---
title: Draw faster with hover keys
url: https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-faster-with-hover-shortcuts/
section: Draw structures
updated: 2026-10-20
publisher: LabCanvas
---

# Draw faster with hover keys

> Point the mouse at a bond or atom and press a key. On a bond, 1, 2 and 3 set the order and W or H make a wedge or hash. On an atom, + and − change the charge and 1 to 9 add a carbon chain. You do not need to change tools.

1. Keep any tool active, for example a bond tool.
2. Move the mouse over a bond or an atom. It gets a highlight.
3. Press a key from the table below. The change happens at once.
4. Move to the next bond or atom and press the next key.

## Hover keys

| Key | Over a bond | Over an atom |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `1` | Single bond | Adds one carbon |
| `2` | Double bond. Press again to move the second line. | Adds a 2 carbon chain |
| `3` | Triple bond | Adds a 3 carbon chain |
| `4` to `9` | Nothing | Adds a chain of that many carbons |
| `W` | Wedge. Press again to flip the narrow end. | Starts a label (bond or ring tool) |
| `H` | Hashed wedge. Press again to flip it. | Starts a label (bond or ring tool) |
| `+` or `=` | Nothing | Raises the charge by one |
| `-` | Nothing | Lowers the charge by one |

The charge keys stop at +4 and −4. Wedge and hash keys turn a double or triple bond into a single stereo bond.

The full list of tool keys is on the [Keyboard shortcuts](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/get-started/moldraw-keyboard-shortcuts-list/) page. This page explains how the hover keys fit together.

## Type a label on a hovered atom

With a bond or ring tool active, point at an atom and type a letter. The label editor opens with that letter. Keep typing for `Cl`, `OMe` or `CF3`, then press `Enter`. Press `Tab` to take the first suggestion. The groups you can type are listed on [Chains and group abbreviations](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-carbon-chains-and-functional-group-abbreviations/).

With the Select tool, select the atom first or double click it, then type.

## When the pointer is not over anything

The same keys then do their normal job:

- `1`, `2` and `3` pick the single, double and triple bond tools.
- `B` picks the benzene ring.
- Letters such as `N` or `O` set the element that the next click places.

So the key acts on whatever is under the pointer. Keep the pointer on the canvas and away from menus.

## Move the double bond line

A double bond has three positions: centred, on the right and on the left. Two ways step through them in that order:

- Point at the double bond and press `2`.
- Click the double bond with the **Double** bond tool.

In a ring, the second line starts on the inside. To make a double bond triple, use `3` or the **Triple** tool.

## Go back with Esc

`Esc` backs out one step at a time. It cancels a bond you are drawing, closes the label editor, clears the selection, then closes a menu. When nothing is left, it returns to the tool you used before. If there is none, it picks **Select**.

This makes a quick loop. Pick a ring tool, place a ring, press `Esc` and you are back on your bond tool.

## A fast workflow

1. Place a cyclopentane ring.
2. Point at one ring atom and press `3` for a propyl chain.
3. Point at the last chain bond and press `2` to make an alkene.
4. Point at the chain end and type `OH`, then press `Enter`.
5. Point at a ring bond next to the chain and press `W`.

You never open a menu or change tools.

## Common problems

| Problem | Fix |
| --- | --- |
| The key picked a tool instead | The pointer was not over a bond or atom. Move closer until it highlights. |
| Nothing happens on a tablet | Hover keys need a mouse or trackpad pointer. Touch does not hover. |
| A letter does nothing on the Select tool | Select the atom first, or double click it. |
| Keys do nothing at all | A text box or label editor has focus. Press `Esc` first. |

Hover keys are fixed. You can change the tool keys in **Settings**, **Shortcuts**. For the bond types the keys make, see [Draw bonds](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-single-double-triple-and-wedge-bonds/).

## Questions and answers

**How do I change a bond to a double bond without switching tools?**
Point the mouse at the bond and press 2. Press 2 again to move the second line to the other side.

**How do I add a charge with the keyboard?**
Point at the atom and press + to raise the charge or - to lower it. Each press changes it by one.

**What does Esc do in MolDraw?**
Esc closes the label editor, clears the selection or closes a menu. When nothing is left, it returns to the tool you used before.

**How do I move the double bond line to the other side?**
Click the double bond with the Double bond tool, or point at it and press 2. It steps from centred to right to left.

**Do hover shortcuts work on a touch screen?**
No. They need a mouse or trackpad pointer, because a finger does not hover.

## Practice it

- Interactive lesson: [How to use keyboard shortcuts to draw faster](https://www.moldraw.com/learn/how-to-use-keyboard-shortcuts-to-draw-faster/)

## Related pages

- [Keyboard shortcuts](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/get-started/moldraw-keyboard-shortcuts-list/)
- [Draw bonds](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-single-double-triple-and-wedge-bonds/)
- [Chains and group abbreviations](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/drawing/how-to-draw-carbon-chains-and-functional-group-abbreviations/)
- [Settings reference](https://www.moldraw.com/docs/settings/moldraw-settings-reference/)