jQuery event.metaKey

What You’ll Learn

event.metaKey is a Boolean property that tells you whether the Meta modifier was held when the event fired — Command (⌘) on Mac, Windows key on PC. This tutorial covers the official click demo, Cmd+click links, modifier key comparisons, multi-select UI, and keyboard handlers.

Introduction

Many user actions combine a pointer or key event with a modifier key — Command-click to open a link in a new tab, Shift-click to extend a selection, Ctrl/Cmd shortcuts in editors. The browser exposes which modifiers were down through properties on the event object.

event.metaKey specifically reports the META key. jQuery passes it through on its normalized event object since version 1.0.4. The official demo displays true or false when you click while holding or releasing the Meta key.

Understanding event.metaKey

This property answers one question: was the Meta modifier held when this event fired?

• Meta not pressed — event.metaKey is false.
• Meta held — true for that click, mousedown, keydown, or related dispatch.
• Read-only — not a function; do not call with parentheses.
• Platform mapping — Mac Command and Windows key both surface as metaKey in supporting browsers.

📝 Syntax

Official jQuery API form (since 1.0.4) — a property, not a method:

event.metaKey

// typical pattern:
$( "#target" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  if ( event.metaKey ) {
    // Meta / Command / Windows key was held
  }
});

Parameters

• None — metaKey is a property, not a function.

Return value

• Boolean — true if the META key was pressed when the event fired; otherwise false.

Official jQuery API example

$( "#checkMetaKey" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  $( "#display" ).text( event.metaKey );
});

Examples Gallery

Example 1 follows the official jQuery demo. Examples 2–5 cover Cmd+click links, all modifiers, multi-select lists, and keyboard events.

$( "#checkMetaKey" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  $( "#display" ).text( event.metaKey );
});

#display shows false (normal click)
#display shows true (click while holding Command / Windows key)

$( "a.doc-link" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  if ( event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey ) {
    event.preventDefault();
    window.open( this.href, "_blank" );
    return;
  }
  // normal navigation follows href
});

Plain click → same-tab navigation (or demo message)
Cmd/Ctrl+click → window.open in new tab

$( "#panel" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  $( "#mods" ).text(
    "metaKey: " + event.metaKey + "\\n" +
    "ctrlKey: " + event.ctrlKey + "\\n" +
    "shiftKey: " + event.shiftKey + "\\n" +
    "altKey: " + event.altKey
  );
});

Hold Command/Windows → metaKey: true
Hold Ctrl → ctrlKey: true (metaKey may stay false on Windows)
Combine Shift/Alt to see multiple true values

$( "#list" ).on( "click", "li", function ( event ) {
  if ( !event.metaKey && !event.ctrlKey ) {
    $( "#list li" ).removeClass( "selected" );
  }
  $( this ).toggleClass( "selected" );
});

Click row → only that row selected
Cmd/Ctrl+click → toggle row, keep other selections

$( document ).on( "keydown", function ( event ) {
  if ( event.metaKey && event.key === "s" ) {
    event.preventDefault();
    $( "#status" ).text( "Save shortcut (metaKey + S) — metaKey: " + event.metaKey );
  }
});

Command+S (Mac) → status shows save message, metaKey: true
On Windows, Ctrl+S sets ctrlKey — extend with (metaKey || ctrlKey) for parity

🚀 Common Use Cases

• Cmd+click links — open URLs in a new tab when metaKey is true.
• Multi-select lists — additive selection with Meta/Ctrl held.
• Canvas / diagram tools — Meta+drag for alternate tool modes.
• Custom shortcuts — detect Meta+key chords in keydown handlers.
• Analytics — tag events when users hold modifiers during clicks.
• Accessibility docs — display platform-specific shortcut labels using modifier state.

📝 Notes

• Available since jQuery 1.0.4 — a Boolean property, not a method.
• Read-only — reflects keyboard state at dispatch time.
• Mac Command (⌘) sets metaKey; Windows Windows key sets metaKey in supporting browsers.
• Do not confuse with ctrlKey — on Mac, Control and Command are different keys.
• Works on mouse and keyboard events that expose modifier state (e.g. click, keydown).
• For cross-platform primary shortcuts, consider event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey.

💡 Best Practices