Keyboard Shortcuts

Master Cothon's keyboard shortcuts to dramatically speed up your workflow. Power users report 30-40% productivity gains by using keyboard shortcuts instead of mouse navigation.

Overview

Cothon provides comprehensive keyboard shortcut support across the entire platform. Whether you're navigating between modules, analyzing requirements, or editing proposals, there's a keyboard shortcut to help you work faster.

Getting Started with Shortcuts

Enable Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are enabled by default. To toggle or customize:

1. Go to Settings > User Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts
2. Toggle Enable Keyboard Shortcuts on/off
3. Click Customize to remap shortcuts to your preferences
4. Click Reset to Defaults if you want to undo customizations

Platform-Specific Modifiers

Throughout this guide:

• Cmd refers to Command on macOS, Ctrl on Windows/Linux
• Opt refers to Option on macOS, Alt on Windows/Linux
• Shortcuts are shown as Mac / Windows

Example: Cmd/Ctrl + K means press Command+K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows.

Learning Strategy

Don't try to memorize everything at once. Focus on these learning stages:

Week 1: Essential Navigation (10 shortcuts) Master command palette, switching modules, and basic navigation.

Week 2: Analysis Workflow (15 shortcuts) Learn bid analysis shortcuts for filtering, view modes, and requirement navigation.

Week 3: Advanced Features (20 shortcuts) Add proposal editing, collaboration, and power user shortcuts.

Global Shortcuts

These shortcuts work anywhere in Cothon:

Navigation & Search

Pro Tip: The "G + [Letter]" pattern is called a sequence shortcut. Press G, release, then press the second letter. No need to hold both keys simultaneously.

UI Controls

Notifications & Help

Opportunities Module

Shortcuts for discovering and evaluating procurement opportunities:

Browsing & Filtering

Opportunity Cards

Opportunity Detail View

Bid Analysis Module

The most comprehensive shortcut set for your primary workflow:

Analysis Dashboard

Analysis View Modes

Requirement Navigation

Filtering Requirements

Pro Tip: Combine filters. Press F M then F H to see "Fully Meets" + "High Priority" requirements.

Requirement Actions

Bulk Operations

Analysis Actions

Proposal Editor

Shortcuts for editing and formatting generated proposals:

Navigation

Text Formatting

Paragraph Formatting

Content Insertion

Editing

AI Assistance

Collaboration

Document Actions

Analytics Module

Shortcuts for vendor research and market intelligence:

Vendor Search

Vendor Profile

Settings Module

Navigate settings efficiently:

Settings Navigation

Settings Actions

Custom Shortcut Combos

Power users create custom workflows by chaining shortcuts:

Rapid Opportunity Triage

Goal: Quickly evaluate and categorize new opportunities

1. G O - Go to Opportunities
2. Cmd/Ctrl F - Focus search
3. Type "DND IT" - Search for opportunities
4. Enter - Execute search
5. ↓ - Navigate through results
6. S - Save interesting ones
7. Shift A - Quick analyze top candidates

Time saved: 5 minutes per opportunity review session

Deep Requirement Analysis

Goal: Focus on high-risk requirements

1. G B - Go to Bid Analysis
2. Cmd/Ctrl O - Open analysis
3. F C - Filter to Cannot Meet
4. F H - Add High Priority filter
5. ↓ - Navigate through critical gaps
6. C - Add assessment comments
7. A - Assign to subject matter experts

Time saved: 10-15 minutes per analysis review

Proposal Speed Run

Goal: Quickly review and refine AI-generated proposal

1. Cmd/Ctrl Shift P - Generate proposal from analysis
2. Cmd/Ctrl Opt ↓ - Jump to next section
3. Cmd/Ctrl Opt E - Expand thin sections
4. Cmd/Ctrl Opt S - Shorten wordy sections
5. Cmd/Ctrl Opt M - Add comments for SME review
6. Cmd/Ctrl Shift E - Export to Word
7. Cmd/Ctrl P - Print/PDF

Time saved: 20-30 minutes per proposal review

Accessibility Shortcuts

Cothon is fully accessible via keyboard. All functionality can be accessed without a mouse.

