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Glide Browser provides comprehensive keyboard navigation capabilities, allowing you to browse the web without touching your mouse. This includes Vim-like motions, page navigation, and custom keybindings.

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Motion System

Glide implements a subset of Vim’s motion system for navigating within editable text fields.

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Character Motions

Basic character-level movement: 
// Arrow-like navigation
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "h", "caret_move left");
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "l", "caret_move right");
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "j", "caret_move down");
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "k", "caret_move up");
Available directions: left, right, up, down, endline

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Word Motions

Navigate by words within text fields: 
// Word-forward motions
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "visual"], "w", "motion w"); // Next word
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "visual"], "W", "motion W"); // Next WORD
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "e", "motion e");            // End of word

// Word-backward motions
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "b", "motion b");            // Previous word
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "B", "motion B");            // Previous WORD

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Line Motions

Jump to specific positions within a line: 
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "0", "motion 0");  // Start of line
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "^", "motion ^");  // First non-blank character
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "$", "motion $");  // End of line

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Supported Motions

The complete list of supported motions is defined in motions.mts:36:
  • w - Forward to the start of next word
  • W - Forward to the start of next WORD (space-separated)
  • e - Forward to the end of word
  • b - Backward to the start of previous word
  • B - Backward to the start of previous WORD
  • I - Jump to first character of line
  • 0 - Jump to start of line
  • ^ - Jump to first non-blank character
  • $ - Jump to end of line
  • { - Jump to previous paragraph
  • } - Jump to next paragraph
  • s - Substitute character
  • v - Enter visual mode
  • vh, vl, vd, vc - Visual mode motions
  • x, X - Delete character
  • o - Open new line

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Page Navigation

Navigate within and between web pages:

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Scrolling

// Scroll to top/bottom
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "gg", "scroll_top");
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "G", "scroll_bottom");

// Page scrolling
glide.keymaps.set(["insert", "normal"], "<C-d>", "scroll_half_page_down");
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-u>", "scroll_half_page_up");
Available scroll commands:
  • scroll_top - Scroll to the top of the page
  • scroll_bottom - Scroll to the bottom of the page
  • scroll_page_down - Scroll down one full page
  • scroll_page_up - Scroll up one full page
  • scroll_half_page_down - Scroll down half a page
  • scroll_half_page_up - Scroll up half a page

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URL Navigation

// Navigate URL hierarchy
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "gu", "go_up");      // Go up one level
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "gU", "go_to_root"); // Go to root domain

// Follow page links
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "[[", "go_previous"); // Previous page link
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "]]", "go_next");     // Next page link

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URL Hierarchy Navigation

The go_up command removes the last segment from the URL path: 
https://example.com/foo/bar/baz
  → go_up → https://example.com/foo/bar
  → go_up → https://example.com/foo
  → go_up → https://example.com

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Next/Previous Page Detection

The go_next and go_previous commands search for links using:
  1. rel attribute: Checks for rel="next" or rel="prev"
  2. Link text patterns: Searches for common pagination text
You can customize the search patterns: 
// Default patterns for next page
glide.o.go_next_patterns = ["next", ">", "→", "newer"];

// Default patterns for previous page  
glide.o.go_previous_patterns = ["prev", "previous", "<", "←", "older"];

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Focus Management

// Focus the last input on the page
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "gi", "focusinput last");

// Focus the largest editable element
glide.keymaps.set(
  "normal",
  "gI",
  () => glide.hints.show({ 
    auto_activate: true, 
    editable: true,
    pick: hinting.pickers.biggest_area 
  })
);

// Blur the active element
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-,>", "blur");

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History Navigation

Navigate browser history with keyboard shortcuts: 
if (glide.ctx.os === "macosx") {
  glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-h>", "back");
  glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-l>", "forward");
} else {
  glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<A-h>", "back");
  glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<A-l>", "forward");
}
Available commands:
  • back - Go back one page in history (repeatable)
  • forward - Go forward one page in history (repeatable)

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Jumplist Navigation

Glide maintains a jumplist similar to Vim: 
// Navigate through jumplist
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-o>", "jumplist_back");
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-i>", "jumplist_forward");

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Tab Navigation

Switch between and manage browser tabs: 
// Switch tabs
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-j>", "tab_next");
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-k>", "tab_prev");

// Close, duplicate, reopen
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>d", "tab_close");
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "yt", "tab_duplicate");

// Pin/unpin tabs
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<A-p>", "tab_pin_toggle");
Tab commands:
  • tab <index> - Switch to tab at index
  • tab_new [url] - Create new tab
  • tab_close - Close current tab
  • tab_next - Next tab (wraps around)
  • tab_prev - Previous tab (wraps around)
  • tab_pin - Pin current tab
  • tab_unpin - Unpin current tab
  • tab_pin_toggle - Toggle pin state
  • tab_reopen - Reopen last closed tab
  • tab_duplicate - Duplicate current tab

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Hint Mode

Click elements using keyboard shortcuts: 
// Show hints for links
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "f", "hint");

// Open in new tab
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "F", "hint --action=newtab-click");

// Show hints for browser UI elements
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>f", "hint --location=browser-ui");

// Exit hint mode
glide.keymaps.set("hint", "<Esc>", "hints_remove");

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Advanced Hint Usage

// Yank link URLs
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "yf", () =>
  glide.hints.show({
    selector: "[href]",
    async action({ content }) {
      let href = await content.execute((target) => 
        (target as HTMLAnchorElement).href
      );
      if (href.startsWith("mailto:")) {
        href = href.slice(7);
      }
      await navigator.clipboard.writeText(href);
    },
  })
);

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Reload and Refresh

// Standard reload
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>r", "reload");

// Hard reload (bypass cache)
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>R", "reload_hard");

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Editing Operations

Vim-like editing within text fields: 
// Undo/redo
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "u", "undo");

// Replace character
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "r", "r");

// Delete/change with motions
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "d", "mode_change op-pending --operator=d");
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "c", "mode_change op-pending --operator=c");

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Customizing Keybindings

Define your own keyboard navigation: 
// Simple command mapping
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>q", "quit");

// Function callback
glide.keymaps.set("normal", "<leader>t", () => {
  console.log("Custom action");
});

// Multi-mode mapping
glide.keymaps.set(["normal", "insert"], "<C-s>", async () => {
  // Custom save logic
});

// Remove a mapping
glide.keymaps.del("normal", "f");

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Viewing All Keymaps

List all currently defined keybindings: 
// Show all mappings in browser
glide.excmds.execute("map");

// Programmatically access mappings
const normalMappings = glide.keymaps.list("normal");
const allMappings = glide.keymaps.list();
All built-in keybindings are defined in plugins/keymaps.mts:14-148. You can override any of them in your config.

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Key Notation

Glide uses Vim-style key notation:
  • <C-a> - Ctrl + a
  • <A-a> - Alt + a
  • <S-a> - Shift + a
  • <D-a> - Command + a (macOS)
  • <leader> - Leader key (default: Space)
  • <CR> - Enter/Return
  • <Tab> - Tab key
  • <Esc> - Escape key
  • <Space> - Space bar
The leader key can be customized: glide.g.mapleader = "<Space>";