Use mouse shortcuts to perform common tasks in Firefox

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This is a list of mouse shortcuts in Mozilla Firefox. The shortcuts only work if they are not used by the desktop environment or window manager.

Navigation

Command Shortcut
Go Back Alt + Scroll downoption + Scroll down
Go Forward Alt + Scroll upoption + Scroll up
Go Back or Forward but in a New Foreground Tab Middle-click the Back or Forward button
Ctrlcontrol + Click the Back or Forward button
Go Back or Forward but in a New Background Tab Shift + Middle-click the Back or Forward button
Ctrl + Shiftcommand + shift + Click the Back or Forward button
Go Back or Forward but in a New Window Shift + Click the Back or Forward button
Reload Page (override cache) Shiftshift + Click Reload button

Links

Command Shortcut
Open Link in Current Tab Left-click Link
Open Link in New Background Tab* Ctrlcommand + Left-click Link
Middle-click Link
Open Link in New Foreground Tab* Ctrl + Shiftcommand + shift + Left-click Link
Shiftshift + Middle-click Link
Open Link in New Window Shiftshift + Left-click Link
Open Link or Selected URL in an Existing Tab Drag Link or Selected URL to Tab
Open Link or Selected URL in a New Background Tab beside an Existing Tab* Drag Link or Selected URL beside Existing Tab
Open Link or Selected URL in a New Foreground Tab beside an Existing Tab* Shift + Drag Link or Selected URL beside Existing Tab
Save Link Altoption + Left-Click on Link1
Windows-Key + Alt + Left-Click on Link1
1) when browser.altClickSave is set to true (as in the Configuration Editor), which is not the default.

Drag Link to Downloads Button

* These Open Foreground or Background Tab shortcuts will be switched if the setting When you open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately is enabled in the General settings panel.

Warning: These instructions are for experienced Firefox users. Changing settings in the Configuration Editor (about:config) can have serious effects on your browser’s stability, security and performance.
Only proceed if you are comfortable with advanced settings and understand the potential impacts.

Miscellaneous

Command Shortcut
Focus the Page Click the page or the movable (often darker) part of a scrollbar
Focus an input field Click the input field
Open a thing's context menu Right-click the thing
Show a thing's tooltip Put mouse cursor on the thing

Scrolling a Page

Command Shortcut
Scroll Drag the movable (often darker) part of a scrollbar.
Click arrow at end of scroll bar.
Scroll down or up one Page Click under or over the movable (often darker) part of the vertical scrollbarRight-Click or Shift + Click under or over the movable (often darker) part of the vertical scrollbar.
Scroll to Clicked Position Shift + Click non-movable (often lighter) part of scrollbar (not an arrow)Click non-movable (often lighter) part of scrollbar
Scroll Down Scroll down (on page or scrollbar)
Scroll Up Scroll up (on page or scrollbar)
Scroll Right Shift + Scroll down (on page or scrollbar)
Scroll Left Shift + Scroll up (on page or scrollbar)

Autoscrolling a Page

This only works if the setting “Use autoscrolling” is enabled in the Settings.

Command Shortcut
Autoscroll the Page Press and hold middle mouse button on page or scrollbar, and move mouse
Start Autoscroll Mode Middle-click on page or scrollbar
Scroll in Autoscroll Mode Move mouse
Stop Autoscroll Mode Click
Middle-click
Right-click

Scroll

Zooming Pages

Command Shortcut
Zoom In Ctrlcontrol + Scroll up
Zoom Out Ctrlcontrol + Scroll down
Reset Zoom to Default Zoom Level Click zoom level indicator on Address Bar (when zoom level is not the default)

Selecting or Editing Text

Command Shortcut
Copy Selected Text Ctrl + Drag Selected Text
Move Selected Text Drag Selected Text
Select a Paragraph Triple-Click the Paragraph
Select a Word Double-Click the Word
Select Text
  1. Click at the beginning of the text
  2. Shift + Click at the end of the text
Select Text Drag from beginning to end of text
Select Link Text Alt + Windows + Drag from beginning to end of textAlt + Drag from beginning to end of textoption + Drag from beginning to end of text
Select a Table Cell Ctrl + Click the Table Cell
Select Table Cells Ctrl + Drag across the Table Cells

Tabs

Command Shortcut
Close Tab Middle-click on Tab
Duplicate (Copy) Tab Ctrloption + Drag Tab to Tab Bar
Duplicate (Copy) Current Tab in New Foreground Tab Middle-click on Reload button
Ctrlcommand + Click on Reload button
Duplicate (Copy) Current Tab in New Background Tab Shiftshift + Middle-click on Reload button
Ctrl + Shiftcommand + shift + Click on Reload button
Move Tab Drag Tab to Tab Bar (also between windows)
Move Tab to New Window Drag Tab to Address Bar or Page
Open New Foreground Tab on Right End of Tab Bar Click "New Tab" Button
Middle-click on Tab Bar
Double-click on Tab Bar (if title bar is shown)
Open New Foreground Tab to the Right of Current Tab Middle-Click “New Tab” Button
Ctrlcommand + Click “New Tab” Button
Open New Background Tab to the Right of Current Tab Shift + Middle-Click “New Tab” Button
Ctrl + Shiftcommand + shift + Click “New Tab” Button
Open New Tab in New Window Shift + Click “New Tab” Button
Scroll the Tab Bar (when it does not show all tabs) Scroll on Tab Bar
Scroll the Tab Bar by one page (when it does not show all tabs) Double-Click the left or right arrow button on the tab bar
Scroll to Beginning or End of Tab Bar (when it does not show all tabs) Triple-Click the left or right arrow button on the tab bar

