6 Chrome Extensions to Add Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

Quick Findings

• If you need an easy and direct tool, you should try Custom Hotkeys.
• Shortkeys offers the most comprehensive list of features and is a standout shortcut tool for Chrome.
• First timers will love smartKey Shortcuts because of its elegant user interface.

1. Custom Hotkeys – Direct Shortcut Maker

Install the extension on your Chrome browser, but note that it will work on all Chromium-powered browsers, such as Edge and Brave. Click on the extension icon to select Options. You will see a plus icon at the bottom of the screen.

You will be able to add custom short keys to different websites. Just enter the keyboard shortcut you will use, the URL of the website where you will use it, and the jQuery selector that will mimic the click of a button.

Price: Free

Download Custom Hotkeys

2. Tab Manager Shortcuts – Open Source Tool

If you are looking for shortcuts to manage your tabs, Tab Manager Shortcuts is a great option. You can perform different functions, like switching the tan to the left, right, up, or down.

For example, press Ctrl + 2 to select the second tab from the left. You can pin existing tabs using keyboard shortcuts, and the source code for the extension is available on GitHub.

Open the extensions page, and under the Keyboard shortcuts tab, you can create custom shortcuts. Just enter the keyboard shortcut you want in front of the predefined shortcuts.

Price: Free

Download Tab Manager Shortcuts

3. Chrome Shortcuts – Great for Managing Settings

Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers can access many settings from the Settings menu. That involves a couple of clicks, often ending in you looking or searching for them. This extension will create shortcuts to frequently used settings like passwords, language, autofill, flags, search settings to change the default search engine, etc.

Just click on the extension icon, which is easily accessible from the address bar, to access all browser settings in the same tab. There’s no need to dig deep into Settings in a separate tab. You will save some time with this one.

Price: Free

Download Chrome Shortcuts

4. Shortkeys – Most Comprehensive Chrome Shortcut Maker

This is about the most comprehensive shortcut maker on the Chrome Store. Shortkeys offers all the features discussed in other tools. It supports simple keyboard shortcuts to complex javascript.

You can now use a shortcut to return to the previous page. You may use it to whitelist certain pages, clear your downloads, close all open tabs except the current tab, duplicate your tabs, etc.

It is also possible to assign keyboard shortcuts to work on specific sites. That means you can have the same keyboard shortcut and do different things on different sites. There will be no overlap.

Price: Free

Download Shortcuts

5. smartKey Shortcuts – Great UI

This one has the best UI. It’s very clean, easy to use, and colorful. They have a couple of examples for you to begin with. The extension supports Javascript, so you can create functions that mimic the clicking of a key.

Here are separate tabs for different types of shortcuts. The Advanced tab allows you to create functions or add files, while the Actions tab allows you to use Ctrl, Alt, or Shift key shortcuts.

Price: Free

Download smartKey Shortcuts

6. Keyboard Shortcuts – Minimal Settings UI

You should consider this extension if you do not need more than 25 keyboard shortcuts. One reason you like it is that it does not ask for additional permissions, so privacy concerns exist.

It gives options to configure a set of functions, including selecting the previous tab, selecting the next tab, moving the current tab left or right, opening Chrome bookmarks, downloading Chrome, etc.

Price: Free

Download Keyboard Shortcuts

Note: You may take easy steps to remove any of these extensions if you no longer need them.