< Red keys > -- used to log in or log out of the system. Login instructions should be available at the terminal you are using. You cannot use the login for one terminal at a different terminal.
Regular keys -- used to enter tickers, function codes, search terms, date ranges, et cetera.
< Yellow market keys > -- used to tell Bloomberg in what market you want to look for the data.
< Green keys > -- used to make Bloomberg actually do something. You can type in the ticker for a security and hit the correct market key, but if you do not hit the green < GO > button Bloomberg will not do anything.
Typically when using Bloomberg, your command might look something like this: TICKER < MARKET > FUNCTION CODE < GO >
| Key | Color | Description |
| CONN/DFLT | Red | Login / Logout |
| ESC | Red | Cancels a command |
| PEOPLE | Yellow | People search |
| GOVT | Yellow | Government (US Treasury and non-US government agency securities) |
| CORP | Yellow | Corporate Debt |
| MTGE | Yellow | Mortgages |
| M-MKT | Yellow | Money Market (includes Commercial Paper, CDs, Bankers Acceptances) |
| MUNI | Yellow | Municipal Debt |
| PFD | Yellow | Preferred Shares |
| EQUITY | Yellow | Equity Shares |
| CMDTY | Yellow | Commodity Markets |
| INDEX | Yellow | Indexes |
| CRNCY | Yellow | Currency Markets |
| GO | Green | Use like the Enter or Return key on an ordinary computer |
| MENU | Green | Usually returns to the previous screen |
| PgUp/PgDn | Green | Moves up and down through multiple screens of information |
| Green | Prints displayed screen or X [PRINT] prints multi-screen documents, | |
| PANEL | Lavender | Toggles between up to 4 Bloomberg panels; double click on a panel to resize screen |