Satisfactory tips: 8 pro tricks for organisation, planning and shortcuts

Satisfactory is already a highly complex game, but there are many features that aren’t explained directly. These become especially relevant in the mid-game, when your factories grow and your production chains get longer. That’s when it’s handy to streamline some of your workflows! Some of these tips will boost your productivity, others are simply practical and help you capture your ideas. They can also help you organise your gameplay better and even replace a few external tools. We’ll take a closer look at the best tips so you can make the most of Satisfactory!

Make the most of Satisfactory’s to-do list and notes

Like many games of its kind, Satisfactory is hard to play without a notepad. Whether you jot ideas down by hand or in a PC notepad, you can supplement both with a handy in-game feature. The game already includes an integrated to-do list that you absolutely shouldn’t ignore!

You can add all the items and buildings you need to this list. Add buildings via the Q menu by hovering the icon and pressing the + at the top. The required materials then appear on the right-hand side, along with how many you already have. You can add items and recipes via the Codex or at the Craft Bench.

You can also enter your own text and even format it! This allows you to make text bold, add checkboxes or apply colours.

Copy recipes and machines in Satisfactory, fast

A simple trick many players don’t know is quick recipe copying. If you’re building several Assemblers for one material, you can copy the first machine’s setting with Ctrl+C and paste it onto the others with Ctrl+V. Familiar, right?

Even faster: use the middle mouse button. This lets you copy an object directly, including its settings, and it’s automatically selected in the build menu. No more switching hotbars or opening menus — building becomes much quicker!

Use the search bar as a calculator and finder

With all the items and buildings in the game, it’s easy to lose track. That’s why the search bar on the N key is extremely handy for finding things quickly. But did you know it can do more than process text? It also acts as a calculator and can evaluate simple expressions for you. That way you can work out required resources without leaving the game.

Mobile power for crash sites: Biomass Burner blueprint

Crash sites are a key source of Hard Drives that unlock alternate recipes. Some can only be opened with power, which you naturally don’t carry around. Make this much easier by using a blueprint.

Biomass Burners are your best option — add Solid Biofuel and your temporary power generation is ready! You only need to bring the right materials, which shouldn’t be an issue with the Dimensional Depot. Handily, the fuel can also be saved in the blueprint, so power production starts immediately.

Choose Hard Drive recipes strategically in Satisfactory

While we’re on Hard Drives, here’s a great hidden tip: you don’t have to pick one of the best alternate recipes straight away, which many players don’t realise. The initial analysis takes ten minutes, but afterwards the selection is saved in the Hard Drive library.

This brings several benefits. For one, those specific offers won’t appear again, shrinking the pool of possible recipes. That also applies to Hard Drive re-rolls. At the same time, you can pick recipes more strategically to give yourself more flexibility.

Dismantle factories quickly: hotkeys, multi-select and filters

Sooner or later you’ll tear down parts of your factory. You’ll get all resources back, but it can be time-consuming. Use the keyboard shortcuts shown at the bottom of the screen. While in dismantle mode, hold Ctrl to select multiple objects and destroy them all at once. If you want to limit yourself to specific objects, use the filter with G. This filter also appears in other build menus — for example, when you want to paint multiple objects from the same family.

Photo Mode in Satisfactory: exploration with free camera and zoom

Photo Mode isn’t just a fun tool for Satisfactory’s creative players — it can also be useful for scouting. The mode gives you a sort of free camera, letting you explore your surroundings up to a certain range (150 to 160 metres), detached from your character. You can spot hidden items or enemies, which is very handy!

The zoom is also great. Thanks to the camera’s focal length in Photo Mode, you can see what’s several hundred metres away without walking there. When exploring, Photo Mode offers surprising features that go well beyond photography.

Colours for organisation: mark pipework and set standards

To wrap up, a few tips for painting your components. You can unlock more swatches and also create and save your own colour presets. This isn’t just for looks — it can be very helpful for organisation. For instance, paint pipes in different colours: black for oil, blue for water, or yellow for fuel.

You can also assign specific colour schemes so relevant components are always built in your chosen livery. Right-click a swatch and choose in the context menu which aspects that colour should apply to.

Conclusion: play Satisfactory more efficiently with organisation and shortcuts

The further you progress in Satisfactory, the more complex the game becomes. It’s vital to stay organised and learn key features that simplify your work. The game offers many shortcuts, but they aren’t clearly communicated. And even if some appear in the key bindings, their value isn’t always obvious. Hopefully this guide helped you discover one or two features!

Even better, share these tips and tricks with your friends! Rent your own server for Satisfactory with us and show these features to other players. You’ll work more efficiently — and you might even uncover a few more hidden gems along the way.