Press Keys

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Overview

The Press Keys step allows you to simulate keyboard input, including individual keys, key combinations, and special function keys. The form captures your actual key presses to ensure accurate input simulation.

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Form Fields

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Form Configuration

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Key Capture Interface

• Interactive key capture that listens for your actual key presses
• Displays the captured key combination in real-time
• Shows instructions: “Press your desired key combination…”
• Automatically formats key combinations (e.g., “Control+C”, “Alt+Tab”)

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Supported Key Types

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Modifier Keys

• Control - Ctrl key on Windows/Linux, Command key functionality
• Shift - Shift key for uppercase and special characters
• Alt - Alt key for alternate functions
• Command (Mac) - Command/Cmd key for Mac shortcuts

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Special Keys

• Enter - Enter/Return key
• Escape - Escape key
• Tab - Tab key for navigation
• Backspace - Backspace for deletion
• Delete - Delete key
• Space - Spacebar
• Arrow Keys - ArrowUp, ArrowDown, ArrowLeft, ArrowRight
• Home/End - Home and End keys
• Page Up/Down - PageUp and PageDown keys

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Regular Keys

• Letters - A-Z (automatically formatted as uppercase)
• Numbers - 0-9
• Function Keys - F1-F12

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Examples

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Copy Shortcut

• Keys: Control+C

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Paste Shortcut

• Keys: Control+V

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Select All

• Keys: Control+A

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New Tab

• Keys: Control+T

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Navigation

• Keys: Tab

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Submit Form

• Keys: Enter

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Escape Modal

• Keys: Escape

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Page Navigation

• Keys: PageDown

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Multi-key Combination

• Keys: Control+Shift+I

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Best Practices

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Key Combination Selection

• Use standard keyboard shortcuts when possible for cross-platform compatibility
• Test key combinations in your target browsers and operating systems
• Consider platform differences (Ctrl vs Command)

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Timing Considerations

• Allow brief time after key press for application response
• Some applications may have keyboard shortcuts with delays
• Consider focus state before sending key combinations

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Focus Management

• Ensure the correct element has focus before pressing keys
• Some shortcuts work globally, others require specific element focus
• Use Click or Fill steps to set focus if needed

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Common Issues

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Keys Not Recognized

• Verify the key combination was captured correctly
• Check that the target application supports the keyboard shortcut
• Ensure proper element focus for non-global shortcuts

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Platform Differences

• Windows/Linux typically use Control key for shortcuts
• Mac uses Command key instead of Control for most shortcuts
• Consider testing across different operating systems

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Browser Shortcuts

• Some browser shortcuts may be captured by the browser instead of the application
• Be aware of browser-specific keyboard behavior
• Test in the same browser environment as your users

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Focus Issues

• Keyboard shortcuts may not work if the wrong element has focus
• Use Click step to focus an element before key press if needed
• Global shortcuts work regardless of focus state

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Keyboard Shortcuts Examples

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Text Editing

• Control+C - Copy selected text
• Control+V - Paste text
• Control+X - Cut selected text
• Control+Z - Undo last action
• Control+Y - Redo last action

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Navigation

• Tab - Move to next focusable element
• Shift+Tab - Move to previous focusable element
• Enter - Activate buttons, submit forms
• Escape - Close modals, cancel actions

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Browser Navigation

• Control+T - Open new tab
• Control+W - Close current tab
• Control+R - Refresh page
• F5 - Refresh page (alternative)

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Related Steps

• Fill - For typing text into input fields
• Click - For setting focus before key presses
• Wait for Element - For waiting on keyboard shortcut results