# Shift Layer

The shift layer is different from holding down the shift key, which may sound confusing at first. This is because if a default layer has a key that is changed to a superkey or even another key like `!`, then there is no key code mapping defined for shift+superkey or shift+!. So all the uppercase alphabet characters and other symbols have to be set for a custom shift layer.

The nice thing about having a custom shift layer is that more superkeys or nested layers can be added. Below is an example of a shift layer using the qwerty layout with superkeys.

![qwerty shift layer](https://3776368646-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FKoZa1xwxAlOy01IlxMgW%2Fuploads%2FsDZrpEL9Gkr4AJBstRKr%2FScreen%20Shot%202022-06-18%20at%201.23.58%20AM.png?alt=media\&token=b5861212-0809-40c4-8fa3-5518303860e4)
