# Keyboard editor

> Inspect, rebind, disable or restore any key, write new mappings, and reinstall the Classic layout, with every change applied as one transaction.

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LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)

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The Keyboard page is the editor. It draws your keyboard for the selected plane
with each mapped action on its key. Keys your keyboard lacks, such as F16 or a
numeric keypad on a laptop, appear under **Keys not on this keyboard**, and
tap and double-tap mappings appear under **Other triggers**. Switch to
**List** in the toolbar for a list grouped by trigger type.

## Change one key {#popover}

Click a key. A popover shows its chord, the plane, and the current **Action**:

- **Change** picks another built-in action or one of your custom actions.
- **Edit…** opens the full mapping editor, described below.
- **Show YAML** shows that mapping exactly as it is stored.
- **Restore Classic** puts back the Capslock Classic action. It appears only
  when the key differs from the Classic layout.

Three buttons stop a key from doing its mapped action. They differ in what the
key does afterwards:

| Button | The chord then… |
| --- | --- |
| **Disable** | Does nothing. The key press is swallowed. |
| **Use Normal Key** | Always types the key itself, as if Caps Lock were not held. |
| **Remove Mapping** | Follows the profile's rule for [unmapped chords](/docs/guide/hyper-mode/#unmapped), which may type the key, ignore it, or send Hyper. |

A key with no mapping shows "Not mapped on this plane", what it does now, and
**Assign Action**.

## Write a mapping {#mapping-editor}

Click **+** in the toolbar, or **Edit…** on a key, to open the mapping editor.

**Trigger.** Choose one of:

- **Caps + Key**: press the key to capture it, then pick the plane with the
  ⌘ ⌥ ⌃ ⇧ toggles.
- **Tap Caps**: what a tap of Caps Lock does (Escape by default).
- **Double-tap Caps**: two taps within the double-tap window. A single tap then
  waits for that window before it runs.
- **Double-tap Modifier**: two taps of left or right ⌘, ⌃, ⌥, ⇧, or fn (fn is
  experimental).

**Change Trigger** moves an existing mapping to another key, plane, or trigger;
its action and app rules move with it.

**Default action.** The action that runs in every app, unless an app rule
below matches. Pick a built-in action, one of your
[custom actions](/docs/guide/actions/), **New Action…**, or define one inline.

**App rules.** Optional. Each rule names one or more apps and an action for
them. See [App rules](/docs/guide/apps/).

Each key and plane can hold one mapping; the editor refuses a duplicate.

## How changes are applied {#transactions}

Every save is checked first, then the whole configuration is written to disk
in one step, and only then does the running keyboard switch over. A change
either applies completely or not at all.

**Undo** and **Redo** in the toolbar, or ⌘Z and ⇧⌘Z, reverse the last change to
your mappings. One step is kept, and the history is cleared when Capslock
relaunches.

If you edit the configuration file in another app, Capslock reloads it the
next time you switch to Capslock. A save that would overwrite such an outside
change is refused, so you can make your change again on top of it.

## Import, export, and the Classic layout {#import-export}

The **More** menu in the toolbar has three commands:

- **Export** writes your whole configuration, including custom actions and
  profile behaviour, to one YAML file (`capslock-config.yml` by default).
- **Import** reads such a file and replaces all of your current mappings.
  Custom actions are merged. Your current file is backed up first. Shell
  commands and sleep actions in the imported file are switched off until you
  review and trust them again.
- **Install Capslock Classic V3** reinstalls the built-in layout. It first
  shows a verified preview, including which of the apps it opens are not
  installed, then asks before replacing your mappings. Your custom actions,
  app settings, and Hyper mode stay as they are, and a backup is saved first.

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Backlinks:

- [Hyper mode and profile behaviour](/docs/guide/hyper-mode/)
- [Karabiner Edition](/docs/karabiner/)
- [Navigation and selection](/docs/layout/navigation/)
- [Windows and apps](/docs/layout/windows-apps/)
- [Coexisting with Karabiner-Elements](/docs/start/karabiner/)
- [Learn the layout](/docs/start/learn/)