--- title: Hot Keys description: "Hot-Keys are key combinations you can configure according to your preferences to quickly execute commands via keyboard. ### **Assign a Hotkey to an action** There are many commands available to which you can assign a Hotkey. Some have already assigned…" url: "https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/docs/hot-keys/" updated: "2022-11-07" category: Workspaces --- # Hot Keys Hot-Keys are key combinations you can configure according to your preferences to quickly execute commands via keyboard. ### **Assign a Hotkey to an action** There are many commands available to which you can assign a Hotkey. Some have already assigned a default Hotkey that you can change at any time according to your needs. To assign a Hotkey to an action, follow these steps: **1**. Access Hot-Keys configuration window from *Overcharts main window* > ***Tools*** menu > ***Hot Keys*** **2**. Select the action you want to assign (or modify) the Hotkey **3**. Click on Hotkey cell. The following sentence is shown inside the cell: *Type hotkey or press ESC* ![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hotkeys-associate1.png) **4**. Press the key combination you want to assign the action to. A Hotkey consists of a combination of **CTRL**, **ALT**, **SHIFT** and any other key (**letter**, **number**, **symbol**, etc.). Keys must be pressed in sequence. For example, if you want to assign **CTRL+A** to an action you will have to press CTRL key, then holding down CTRL you will have to press A. if you want to assign **CTRL+ALT+A** you will have to press CTRL key, then holding down CTRL you will have to press ALT and then A. Some key combinations are NOT valid as Hot-Keys. Others, while valid, will not work because they are reserved combinations of the Windows operating system. Some keys can also be used individually (without CTRL, ALT, SHIFT): - F1 ... F12, Page Up, Page Down, Delete, Home, End, Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Right Arrow, Left Arrow. **5**. Press **OK** or **APPLY** in the Hot-Keys configuration window to save the changes. > If an action does NOT have a hotkey assigned, the message **** is shown in the hotkey cell. To unassign the hotkey from a command press **X** button in the hotkey cell: ![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hotkeys-associate2.png) ### **Custom Actions** Additional custom actions can be added to the existing preconfigured actions. #### **Add a Custom Action** To add a Custom Action, follow these steps: **1**. Access Hot-Keys configuration window from *Overcharts main window* > ***Tools*** menu > ***Hot Keys*** **2**. Select the Custom Action reference section on the left tree-view. Custom Actions are ONLY available for some sections (not all sections). If Custom Actions are available for a section, you will find the **Custom Actions** Tab in the right properties-panel: ![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hotkeys-custom-action1.png) **3**. Select (if available) **Custom Actions** Tab **4**. Press **ADD** button **5**. Select Custom Action type from the list of available types **6**. Set Custom Action properties and press OK **7**. Assign a hotkey to the Custom Action as described **[here](#0-toc-title)** **8**. Press **OK** or **APPLY** button in the Hot-Keys configuration window to save all changes. #### **Edit a Custom Action** To edit a Custom Action, follow these steps: **1**. Access Hot-Keys configuration window from *Overcharts main window* > ***Tools*** menu > ***Hot Keys*** **2**. Select the Custom Action reference section on the left tree-view. **3**. Select **Custom Actions** Tab **4**. Select, on the grid, the Custom Action to edit and press **EDIT** button **5**. Set Custom Action properties and press OK **6**. Press **OK** or **APPLY** button in the Hot-Keys configuration window to save all changes. #### **Remove/Delete a Custom Action** To remove/delete a Custom Action, follow these steps: **1**. Access Hot-Keys configuration window from *Overcharts main window* > ***Tools*** menu > ***Hot Keys*** **2**. Select the Custom Action reference section on the left tree-view. **3**. Select **Custom Actions** Tab **4**. Select, on the grid, the Custom Action to remove and press **REMOVE** button **5**. Press **OK** or **APPLY** button in the Hot-Keys configuration window to save all changes. An important example is the Custom Action called **Draw Drawing Tool**. This Custom Action allows you to start (by pressing the assigned hotkey) the drawing of a Trendline, Horizontal Line, or any other drawing tool. But the most important feature of this Custom Action is the **ability to set a template** to use when creating the object. In other words, by adding for example 2 'Draw Drawing Tool' Custom Actions to draw a trendline and setting a different Template for each one in the Custom-Action configuration, you can draw (by pressing the assigned hotkey) the right trendline without having to set style properties every time. **Other Custom Actions allow you to insert Indicators, Charts, Advanced Columns, Trading System etc. setting a template, making adding the object to the chart very fast.** ### **Hot-Keys Usage** Use Hot-Keys you have configured to execute commands within the Workspace. Each Hot-Key works ONLY IF: - pressed in the **right context** (Workspace, Chart, DOM etc.) where the action to be performed is available. In other words, if for example a hotkey that starts the drawing of a trendline is pressed on DOM window, the assigned action will NOT be performed. - when the hotkey is pressed, the **window is focused**. The focused window is the window with the upper right corner marked. Example of **Workspace** window focused: ![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hotkeys-focus-workspace1.png) Example of **Chart** window focused: ![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hotkeys-focus-chart1.png) Example of **DOM** window focused: ![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hotkeys-focus-dom1.png) **For Hot-Keys assigned to Trading commands, you need to enable Hot-Keys also in the Trading Panel by pressing 'keyboard' button:** ![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hotkeys-trading-panel1.png) ![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hotkeys-trading-panel2.png)