Complete Alfred keyboard shortcuts and commands reference — 11 shortcuts across 1 category. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows & Mac.
Alfred is a macOS launcher, and every shortcut here happens inside the small window that opens with one global hotkey. The conventions transfer to workflows: type to filter, Enter runs, modifier keys change what Enter does. The table is Alfred's default set; the hotkey itself is the first thing most people change.
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Option + Space | Open Alfred | Open Alfred. |
| Enter | Execute | Execute selected item. |
| Cmd + Enter | Open in Finder | Open file in Finder. |
| Cmd + , | Settings | Open Alfred settings. |
| Tab | Tab complete | Complete suggestion. |
| Space (leading) | File search | Start the query with a space to search files instead of apps. |
| ↑ / ↓ | Navigate results | Move through the result list. |
| Esc | Dismiss | Close the Alfred window. |
| Cmd + L | Large Type | Display the selected result in huge text on screen. |
| Cmd + C | Copy result | Copy the selected result to the clipboard. |
| Cmd + 1-9 | Open nth result | Instantly action the numbered result. |
The most essential Alfred shortcuts are: Option + Space (Open Alfred), Enter (Execute), Cmd + Enter (Open in Finder).
The Alfred shortcut for open alfred is Option + Space. Open Alfred.
Print the Alfred cheat sheet and keep it next to your keyboard for the first week, then switch to active recall: open Shortcut Speedrun and practice Alfred shortcuts against the clock until they're automatic.
Yes — use My Stack to combine Alfred shortcuts with any other platform on this site into one printable reference, which is useful if your daily workflow spans several tools.
Option + Space opens Alfred (many users rebind it to Cmd + Space after turning off Spotlight's use of that key). Typing filters applications, contacts, bookmarks and web searches; ↑ / ↓ move through results and Enter runs the highlighted one. Cmd + 1-9 runs a result by position without moving to it, and Esc dismisses the window. Tab completes the highlighted result's name into the query, which is useful for narrowing a file search.
A leading space — Space (leading) — switches to file search, so " report" finds files named report rather than apps. With a file highlighted, Cmd + Enter reveals it in Finder instead of opening it, and the right arrow opens the file actions menu (copy, move, open with, email). Cmd + C copies the result — a file path, a calculator answer, a dictionary definition — to the clipboard.
Cmd + L shows the current query or result in Large Type across the screen, which is the quick way to read a phone number or a Wi-Fi password to someone across the room. Cmd + , opens Alfred's settings, where the hotkey, default results, web searches and (with the Powerpack) workflows and the clipboard history are configured.
Open your assistant with this page preloaded as the source — great for follow-up questions like "which of these work in other apps?"