diff --git a/frontend/src/components/DashboardLayout.tsx b/frontend/src/components/DashboardLayout.tsx
index 3c2b9c6..e484841 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/DashboardLayout.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/DashboardLayout.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useState } from "react";
 import { NavLink, Outlet } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useCurrentUser } from "../hooks/useCurrentUser";
 import { useTheme } from "../hooks/useTheme";
+import { KeyboardShortcutsModal } from "./KeyboardShortcutsModal";
 import { signOut } from "../lib/auth-client";
 
 const navItems = [
@@ -160,6 +161,9 @@ export function DashboardLayout() {
           >
             Sign Out
           </button>
+          <div className="hidden sm:block text-[10px] text-gray-600 px-3 pt-2 mt-1 border-t border-gray-800">
+            Press <kbd className="px-1 py-0.5 bg-gray-800 border border-gray-700 rounded text-[10px] font-mono">?</kbd> for shortcuts
+          </div>
         </div>
       </aside>
 
@@ -167,6 +171,8 @@ export function DashboardLayout() {
       <main className="flex-1 md:ml-56 pt-14 md:pt-0">
         <Outlet />
       </main>
+
+      <KeyboardShortcutsModal />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/KeyboardShortcutsModal.tsx b/frontend/src/components/KeyboardShortcutsModal.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8870662
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/KeyboardShortcutsModal.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
+
+const shortcuts = [
+  { keys: ["Ctrl", "N"], action: "Create new task", context: "Queue" },
+  { keys: ["Esc"], action: "Close panel / Cancel edit", context: "Global" },
+  { keys: ["?"], action: "Show keyboard shortcuts", context: "Global" },
+  { keys: ["Ctrl", "Enter"], action: "Submit note", context: "Task Detail" },
+  { keys: ["Enter"], action: "Add subtask / Save tag", context: "Task Detail" },
+  { keys: [","], action: "Add tag", context: "Task Detail" },
+  { keys: ["Backspace"], action: "Remove last tag (when empty)", context: "Task Detail" },
+];
+
+export function KeyboardShortcutsModal() {
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const handleKey = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
+      // Don't trigger if user is typing in an input
+      const target = e.target as HTMLElement;
+      if (target.tagName === "INPUT" || target.tagName === "TEXTAREA" || target.tagName === "SELECT") return;
+      if (target.isContentEditable) return;
+
+      if (e.key === "?") {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        setOpen((prev) => !prev);
+      }
+      if (e.key === "Escape" && open) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        e.stopPropagation();
+        setOpen(false);
+      }
+    };
+    window.addEventListener("keydown", handleKey);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener("keydown", handleKey);
+  }, [open]);
+
+  if (!open) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <div className="fixed inset-0 bg-black/40 backdrop-blur-sm z-[60]" onClick={() => setOpen(false)} />
+      <div className="fixed inset-0 flex items-center justify-center z-[61] p-4" onClick={() => setOpen(false)}>
+        <div
+          className="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 rounded-2xl shadow-2xl border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700 w-full max-w-md overflow-hidden"
+          onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+        >
+          <div className="px-6 py-4 border-b border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-800 flex items-center justify-between">
+            <h2 className="text-lg font-bold text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100">⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts</h2>
+            <button
+              onClick={() => setOpen(false)}
+              className="p-1.5 text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-600 dark:hover:text-gray-300 rounded-lg hover:bg-gray-100 dark:hover:bg-gray-800 transition"
+            >
+              <svg className="w-5 h-5" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth={2}>
+                <path strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" d="M6 18L18 6M6 6l12 12" />
+              </svg>
+            </button>
+          </div>
+          <div className="px-6 py-4 space-y-3 max-h-[60vh] overflow-y-auto">
+            {shortcuts.map((shortcut, i) => (
+              <div key={i} className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4">
+                <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
+                  {shortcut.keys.map((key, j) => (
+                    <span key={j}>
+                      <kbd className="px-2 py-1 text-xs font-mono font-semibold text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300 bg-gray-100 dark:bg-gray-800 border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-600 rounded-md shadow-sm">
+                        {key}
+                      </kbd>
+                      {j < shortcut.keys.length - 1 && (
+                        <span className="text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500 mx-0.5">+</span>
+                      )}
+                    </span>
+                  ))}
+                </div>
+                <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-right">
+                  <span className="text-sm text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300">{shortcut.action}</span>
+                  <span className="text-[10px] text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500 bg-gray-50 dark:bg-gray-800 px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded">
+                    {shortcut.context}
+                  </span>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+            ))}
+          </div>
+          <div className="px-6 py-3 border-t border-gray-100 dark:border-gray-800 text-center">
+            <span className="text-xs text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500">
+              Press <kbd className="px-1.5 py-0.5 text-[10px] font-mono bg-gray-100 dark:bg-gray-800 border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-600 rounded">?</kbd> to toggle
+            </span>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </>
+  );
+}