Firefox offers dozens of keyboard shortcuts that can dramatically speed up your browsing experience. Here's a comprehensive guide organized by category.

Basic Navigation

  • Ctrl + L (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + L (Mac) - Focus address bar
  • Alt + Left Arrow or Backspace - Go back one page
  • Alt + Right Arrow or Shift + Backspace - Go forward one page
  • F5 or Ctrl + R - Reload current page
  • Ctrl + Shift + R - Hard reload (bypass cache)
  • Ctrl + D - Bookmark current page
  • Ctrl + Shift + Delete - Open Clear Recent History dialog

Page Navigation

  • Space or Page Down - Scroll down one screen
  • Shift + Space or Page Up - Scroll up one screen
  • Home - Go to top of page
  • End - Go to bottom of page
  • Ctrl + F - Find in page
  • F3 or Ctrl + G - Find next
  • Shift + F3 or Ctrl + Shift + G - Find previous

Tab Management

Opening and Closing Tabs

  • Ctrl + T - Open new tab
  • Ctrl + Shift + T - Reopen recently closed tab
  • Ctrl + W - Close current tab
  • Ctrl + Shift + W - Close current window
  • Ctrl + N - Open new window
  • Ctrl + Shift + N - Open new private window

Navigating Between Tabs

  • Ctrl + Tab - Switch to next tab
  • Ctrl + Shift + Tab - Switch to previous tab
  • Ctrl + Page Down - Move to next tab
  • Ctrl + Page Up - Move to previous tab
  • Ctrl + 1-8 - Switch to specific tab (by number)
  • Ctrl + 9 - Switch to last tab
  • Ctrl + Shift + Page Up/Down - Move tab left/right

Bookmarks and History

  • Ctrl + H - Open History sidebar
  • Ctrl + B - Toggle Bookmarks toolbar
  • Ctrl + Shift + B - Open Bookmarks Manager
  • Ctrl + Shift + O - Open Library (bookmarks, history, downloads)
  • Ctrl + Shift + A - Open Add-ons Manager

Developer and Advanced Shortcuts

  • F12 - Open Developer Tools
  • Ctrl + Shift + I - Open Developer Tools
  • Ctrl + Shift + K - Open Web Console
  • Ctrl + Shift + C - Open Inspector (select element)
  • Ctrl + U - View page source
  • Ctrl + Shift + E - Open Network Monitor
  • Shift + F7 - Open Style Editor

Window and Interface

  • F11 - Toggle fullscreen mode
  • Ctrl + + - Zoom in
  • Ctrl + - - Zoom out
  • Ctrl + 0 - Reset zoom to default
  • Ctrl + Shift + M - Toggle Responsive Design Mode
  • Alt - Show/hide menu bar (Windows/Linux)

Search Shortcuts

  • Ctrl + K - Focus search bar
  • Ctrl + E - Focus search bar (alternative)
  • Ctrl + Shift + F - Find in all tabs
  • ' (apostrophe) - Quick find (find links only)
  • / (forward slash) - Quick find (find all text)

Downloads and Files

  • Ctrl + S - Save page
  • Ctrl + O - Open file
  • Ctrl + P - Print page
  • Ctrl + Shift + Y - Open Downloads panel

Text Editing

  • Ctrl + A - Select all
  • Ctrl + C - Copy
  • Ctrl + V - Paste
  • Ctrl + X - Cut
  • Ctrl + Z - Undo
  • Ctrl + Y - Redo

Pro Tips for Maximum Efficiency

Customize Your Experience

You can modify many of these shortcuts by going to about:config in the address bar, though be careful as this affects advanced settings.

Mouse Shortcuts

  • Middle-click on a link opens it in a new tab
  • Middle-click on a tab closes the tab
  • Hold Ctrl while clicking a link to open in new tab

Address Bar Tricks

  • Type a search term and press Ctrl + Enter to automatically add "www." and ".com"
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the result in a new tab

Quick Access

  • Ctrl + Shift + P opens a new private browsing window instantly
  • Alt + D is an alternative to Ctrl + L for focusing the address bar

Memory Aids

To remember the most essential shortcuts, focus on these patterns:

  • Ctrl + letter for most basic functions (T for tab, W for close, etc.)
  • Add Shift to reverse or enhance the action (Shift + T reopens closed tab)
  • F-keys for developer tools and special modes (F11 fullscreen, F12 dev tools)
  • Alt + arrows for navigation (back/forward)

Start with the navigation and tab management shortcuts, as these provide the biggest productivity boost. Once those become muscle memory, gradually add the developer tools and advanced shortcuts to your repertoire.