Shortcut Keys to Complete URL

In Windows you can perform a lot of tasks with a mouse click, or a shortcut key combination. In Internet Explorer 7, and Mozilla Firefox, you can type in word like nerdgrind, and use shortcut keys to complete the url with a www and a .com. Here’s an example. I type in nerdgrind:

Now use the shortcut keys ctrl + enter, and voila, the url is now complete.

The is supposed to save time and keystrokes, but if you’ve already got autocomplete on, then the url will be completed as you type. If you’re typing and you see a list of urls that match what you’re looking for just use the arrow key to go down the list, and hit enter to choose it.

Here’s a few more shortcut key combinations to complete a url:

Ctrl + Enter - Auto-complete *.com address
Shift + Enter - Auto-complete *.net address
Ctrl + Shift + Enter - Auto-complete *.org address

If you add Alt to any of those key combinations, it will auto-complete and open the new address in a new tab as well. For example, Alt + Ctrl + Enter will auto-complete a .com address in a new tab.

Here are some IE 7 specific shortcut key tips:

Keyboard shortcuts

Open links in a new tab in the background
CTRL+click

Open links in a new tab in the foreground
CTRL+SHIFT+click

Open a new tab in the foreground
CTRL+T

Open a new tab from the Address bar
ALT+ENTER

Open a new tab from the search box
ALT+ENTER

Open Quick Tabs (thumbnail view)
CTRL+Q

Switch between tabs
CTRL+TAB/CTRL+SHIFT+TAB

Switch to a specific tab number
CTRL+n (n can be 1-8)

Switch to the last tab
CTRL+9

Close current tab
CTRL+W

Close all tabs
ALT+F4

Close other tabs
CTRL+ALT+F4

Mouse shortcuts

Open view of all open windows
Double-click the middle mouse button (mouse settings may vary)

Open a new tab
Left-click the empty space to the right of the last tab

Close a tab
Left-click the middle mouse button on the tab