Keycode Finder

Press any key and instantly see everything the browser reports about it: event.key, event.code, the legacy event.which and event.keyCode numbers, and which modifiers (Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Meta) were held. Below the live display, a searchable reference table lists the key, code, and legacy keyCode values for letters, digits, function keys, arrows, and more. The capture is in-page and local, so keystrokes are read from the event object without being logged or sent anywhere.

Reading the Live Display

Click the page so it has focus, then press a key. The large panel shows event.key — the value the key produced. Three cards beneath it break down event.code (the physical key), event.which, and event.keyCode. Four badges for Ctrl, Shift, Alt, and Meta light up whenever the corresponding modifier flag is true during that keypress.

Try a few deliberate combinations to see how the values diverge. Press a, then Shift+A: the key changes from a to A, but the code stays KeyA and keyCode stays 65. Press the spacebar and event.key is a single space character rather than the word “Space”, while event.code is Space and keyCode is 32. This makes the tool useful for confirming exactly what a handler will receive before you write branching logic.

event.key vs event.code vs keyCode

Modern code should branch on event.key when it cares about meaning (“did the user press Enter?”) and on event.code when it cares about physical position (“the WASD cluster, whatever the layout”). The numeric keyCode and which properties are deprecated but still appear in legacy libraries and older answers, so this tool shows them side by side.

For printable characters, keyCode reflects the unshifted uppercase value: a and Shift+A both report 65, and 1 and Shift+1 both report 49 even though the latter produces !. event.key gives you the exact character, so it is the right choice for text entry. event.code ignores shift and layout entirely, which is why it is the safe choice for game controls on international keyboards.

Worked Example: Wiring a Ctrl+K Shortcut

Suppose you want a “command palette” hotkey. Hold Ctrl and press k. The display shows:

Property	Value
event.key	k
event.code	KeyK
event.keyCode / which	75
event.ctrlKey	true

A handler such as if (e.ctrlKey && e.key === 'k') { openPalette(); } will match, and the keyCode card confirms the legacy 75 if you need to support an older library. Now compare a WASD movement scheme: on an AZERTY keyboard the key labelled Z sits where a US W is, so event.key becomes z while event.code still reports KeyW. Branching on event.code keeps movement consistent across layouts; branching on event.key does not.

Function keys follow the same pattern: F1 is code F1 with keyCode 112, and the sequence runs up to F12 at 123. Arrow keys are codes ArrowUp (38), ArrowDown (40), ArrowLeft (37), and ArrowRight (39).

Choosing the Right Property

Task	Read	Why
Text input or validation	event.key	Gives the exact character, including Shift and dead-key results
Game movement or layout-independent shortcuts	event.code	Tracks physical position regardless of keyboard layout
Migrating legacy code	event.keyCode	Matches numbers older libraries still expect
Detecting a modifier held with another key	event.ctrlKey, event.shiftKey, event.altKey, event.metaKey	Reports state on the keydown event itself

A robust shortcut often combines both: check event.code for the physical key and a modifier flag for the chord, rather than string-matching event.key.

Common Mistakes

• Using keyCode for text input. It cannot distinguish a from A or 1 from !, so validation and character handling break.
• Using event.key for game controls. Layout and Shift change the value, so the same physical key stops working on non-US keyboards.
• Assuming the modifier key itself has a printable value. Pressing Shift alone reports key as Shift; the useful signal is the shiftKey flag on the next key.
• Forgetting to call preventDefault. For keys like Tab or the spacebar, the browser’s default action still runs and can scroll or move focus unless you suppress it.
• Expecting reserved shortcuts to arrive. Ctrl+W, Ctrl+T, Alt+Tab, and F12 are handled by the browser or OS and never reach your listener.

What the Reference Table Covers

The searchable table below the live display lists the US-layout values for the letters A–Z, digits 0–9, function keys F1–F12, arrow and navigation keys, editing keys such as Enter and Backspace, the modifier and lock keys, common punctuation, and the full numpad. Each row carries a short plain-language description, and the search box matches on key, code, description, or category — type numpad, arrow, or F5 to filter. It is the fallback when you need a value you cannot press right now, such as a key missing from a laptop keyboard. Searching letter returns all 26 letter rows, punctuation returns the bracket, quote, and slash keys with their codes, and KeyA returns the single row for the A key with keyCode 65.

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