How to use

Command Lab is a practice site where you build shortcut and command muscle memory by actually typing them on your keyboard. Here's a quick guide to get started.

Basic practice method

1Pick a tool to practice

Choose the app you want to practice — Vim, the terminal, Excel, and more — from the list on the home page. Every app works on both Windows and Mac.

VIM TERMINAL EXCEL VSCODE WORD ATOM

2Click the "START" button

Click the "START" button on the left side of the practice screen to turn on input mode. Click it again to turn it off. You can also toggle it anytime with Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Space.

Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Space

3Type the shortcut or command shown in the "Question" field

Read the operation described in the "Question" area on the right, then actually type it on your keyboard. The preview area shows the result as you go. Once you get it right, press Enter to move to the next question.

Main features

PRE button

Goes back to the previous question.

NEXT button

Skips the current question and moves on to the next one.

Guide mode

Shows hints for the keys you need to press. Great for shortcuts you're trying for the first time.

Repeat mode

Keeps showing the same question instead of moving on to the next one — use it when you want to drill one shortcut intensively.

Customize your questions

Exclude this question from the list

Skip questions you already know or don't need.

Restore excluded questions

Bring back excluded questions anytime.

Get a URL for the current exclusions

Save or share your current exclusion state as a URL — useful for recreating the same set on another device or bookmarking it.

Question category settings

If the app you're practicing has multiple question categories, you can turn each one on or off here — handy when you want to focus only on the areas you're weak at. If a category has separate Windows/Mac versions, the one that doesn't match your OS is switched off automatically.

*Recommended browser: Google Chrome

Start practicing