7 Browser Shortcuts That Saved Me Hours

If you spend a lot of time working in a web browser, you’re probably familiar with the basic shortcuts like Ctrl + T to open a new tab or Ctrl + W to close one. But what about the lesser-known keyboard shortcuts that can seriously boost your productivity?

Here are 7 underrated browser shortcuts that can save you time, clicks, and mental energy:

1. Ctrl + Shift + T – Reopen your last closed tab.
   Accidentally closed a tab? Bring it back instantly with this lifesaver.
2. Ctrl + Shift + K (Firefox only) or Alt + D → Alt + Enter (Chrome workaround) – Duplicate tab
   In Firefox, you can duplicate a tab with Ctrl + Shift + K.
   In Chrome, there’s no default shortcut – but a quick combo of Alt + D (focus address bar) and Alt + Enter (open in new tab) does the trick.
3. Ctrl + Shift + Click (on a link) – Open link in a new tab and switch to it.
   Great for focused research or managing multiple pages. Or just use ctrl + click to open the link in a new tab
4. Ctrl + (1 – 8) – Jump directly to a specific tab.
   No more endless tab cycling—jump where you need to go instantly.
5. Ctrl + 9 – Go to the last tab, no matter how many are open.
   A tiny shortcut, but surprisingly useful when you have a lot of tabs.
6. Alt + Left Arrow – Go back in your browsing history.
   Much faster than clicking the back button. I also have this shortcut on my mouse as an additional key. Thanks to this, I can go back with one click
7. Ctrl + L – Focus the address bar.
   Useful when you want to quickly type a new URL without reaching for the mouse.

These shortcuts may seem small, but they add up, especially for developers, marketers, students, and anyone who works extensively online. Learning just a few can dramatically improve your digital workflow.

Bonus: Hard Refresh (Clear Cache Reload)

Sometimes, websites act weird because your browser is showing you an old cached version. Here’s how to force a full reload:

• Ctrl + F5 – Hard refresh the page
• Or: Press F12 to open DevTools, then right-click the Reload button and choose “Empty Cache and Hard Refresh”

This is essential for developers, designers, or anyone working with live websites.

These shortcuts have become part of my daily workflow and once you get used to them, they’re hard to live without. Try them out for a few days and see how much smoother your browsing becomes.

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