click | Select/deselect node(s) |
Click on a node to select it; click on the path between two adjacent nodes to select them. Clicking in an empty space deselects all selected nodes (next click will deselect the object).
This adds/removes a node (if clicked on node) or two nodes (if clicked on path) to/from the node selection.
drag | Select multiple nodes |
Dragging around nodes does a rubber band selection; previous node selection is deselected.
Normally, you need to not be over a path or a node to initiate a rubber band. However, if you press 
before dragging, Inkscape will do a rubber band selection even if you start over a path.
These keys select nodes within the selected path.
If the path has multiple subpaths and some nodes selected, this selects all only in subpaths with already selected nodes.
This selects all nodes in the entire path.
If the path has multiple subpaths and some nodes selected, this inverts the selection (deselects what was selected and vice versa) only in subpaths with already selected nodes.
Your mouse pointer must be over a node for growing/shrinking. Each key press or wheel click selects the nearest unselected node or deselects the farthest selected node.
drag | Move selected nodes |
Move nodes, restricting to horizontal or vertical | |
Move along the selected node’s handles |
This restricts movement to the directions of the node’s handles, their continuations, and perpendiculars (total eight snaps). If the node has straight lines on one or both sides, this will snap it to these lines’ directions and perpendiculars instead.
If a node has a retracted handle, hold to drag a handle out of the node.
When dragging nodes with the mouse, each 
leaves a copy of the selected object.
Sculpt selected nodes (12.5.7.2 Node Sculpting) |
To stop sculpting without losing the pressure-sensitive profile, release 
first and then lift the pen.
 ,  ,  ,  | Move selected node(s) by the nudge distance |
 ,  ,  ,  | Move selected node(s) by 10 times the nudge distance |
The default nudge distance is 2 px units.
This also snaps to the handle’s original angle, its continuation, and perpendiculars.
, , can be combined when dragging handles.
Retracted handle has zero length; use -drag to extract it back out.
The default scale step is 2 px units. This may apply to more than one selected node.
 ,  | Scale left handle by the scale step |
 ,  | Scale right handle by the scale step |
 ,  | Scale left handle by 1 pixel |
 ,  | Scale right handle by 1 pixel |
Instead of the 
and 
, you can use the 
(comma) and 
(period) keys, respectively.
This may apply to more than one selected node.
These commands scale the selected nodes as if they were an object. If the mouse is over a node, that node becomes the axis of scaling; otherwise it scales around the geometric center of the selected nodes.
The default scale step is 2 px units.
Scaling is uniform around the center, so that the size increment applies to the larger of the two dimensions.
These commands rotate the selected nodes as if they were an object. If the mouse is over a node, that node becomes the axis of rotation; otherwise it rotates around the geometric center of the selected nodes.
These commands flip the selected nodes as if they were an object, around the center of that object.
If the mouse is over a node, that node becomes the axis of flipping; otherwise it flips around the geometric center of the selected nodes.
These commands require that two or more adjacent nodes be selected.
This changes the type of node; if you do another 
on an already cusp node, it retracts its handles.
If a cusp node is adjacent to a line segment, 
makes it half-smooth with one handle collinear with the segment; another will expand a second handle.
When making smooth or symmetric, you can lock the position of one of the handles by hovering the mouse over it.
This requires that exactly two end nodes within the path be selected. You can lock the position of one of the two joined nodes by hovering the mouse over it.
After break, only one of each two new nodes is selected. This may apply to more than one selected node.
Deleting without adjusts handles on the remaining nodes to preserve the shape of the curve as much as possible. Deleting with does not touch the remaining nodes.
-click on a node deletes it; -click on the path between nodes creates a new node in the click point. Deleting nodes this way always tries to preserve the shape of the curve (same as 
/
).
double-click | Create node |
Double-clicking the path between nodes creates a node at the click point.
This adds new nodes in the middle of the selected segments, so it requires that two or more adjacent nodes be selected.
New nodes are created on the same path; they are placed exactly over the old ones and are selected.
The Node tool can also drag the handles of shapes (rectangles, ellipses, stars, spirals). Click on a shape to select it. See the corresponding shape tools for their editing shortcuts, all of which also work in the Node tool.
The Node tool can also edit the handles of a pattern fill, a gradient fill, and the editable handles of path effects.