Flow navigation
Walk a diagram along its sequence flows with the keyboard, without reaching for the mouse.
Flow navigation works while the canvas has focus. Ctrl/Cmd+Tab and Alt+Tab pass through, so tab and window switching keep working.
Keys
Move along flows
| Key | Selection | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Tab | Nothing | Select the first start event |
| Shift+Tab | Nothing | Select the first end event |
| Tab | Shape with one outgoing flow | Jump to the target |
| Tab | Shape with several outgoing flows or boundary events | Select the first candidate; press again to cycle (wraps) |
| Tab | Shape with no outgoing flow and one boundary event | Jump to the boundary event |
| Shift+Tab | Shape with one incoming flow | Jump to the source |
| Shift+Tab | Shape with several incoming flows | Jump to the source of the first one (top-left first) |
| Shift+Tab | Flow in a fan | Cycle to the previous flow (wraps) |
| Shift+Tab | Boundary event without incoming flow | Jump to its host |
| Enter | Sequence flow | Follow it to the target |
| Shift+Enter | Sequence flow | Follow it to the source |
| Enter | Boundary event candidate | Commit it and continue from its outgoing flows |
Sub-processes, links and panels
| Key | Selection | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Enter | Collapsed sub-process | Drill in and select its first start event |
| U | Inside a sub-process | Drill out one level and select the sub-process |
| G | Element with a model or code link (call activity, business rule, service, send or user task) | Open the referenced model, form or implementation file |
| O | Script task, or task with Camunda 7 listeners | Open the first script in an editor tab |
| A | Any shape | Open the append menu |
| M | Any shape | Open the element actions menu |
| L | Canvas | Format the diagram |
| P | Canvas | Focus the properties panel (expands it if collapsed) |
| Shift+P | Anywhere outside a text field | Show or hide the properties panel |
| Esc | Properties panel | Return focus to the canvas |
Inside the properties panel Tab moves between fields as usual. Use P to edit, Esc to come back and keep navigating.
Walk a gateway
- Select the gateway and press Tab: the first outgoing flow is selected.
- Press Tab again to cycle to the next flow.
- Press Enter to follow the selected flow into its branch.
- Append with A, then press Shift+Tab to walk back to the gateway.
Tasks with boundary events work the same way: flows and boundary events are cycled together, and Enter on a boundary event continues from its outgoing flows.
Limits
- Nothing on the canvas shows which flow Enter will follow.
- Tab no longer moves from the canvas into the properties panel; use P.
- G does nothing when the element has no resolvable link. If both a referenced model and an implementation exist, the model wins.
Next steps
- Append menu: what A opens.
- Jump to code and models: what G opens.
- Inline scripts: what O opens.