---
title: keyEquivalent
framework: appkit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Property
path: appkit/nsmenuitem/keyequivalent
---

# keyEquivalent

The menu item’s unmodified key equivalent.

## Declaration

```swift
var keyEquivalent: String { get set }
```

## Discussion

Discussion If you want to specify the Backspace key as the key equivalent for a menu item, use a single character string with NSBackspaceCharacter (defined in NSText.h as 0x08) and for the Forward Delete key, use NSDeleteCharacter (defined in NSText.h as 0x7F). Note that these are not the same characters you get from an NSEvent key-down event when pressing those keys.

## See Also

### Related Documentation

- [userKeyEquivalent](appkit/nsmenuitem/userkeyequivalent.md)

### Managing key equivalents

- [keyEquivalentModifierMask](appkit/nsmenuitem/keyequivalentmodifiermask.md)