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Emacs Shortcuts for org-mode

Name Shortcuts
Quickly capture something like a task org-capture
Name Shortcuts
Bold: *bold*
Italic /italic/
Link: [[link][description]]
Mark element M-h
Lint file for syntax issues org-lint
Name Shortcuts
Go to next visible heading line at same level C-c C-f
Go to visible heading: next or previous C-c C-n or C-c C-p
Insert new heading of same level below C-Enter
Insert new heading of same level immediately M-Enter
Move heading up/down (promote/demote) M-up or M-down
Sort - Entries like headings, table, list, todo C-c ^ or org-sort
Copy heading content org-copy-subtree
Name Shortcuts
Check checkbox C-c C-x C-b
Indent headings/bullets M-left/right
Insert next item in list M-Enter
org toggle on context 1 Shift-Left or Shift-Right
Sort lists, tables by selection 2 org-sort= , =org-table-sort-lines
Toggle task priority (A, B, C) Shift-Up or Shift-Down
Name Shortcuts
Tags - Add org-set-tags-command or counsel-org-tag
Tags - Add multiple M-Enter
Time estimate set org-set-effort
  • In configuration, add your custom tags with org-tag-alist like (setq org-tag-alist ’((“work”) (“home”)))
Name Shortcuts
Paste from clipboard org-download-clipboard
Paste images or media from URL org-attach
  • Favour using org-download-clipboard to get images or org-mode attach for links
Name Shortcuts
Toggle headings visibility Shift-Tab , Shift-Tab-Tab
Open all folds of next heading outline-show-subtree (z O in Doom Emacs)
Name Shortcuts
Insert link C-c C-l, org-insert-link
Insert link in any file like org mode would org-insert-link-global
Open link C-c C-o
Open link in any file like org mode would org-open-at-point-global
Get link to current position such as heading in org file org-store-link
Go back org-mark-ring-goto

org-store-link can be used outside of org files as well

  • Search tags: org-agenda with m “Match TAGS/PROP/TODO option, then type tag you want to search on
Name Shortcuts
Navigate org headings imenu

Source: Org tutorial for tables - orgmode.org, james-stoup/org-mode-table-tutorial: A simplified guide to mastering Org Mode table functions · GitHub

Create table C-c | from scratch or existing values like a csv formatted list.

Name Shortcuts
Cell, edit in other window C-c `
Change formula / format of table column C-c = or org-table-eval-formula
Create or convert table from region/existing content org-table-create-or-convert-from-region
Help, See current cell row and column information and reference C-c ?
Table, Insert column to left or right S-M-Right arrow or S-M-Left arrow
Table, Insert row to down or up S-M-Down arrow or S-M-Up arrow
Table, Move column to left or right M-Right arrow or M-Left arrow
Table, Move row down or up M-Down arrow or M-Up arrow
Table, Move to next cell / auto format table TAB
Table, sort org-sort or C-c ^
View, Adjust column width to expand to maximum org-table-expand
View, Adjust column width to specific length org-table-shrink

For table formulas, see:

Org mode uses the @ symbol to denote rows and the $ symbol to denote columns:

@1 $1 @1 $2 @1 $3
@2 $1 @2 $2 @2 $3
@3 $1 @3 $2 @3 $3

Babel Library of Source Code - Collection of code blocks

Section titled “Babel Library of Source Code - Collection of code blocks”
  • For any user to add code to the library, first save the code in regular code blocks of an Org file, and then load the Org file with: org-babel-lob-ingest
  • Source: Library of Babel (The Org Manual)
Name Shortcuts
Start clock on current task org-clock-in
Stop clock on current task org-clock-out
Get clock report for current task/file org-clock-report

See also:

Name Shortcuts
Create aliases for node names org-roam-alias-add
Shows backlinks to current node and context of resources org-roam-buffer-toggle
Add tag to current node org-roam-tag-add
Name Shortcuts
Start server and web interface org-roam-ui-mode
Zoom to current node in web (should be automatic) org-roam-ui-node-zoom

+org/dwim-at-point: like check boxs, follow items, and other functions

  1. Act on element according to context:

    • switch a timestamp at point one day into the past
    • on a headline, switch to the previous TODO keyword, like DONE
    • on an item, switch entire list to the previous bullet type
    • on a property line, switch to the previous allowed value
    • on a clocktable definition line, move time block into the past
    • in a table, move a single cell left
  2. different than sort-lines due options and sorts alphabetical and sub bullets correctly with uppercase and lowercase