If you are getting ready to use Google Wave, learn these shortcut keys and make yourself comfortable. Don’t forget to bookmark this post for future use !!

Basic Navigation

Up/Down arrows use to navigate messages.
Tab/Shift-tab same as Up/Down arrows (outside edit mode)

Home/End focus first/last message
Space go to next unread message.
Left/Right arrows to switch focus between digest panel and wave panel.
Page Up/Down go to the next page in the panel [does not currently work, known bugs]
Ctrl-Space mark all messages read (focus must be on wave panel though)

Managing your Messages !

Enter replies to messages: the new message will appear just below the selected message (it will be the same indentation level if it is the first reply, but indented more if a non-first reply).
Shift-Enter replies to messages at the end of thread: the new message will appear at the same indentation level, and at the BOTTOM most position.
Shift-Enter while editing ends editing (equivalent to clicking the done button)
highlight text + Enter inline reply: the new message will appear indented and INSIDE the current message.
Ctrl-R same as enter
Ctrl-E edit message
Ctrl-Enter (while editing) insert inline reply at caret

Editing Made Easy !

Ctrl-B toggles bold attributes for selected text
Ctrl-I toggles italics attributes for selected text
Ctrl-G Color
Ctrl-L Links to another Wave (highlight text, hit CTRL-L and put in a URL or a Wave ID (see Debug menu for ID’s) [NOTE: we will soon change the key combo]

Copy and Paste

Ctrl-C copy the selected text.
Ctrl-X cut the selected text.
Ctrl-V paste the text from the text buffer.

Formatting is Fun !

Ctrl- Make the current line a heading, where n = 1..4 for different sized headings.
Ctrl-5 Bullets
Ctrl-6 Normal (removes heading/bullet style, but not bold/italic etc. current visual glitch in some browsers where text stays big – but this is not persistent.)
Ctrl-7 LTR + Left align
Ctrl-8 RTL + Right align