How to use the keyboard test
- Click inside the test area so it has focus. The border highlights when it is ready.
- Press a key you know works, to confirm the page is receiving presses.
- Press each key you want to check. Every key the browser detects is added to the list below the test area, so you can work across the keyboard and see which ones never appear.
- To check how many keys register at once, hold several keys together and watch Held now.
- Use Clear list to start again, for example after reconnecting the keyboard.
Key versus code
Each press shows two values. Key is the character or action the key produces with your current layout and modifiers, such as "a", "A" or "Enter". Code names the physical position on a standard keyboard, such as "KeyA" or "Enter", whatever layout is active. If the code is right but the character is wrong, the keyboard is fine and the language or layout setting is the problem. On Windows, check Settings → Time & language → Language & region. On a Mac, check System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input.
Reading the result
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Nothing happens for any key | The test area does not have focus. Click it and try again. |
| One key never appears | A dead switch, debris under the key or a remapping utility. See keyboard key not working. |
| A key appears with the wrong character | Layout or language setting, not hardware |
| Press count jumps by two for one press | Key chatter, often from a worn or dirty switch |
| Held keys stop increasing at a certain number | The keyboard's rollover limit. Some cheaper keyboards register only a few keys at once in certain combinations. |
Keys a browser cannot see
Some keys never reach a web page. The Fn key is usually handled inside the keyboard itself. System shortcuts such as Alt + Tab, the Windows key combinations and Command + Tab on a Mac are taken by the operating system. Some media and brightness keys are handled by drivers. If one of these does not appear here, that is expected, so test it in the place you normally use it instead.
Does the test record what I type?
No. The page shows key names on screen only. Nothing is stored or sent, and the list is cleared when you leave the page.
More troubleshooting guides
Reviewed October 2026 · How we test · Report a problem