)
remove-attachment	d	remove the selected attachment
toggle-sign	s	toggle signing for this message
toggle-encrypt	x	toggle encryption for this message
toggle-read-receipt	k	ask for a read receipt for this message
toggle-dsn	n	ask for a delivery status notification (RFC 3461)
save-draft	q	close, offering to keep a draft
schedule	@	schedule the send

Compose fields

Action	Default	Does
focus-next	tab	next field
focus-prev	backtab	previous field
compose-submit	enter	advance (last field: to the editor)
compose-cancel	esc	back out of the compose
open-editor	ctrl-e (also ctrl-h)	toggle $EDITOR on the body

Settings: accounts tab

Action	Default	Does
account-add	a	add an account
account-edit	e	edit the selected account
delete-account	d	remove it, with confirmation
sign-in	o	run the OAuth sign-in
revoke	x	revoke stored grants, with confirmation
reorder-down	J	move the account down the order
reorder-up	K	move the account up the order
next-tab	tab	next settings tab
prev-tab	backtab	previous settings tab
settings-close	esc	close the settings view

Settings: Essentials tab

The cheatsheet labels this group settings: options.

Action	Default	Does
setting-next	l (also enter)	step the value forward
setting-prev	h	step the value back
next-tab	tab	next settings tab
prev-tab	backtab	previous settings tab
settings-close	esc	close the settings view

Settings: folders tab

Action	Default	Does
edit-alias	enter	edit the folder's sidebar alias
folder-hide	h	hide or unhide the folder
folder-unsync	u	stop or resume syncing the folder
reorder-down	J	move the folder down the order
reorder-up	K	move the folder up the order
next-tab	tab	next settings tab
prev-tab	backtab	previous settings tab
settings-close	esc	close the settings view

Prompts

Action	Default	Does
prompt-submit	enter	run the search or command
prompt-cancel	esc	close the prompt

Fixed keys

A few surfaces carry their own keys outside the [keys] table: the account form (Esc cancels, Tab steps, Ctrl+S saves, Ctrl+D autodiscovers servers from the address) and its identity sub-editor, pickers and confirmation prompts. Each names its keys in the status line while it is open.