Scriva / Support & guide

A little guidance.
Back to your writing.

From your first tab to a folder-wide search, here’s how to get the most out of Scriva.

Getting started

  • Create a new tab with ⌘N, open a file with ⌘O, or drag files onto the window.
  • Save with ⌘S; Save As with ⇧⌘S; close a tab with ⌘W.
  • Unsaved changes survive a relaunch. They are written to the document only when you save with ⌘S. The window subtitle shows “Unsaved changes” or “Saved”.
  • Switch tabs with ⌃Tab / ⌃⇧Tab.

Writing Markdown

  • The left toolbar includes H1–H3 headings, bold, italic, strikethrough, inline code, links, images, bullet/numbered/task lists, quotes, outline and the emoji palette. Markdown formatting tools, list tools, outline and palettes require Pro.
  • Return continues a list. On an empty item, Return reduces indentation. Tab nests an item; ⇧Tab outdents it. This also works with a multiline selection.
  • Live preview (Pro): toggle it with ⌥⌘P. Synchronized scrolling is in the View menu.
  • Outline (Pro): ⌥⌘O. Click a heading to jump to that line.

Code and data files

  • The tool rail adapts to the file type. HTML, CSS, JSON and CSV format buttons are free. JSON insertion buttons add commas automatically to keep the document valid.
  • Snippets (Pro): choose built-in snippets or My Snippets. New Snippet… creates a snippet from selected text. Manage snippets in Settings › Snippets, and show each one in all files or only one format. In the snippet text, $SELECTION inserts selected text and $CURSOR sets the insertion point.
  • Scriva detects the language from the file extension. Change it using the language menu in the status bar.
  • JSON (Pro): tree view, validation and error location, Format / Minify.
  • CSV/TSV (Pro): table view, automatically detected delimiter, and a “First row is header” option.
  • HTML (Pro): local preview; remote resources are blocked for security.
  • For files with very long lines, such as minified JSON, highlighting turns off to keep editing smooth. A warning appears in the status bar.

Folders and searching across files

  • Add a sidebar folder with ⇧⌘O: one folder is free, unlimited folders require Pro. Toggle the sidebar with ⌃⌘S.
  • Find in Folders… (Pro): ⇧⌘F. Choose case-sensitive, whole-word or regex matching. Preview each match before replacing and select matches individually. Changes in open tabs can be undone with ⌘Z. Scriva asks for confirmation before changing closed files.

Display

  • Zoom in / out / actual size: ⌘+ / ⌘− / ⌘0. You can also use ⌘ or Ctrl with the scroll wheel, or pinch on a trackpad. Zoom applies to the pane under the pointer.
  • Preview zoom: ⌥⌘+ / ⌥⌘− / ⌥⌘0.
  • Word wrap: ⌥⌘W. Line numbers: ⌥⌘L.
  • Interface language: Settings (⌘,).

Exporting and printing

  • File ▸ Export as HTML… / Export as PDF… (Pro).
  • Page Setup: ⇧⌘P. Print: ⌘P.

Scriva Pro

  • Choose Scriva ▸ “Unlock Scriva Pro…” to open the purchase screen.
  • Restore purchases: choose “Restore Purchases” on the purchase screen. Use the same Apple Account on a new Mac.
  • Manage or cancel your subscription: Scriva ▸ “Manage Subscription…” or App Store ▸ your account ▸ Subscriptions. Open Apple subscription settings.
  • Apple handles refunds: reportaproblem.apple.com.

Keyboard shortcuts

ActionShortcut
New tab⌘N
Open file⌘O
Save⌘S
Save As⇧⌘S
Close tab⌘W
Next / previous tab⌃Tab / ⌃⇧Tab
Show preview (Pro)⌥⌘P
Outline (Pro)⌥⌘O
Add folder⇧⌘O
Toggle sidebar⌃⌘S
Find in folders (Pro)⇧⌘F
Zoom in / out / actual size⌘+ / ⌘− / ⌘0
Preview zoom⌥⌘+ / ⌥⌘− / ⌥⌘0
Word wrap⌥⌘W
Line numbers⌥⌘L
Settings⌘,
Page Setup⇧⌘P
Print⌘P

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an account?

No.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything stays on your Mac.

What's free?

Editing, saving, tabs, syntax highlighting, line numbers, find & replace in one file, printing and one sidebar folder.

How do I restore my purchase on a new Mac?

Sign in with the same Apple Account and click “Restore Purchases” on the purchase screen.

Can I cancel the free trial?

Yes. Cancel in App Store subscription settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends to avoid being charged.

Does Scriva open very large files?

Yes. Scriva opens CSV/JSON files of many megabytes smoothly. Highlighting turns off for files with very long lines.

Why does the HTML preview not load images from the web?

Remote resources are blocked for privacy and security.