Keyboard Tester
Test your keyboard key by key. See every press instantly, check which keys respond, and see the time between your key presses — with a laptop-style English QWERTY layout.
This is the gap between your own presses (your typing rhythm). It is not your keyboard's hardware response time, which a web page cannot measure.
This page does not send keyboard events to a server. It uses the browser's standard keyboard events and keeps the current test in memory only. Only presses on your physical keyboard count toward coverage; clicking a key on screen just previews it.
How this keyboard tester works
Every key press and release fires a standard browser keyboard event. This tool listens for those events and lights up the matching key on the on-screen layout in real time, so you can instantly see which physical keys register correctly. Holding several keys down together shows which of them your keyboard reports at the same time, which is how rollover and ghosting limits show up — cases where a keyboard can't recognize certain key combinations at once.
Everything happens locally: no keystrokes are sent anywhere or saved, and the test resets as soon as you leave the page.
How to test your keyboard, step by step
- Press keys on your physical keyboard. Each key lights up while held and stays marked as tested afterwards.
- Work through the whole layout: letters, numbers, punctuation, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Space, Enter, Backspace, the function row and the arrow keys.
- Hold several keys together (for example W, A and Space, or Shift with a letter) and check that every one stays lit. If a key drops out, or a key you did not press lights up, your keyboard has reached a rollover or ghosting limit.
- Watch the Keys Tested counter. When every key you own is marked, the test is complete. Use Reset test to start again.
Clicking a key on the screen only previews it. That is useful for finding a key on the layout, but it does not count as a tested key.
If a key does not light up
- Press it again on its own, slowly. A key that works sometimes but not always is usually dirty, worn or loose.
- Fn, volume, brightness and many media keys are handled by the keyboard's firmware or the operating system, so a web page usually cannot see them at all.
- The Windows/Command key and shortcuts such as F11 and F12 can be taken by the operating system or browser before the page sees them. See the last question below for the full key capture option.
- This layout is a laptop-style English QWERTY keyboard without a numeric keypad. Keys are matched by their physical position, so on another layout the printed letter on your keycap can differ from the label shown.
- If nothing registers, try another browser or another computer. If the key fails everywhere, the keyboard is the likely cause; if it only fails in one place, look at software, remapping tools or browser extensions.
Common reasons to test a keyboard
| Situation | What to check |
|---|---|
| Buying a used or second-hand keyboard | Every key registers, no sticky or dead keys |
| Laptop feels unresponsive | Which specific keys aren't registering |
| Gaming keyboard shopping | Rollover and anti-ghosting when holding multiple keys |
| New mechanical keyboard | Every switch actuates correctly out of the box |
| Remote work equipment checks | Full keyboard functionality before an important call or deadline |
Method, limits and sources
The tester listens for the browser's standard keydown and keyup events and identifies each key by its code value, which describes the physical key position rather than the character it types. It counts a key as tested the first time it is pressed, and it ignores the repeat events sent while a key is held down.
It can only show what the browser receives. It cannot tell you the exact number of keys your keyboard supports at once, and it cannot see keys that the keyboard firmware or operating system keep for themselves. Your presses stay in memory in this tab and are not sent anywhere.
Sources: MDN: KeyboardEvent.code · MDN: Keyboard.lock()
Frequently asked questions
Is this keyboard tester free?
Yes. It's completely free, runs in your browser, and doesn't require an account, download or payment.
Does it work with any keyboard?
It works with any keyboard your browser can detect — laptop keyboards, external USB and wireless keyboards, and mechanical keyboards — on an English QWERTY layout.
What is key rollover and ghosting?
Rollover is how many keys a keyboard can register accurately at the same time. Ghosting happens when certain key combinations cause an extra, unintended key to register. Holding multiple keys at once here reveals how your keyboard handles this.
Can I test a laptop keyboard with this tool?
Yes — it works on laptop keyboards as well as external ones, which is handy for checking a laptop before buying it used.
Does this tool store or send my keystrokes anywhere?
No. Key presses only update the on-screen display and stay in your browser's memory. Nothing is sent to a server or saved.
Can I use this on a Mac keyboard?
Yes, though the layout shown is a standard English QWERTY layout, so a few labels like Alt/Option and Win/Command may differ from your physical keycaps.
Why don't Alt, the Windows/Start key or F1–F12 register properly?
Those keys normally trigger a browser or OS action first — Alt can open the menu bar, F1–F12 map to shortcuts like refresh, fullscreen or devtools, and the Windows/Start key opens the Start menu. This tester blocks that default behavior for Alt, the F-keys and the Menu key so they register here instead. The Windows/Command key, and a couple of browser-reserved shortcuts like F11 and F12, are intercepted by the operating system or browser before any webpage can see them — that's a security restriction, not a bug in this tool. Click "Enable full key capture" to try capturing them anyway; it works in Chrome and Edge while the page is fullscreen, but isn't supported in every browser.
Examples and practical checks
Understand the result before using it elsewhere.
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