Keyboard Tester
Press every key and watch it turn green. An online keyboard test for desktop, laptop and Mac keyboards that finds dead keys, stuck keys and wrong key codes. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
Browsers cannot see the Fn key, media and brightness keys handled by the keyboard, Print Screen on some systems, or OS shortcuts like Win+L, Alt+Tab, Cmd+Tab, Cmd+Space and Ctrl+Alt+Del. Dashed keys are drawn for orientation only. On a Mac, keys pressed while Cmd is held send no key-up, so they are released when you let go of Cmd. Everything is released if the window loses focus. Labels follow US key positions, so on another layout the character you typed shows in Last key and the typing box.
Last key
Press a key in the test area or the typing box. You will see its key, code, the older keyCode, location (left, right or numpad) and the modifiers held.
Key history
The last 30 keys show up here, newest first.
Typing test
How to test a keyboard
Checking a new or used keyboard
Pick the layout that matches your board, click the test area and press every key once, row by row. Each one turns green when the browser receives it. Then click Show untested keys to see what you missed. Type a sentence in the typing box to confirm that Shift symbols and punctuation match the legends. When buying used, also hold each modifier for a second or two. A key that turns red after 5 seconds, when you are not holding it, is stuck.
When a key does not register
Start with the cheap fixes. Blow out crumbs with compressed air, or pull the keycap on a mechanical board and clean under it. If the keycap is fine, the switch may be worn or dirty; hot-swap boards let you swap in a new one. A key that lights up with the wrong character (for example @ and " swapped) is usually the OS layout or input language, not the hardware.
If a whole row or block is dead, suspect firmware, a driver or, on laptops, the ribbon cable between the keyboard and the motherboard. Update the keyboard firmware, reinstall the driver, and test an external keyboard to rule out the laptop itself.
Wireless keyboards
Missed or repeated keys on a wireless board are often low batteries, distance, or USB 3 ports and Wi-Fi interfering with a 2.4 GHz dongle. Plug the receiver into a front port or an extension cable. Bluetooth boards can also drop the first keystroke after waking from sleep, so test again after a minute idle.
Next tests
Once every key works on its own, check how many work together with the keyboard ghosting test, catch switches that type twice with the keyboard chatter test, and see whether the advertised report rate is real with the keyboard polling rate test.
Related tools
Keyboard ghosting test, keyboard double click test, keyboard polling rate test, keyboard counter and the mouse tester for your buttons and scroll wheel.
Frequently asked questions
Does this keyboard tester work on a Mac?
Yes. It uses ordinary key events, so a Mac keyboard works the same way as a Windows one. If the browser reports a Mac, iPhone or iPad, Mac labels start on (esc, delete, return, option, command), and you can turn that switch off. fn and Touch ID are drawn dashed because the browser does not send events for them. Keys held while Command is down get no key-up on macOS, so the page releases them when you let go of Command.
What do the colours mean?
Green means the browser has received that key. Blue means you are holding it down. Red and pulsing means it has been down for over 5 seconds: if you are not holding it, the key is stuck or the switch is shorting. Amber dashed outlines are keys you have not pressed yet, and they show only after you click Show untested keys. Faded dashed keys (fn, and Touch ID on the Mac laptop layout) are there for position only and cannot be tested.
Are my keystrokes uploaded or stored?
No. Nothing is sent off this page. The history and the last key stay in memory until you press Reset or refresh. The typing box stays until you press Clear text or refresh. The only thing written to this device is the layout (full size, TKL or laptop) and whether Mac labels are on.
Why does a key not light up?
Click the keyboard area or the typing box first. Until one of those is focused, presses are ignored. The browser also never sees fn, Touch ID, media and brightness keys the keyboard handles itself, Print Screen on some systems, or shortcuts such as Win+L, Alt+Tab, Cmd+Tab, Cmd+Space and Ctrl+Alt+Del. A key this drawing does not include still counts, and its name is listed under the keyboard as also detected.
Why did a different letter light up?
The drawing follows the physical key, with US labels, not the character your language layout produces. On AZERTY, QWERTZ or Dvorak, the key that lights can show a different letter than the one printed on your keyboard. The character you actually typed is in the Last key panel and the typing box. If that character is wrong too, the input language is the usual cause, not a dead key. The extra key beside left Shift on an ISO board is detected but not drawn.
How do I give Tab and shortcuts back to the browser?
The keyboard area catches Tab, Space, arrows, function keys and shortcuts only while it is focused, so they do not scroll or change the page. Click outside that area, or press Esc twice (the second press within 0.6 seconds), to leave. The typing box does not catch those keys, so Tab moves on as usual. Esc twice only leaves the keyboard area.
Does it cover function keys, arrows and the number pad?
Yes, when the browser sends them. Full size draws F1 to F12, both Shift keys, Ctrl, Alt or Option, the Win or Command keys, arrows, the navigation cluster and a number pad. TKL is that layout without the number pad. Laptop draws F1 to F12 and the arrows; the Windows laptop drawing also has Delete on the top row, and the Mac laptop drawing has Touch ID there instead. On Mac full size, F13 to F15 replace Print Screen, Scroll Lock and Pause, and the number pad is labelled clear and equals. A number-pad key pressed on a smaller layout is listed as not drawn.