Screen Reader Support

Focus Management

Tips for Mastering Shortcuts

Create a Cheat Sheet

Download and print the Keyboard Shortcuts PDF and keep it by your desk during your first week.

Practice in Context

Don't just read the shortcuts—use them while doing real work. The muscle memory develops fastest through practical application.

Start with One Module

Master shortcuts for your most-used module first (usually Bid Analysis), then expand to other modules.

Use the Command Palette

When you forget a shortcut, use Cmd/Ctrl K to search for the action. The command palette shows the keyboard shortcut next to each command, helping you learn.

Customize for Your Workflow

If you find yourself doing the same action repeatedly, create a custom shortcut in Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > Custom Shortcuts.

Track Your Progress

Cothon tracks your keyboard shortcut usage in Settings > User Settings > Usage Stats. See which shortcuts you use most and which features you're still using the mouse for.

Advanced: Creating Custom Shortcuts

Create your own shortcuts for frequently used actions:

Popular custom shortcut ideas:

• Quick switch between your top 3 saved opportunity searches
• Apply your standard requirement filter set (e.g., "Show my assigned high-priority items")
• Open your weekly analysis dashboard
• Export current view in your preferred format

Troubleshooting

Shortcut Not Working

Possible causes:

1. Keyboard shortcuts disabled in settings
2. Browser extension intercepting the shortcut
3. Operating system using the same shortcut
4. Focus is in a text input field (most shortcuts disabled while typing)

Solutions:

• Check Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts is enabled
• Try in an incognito/private window to rule out extensions
• Use the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl K) as an alternative
• Click outside text fields before using shortcuts

Conflicting Shortcuts

Some shortcuts may conflict with browser or OS shortcuts:

Forgotten Shortcuts

If you forget a shortcut:

1. Press ? to show contextual help
2. Use Cmd/Ctrl K command palette and search for the action
3. Check this documentation page
4. Hover over buttons to see tooltip with shortcut

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

• Command (⌘) is the primary modifier
• Option (⌥) is the secondary modifier
• Control (^) is rarely used
• Some shortcuts may conflict with system shortcuts (check System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts)

Windows

• Ctrl is the primary modifier
• Alt is the secondary modifier
• Windows key is not used
• Some shortcuts may conflict with Windows shortcuts

Linux

• Ctrl is the primary modifier
• Alt is the secondary modifier
• Super/Meta key is not used
• Shortcuts work consistently across distributions

Web Browser Considerations

Some browsers override certain shortcuts:

Chrome/Edge:

• Cmd/Ctrl + H (History) - Use Alternative shortcut
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Clear browsing data) - Works as expected

Firefox:

• Cmd/Ctrl + K (Search) - Cothon shortcut takes precedence when focused
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + A (Add-ons) - May conflict

Safari:

• Most shortcuts work without conflicts
• Cmd + , (Preferences) opens Cothon settings, not browser preferences

Mobile & Touch Shortcuts

While most shortcuts are keyboard-specific, Cothon offers touch gestures for mobile:

Swipe right - Open navigation sidebar Swipe left - Open contextual panel Long press - Show context menu (equivalent to right-click) Two-finger tap - Show keyboard shortcuts help Pinch - Zoom in/out (analysis views)

Next Steps

Continue your productivity journey:

• Quick Wins - Fast workflows using shortcuts
• Navigation Guide - Master the interface
• Advanced Filtering - Power user filtering techniques
• Custom Workflows - Automate repetitive tasks

Printable Cheat Sheet

Download a printable PDF cheat sheet: Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

The cheat sheet includes:

• Top 50 most-used shortcuts
• Organized by module
• Platform-specific versions (Mac/Windows/Linux)
• Quick reference card format