Selection of Multiple Tabs

Command Shortcut
Select a tab. Deselect all other tabs. Click the tab
Select or deselect a tab. The other tabs stay selected or deselected. Ctrlcommand + Click the tab
Select a tab and the most recently clicked or Ctrlcommand-clicked selected tab and all tabs in between. Deselect all other tabs. Shiftshift + Click the tab
Like above but the other tabs stay selected or deselected. Ctrl + Shiftcommand + shift + Click the tab

Web Search

Search the Web for Selected Text (not a web address) with the Default Search Engine…

Command Shortcut
in Current Tab Drag Selected Text to Address Bar
in Existing Tab Drag Selected Text to Tab
in New Background Tab* Drag Selected Text beside Tab
in New Foreground Tab* Shift + Drag Selected Text beside Tab
in New Background Tab on Right End of Tab Bar* Drag Selected Text to “New Tab” Button
in New Foreground Tab on Right End of Tab Bar* Shift + Drag Selected Text to “New Tab” Button

Bookmarks & History Pages

Command Shortcut
Add Existing Tag to Bookmark Drag Bookmark to Tag in Library
Create Bookmark for Tab, Link, History Page or Selected URL Drag Tab, Link, History Page or Selected URL to Bookmarks Toolbar, Sidebar, Menu, or Library
Copy Bookmark or Folder Ctrloption + Drag bookmark or folder to Bookmarks Toolbar, Sidebar, Menu, or Library
Move Bookmark or Folder Drag Bookmark or folder to Bookmarks Toolbar, Sidebar, Menu, or Library
Open Bookmark or History Page in Current Tab Left-click Bookmark or History Page (not in Library).
Double-click Bookmark or History Page (in Library).
Open Bookmark or History Page in New Foreground Tab Middle-click Bookmark or History Page
Ctrlcommand + Left-click Bookmark or History Page (not in Library)
Ctrlcommand + Double-click Bookmark or History Page (in Library)
Open Bookmark or History Page in New Background Tab Shiftshift + Middle-click Bookmark or History Page
Ctrl + Shiftcommand + shift + Left-click Bookmark or History Page (not in Library)
Ctrl + Shiftcommand + shift + Double-click Bookmark or History Page (in Library)
Open Bookmark or History Page in New Window Shiftshift + Left-click Bookmark or History Page (not in Library)
Shiftshift + Double-click Bookmark or History Page (in Library)
Open Bookmark or History Page in an Existing Tab Drag Bookmark or History Page to Tab
Open Bookmark or History Page in a New Background Tab beside an Existing Tab* Drag Bookmark or History Page beside Existing Tab
Open Bookmark or History Page in a New Foreground Tab beside an Existing Tab* Shift + Drag Bookmark or History Page beside Existing Tab
Open All Bookmarks of a Folder (not in Library) in New Tabs or a New Window (except those in subfolders)

New Tabs (first bookmark is opened in foreground tab):
Middle-click the bookmark folder
Ctrlcommand + Click the bookmark folder

New Background Tabs:
Shift + Middle-click the bookmark folder
Ctrl + Shiftcommand + shift + Click the bookmark folder

New Window:
Shift + Click the bookmark folder

Open All Bookmarks of a Folder in New Tabs (except those in subfolders)

New Tabs (first bookmark is opened in foreground tab)*:
Shiftshift + Drag Folder beside Tab

New Background Tabs*:
Drag Folder beside Tab

Home Page(s)

Command Shortcut
Open the Home Page(s) in a New Foreground Tab Middle-Click Home Page Button
Ctrlcommand + Click Home Page Button
Open the Home Page(s) in a New Window Shift + Click Home Page Button
Set Tab, Bookmark, History Page, Link or Selected URL as New Home Page Drag Tab, Bookmark, History Page, Link or Selected URL to Home Page Button
Set All Bookmarks of a Folder (except those in subfolders) as New Home Pages Drag Bookmark Folder to Home Page Button
Set Selected Tabs as New Home Pages Drag Selected Tabs to Home Page Button

Main Window

Command Shortcut
Change Sidebar Width Drag Sidebar Border
Change Widths of Address Bar and Search Bar Drag Border between Address Bar and Search Bar

Library Window

Command Shortcut
Change Column Widths in Library Drag Border between Column Headers
Move Column in Library Drag Column Header
Sort List in Library by a Property Click the column header (e.g., “Name”, “Most Recent Visit”).
Click again to sort in the opposite direction.
Click again to remove the sorting.

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