In your keymap node, inside a layer, you place the &leader behavior on a key:
If you are deep into the world of custom mechanical keyboards, you have likely heard of QMK. But for wireless enthusiasts, ZMK is the king of the hill. While ZMK is powerful, one feature users often miss from QMK is the Leader Key . zmk leader key
The actual mapping is usually done in your keymap layer using the &leader behavior. Here is the correct modern way to map specific sequences: In your keymap node, inside a layer, you
leader { compatible = "zmk,behavior-leader-key"; #binding-cells = <0>; bindings = <&kp RET> // leader + "e" , <&kp LC(LC(LA))> // leader + "sa" (Select all) , <¯o_text "Hello World!"> // leader + "hw" , <¯o_paste "https://zmk.dev"> // leader + "zd" ; sequences = < &kp E > // Type "e" to send Enter , < &kp S &kp A > // Type "sa" to Select All , < &kp H &kp W > // Type "hw" for Hello World , < &kp Z &kp D > // Type "zd" for ZMK url ; }; Timeout: Unlike a Layer key that stays held, the Leader Key waits for you to type the sequence. If you pause for too long (default ~1 second), the leader "gives up" and does nothing. The actual mapping is usually done in your
&leader Then, outside the keymap, you define what happens when you type keys after pressing the leader:
// At the root level of your .keymap file / { leader { compatible = "zmk,behavior-leader-key"; #binding-cells = <0>; bindings = <&kp MACRO_ONE> // For sequence "a" , <&kp MACRO_TWO> // For sequence "b" , <&kp LCTRL LC(A)> // For sequence "ca" (Leader, then c, then a) ; sequences = < &kp A > // Sequence "a" , < &kp B > // Sequence "b" , < &kp C &kp A > // Sequence "c a" ; }; }; Note: Syntax varies slightly between ZMK versions. Always check the official ZMK docs for the latest dt-bindings . Let's make this practical. Here is a snippet for a developer/writer:
If you are a slow typer, you can increase the timeout by adding to your .conf file: