Kadro ADE is built to drive from the keyboard. One shortcut does most of the work — ⌘K opens the command palette, which reaches every action, pane, and workspace — and a small set of direct shortcuts handles splitting, focusing, and switching. This is the complete reference, grouped so you can skim.
Everything below is the default on macOS. Every shortcut is remappable in Settings → Keybindings, and the command palette shows each command’s current shortcut next to it, so you never have to memorize this page.
The command palette (⌘K)
If you remember one thing, remember ⌘K. It searches everything at once, and three prefixes narrow it down:
| Type | Does |
|---|---|
⌘K | Open the command palette |
> | Filter to actions |
@ | Jump to a pane in the active workspace |
# | Switch to a workspace |
More on the palette in the command palette docs.
Pane shortcuts
Panes are where the agents run. These cover creating, splitting, focusing, and closing them:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
⌘T | New pane |
⌘D | Split the focused pane horizontally |
⌘⇧D | Split the focused pane vertically |
⌘⌥D | Split and pick an agent for the new pane |
⌘⌥] | Focus the next pane |
⌘⌥[ | Focus the previous pane |
⌘⇧↵ | Toggle fullscreen for the focused pane |
⌘⌥R | Rename the focused pane |
⌘W | Close the focused pane |
Right-click a pane header (or use its ⋯ menu) for the rest: duplicate, copy the working directory, reveal it in Finder, and clear scrollback. You can also drag a file from Finder onto a pane to drop its escaped path at the cursor.
Workspace shortcuts
Each project lives in its own workspace. Move between them without the mouse:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
⌘N | New workspace |
⌘⇧] | Next workspace |
⌘⇧[ | Previous workspace |
⌘1–⌘9 | Jump to a workspace by position |
See workspaces and panes for how layouts, presets, and splitting fit together.
Browser and more
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
⌘⇧B | Toggle the browser sidebar |
⌘R | Reload the browser |
⌘⇧R | Hard refresh the browser |
⌘B | Toggle voice dictation |
Switching from tmux?
If your fingers already know tmux, the muscle memory mostly carries over — you just drop the prefix key. Here are the common moves and their Kadro ADE equivalents:
| In tmux | In Kadro ADE |
|---|---|
prefix " / prefix % (split) | ⌘D / ⌘⇧D |
prefix o (cycle panes) | ⌘⌥] / ⌘⌥[ |
prefix z (zoom pane) | ⌘⇧↵ |
prefix c (new window) | ⌘N (workspace) / ⌘T (pane) |
prefix : (command prompt) | ⌘K (command palette) |
The difference is what sits underneath. tmux tiles terminals; Kadro ADE is the agentic development environment built for running agents in those panes — launchers for 20+ coding agents, isolated work per agent, a built-in browser, and usage meters — with the split and focus shortcuts you already know.
Customizing shortcuts
Open Settings → Keybindings to remap any command. The default binding shows as a placeholder, so you always know what you changed, and a reset button puts any row back. Whatever you set also appears next to the command in the ⌘K palette.
Frequently asked questions
What is the command palette shortcut in Kadro ADE?
Press ⌘K to open the command palette. From there, type to search every action, pane, and workspace, or use a prefix: > for actions, @ to jump to a pane, and # to switch workspaces.
How do I split a pane in Kadro ADE?
⌘D splits the focused pane horizontally and ⌘⇧D splits it vertically. ⌘⌥D splits and opens the agent picker so the new pane can run a different agent.
Can I change the keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. Every shortcut shown here is the default and can be remapped in Settings → Keybindings. The command palette also shows each command's current shortcut next to it, so it doubles as a live cheat sheet.
Is Kadro ADE a good tmux alternative for AI agents?
It's built for it. tmux tiles terminals; Kadro ADE adds what running agents needs on top — agent launchers, isolated work, a built-in browser, and usage meters — with familiar split and focus shortcuts so the muscle memory carries over.
The fastest way to learn these is to use them. Download Kadro ADE, open ⌘K, and start splitting panes — or read how to run multiple AI coding agents in parallel to put the shortcuts to work.