📖 Guide

VS Code Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Complete VS Code keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet — editing, navigation, search, multi-cursor, terminal, debug, and more.

186 commands across 14 categories

GeneralEditingNavigationSearch & ReplaceMulti-Cursor & SelectionRich LanguagesTerminalDebugExtensionsGit IntegrationFile ManagementEditor & Window ManagementWindow & DisplayChat & AI

General

CommandDescription
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P
Open Command Palette
Cmd/Ctrl + P
Quick Open — go to file by name
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N
New window/instance
Cmd/Ctrl + W
Close current editor tab
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + W
Close window
Cmd/Ctrl + ,
Open Settings
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + S
Open Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl + `
Toggle integrated terminal — macOS uses Control here too, not Cmd, since Cmd+` is reserved by macOS for switching between windows of the same app
Cmd/Ctrl + B
Toggle sidebar visibility
Cmd/Ctrl + J
Toggle bottom panel (terminal, output, problems)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E
Focus Explorer sidebar
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + X
Focus Extensions sidebar
Cmd/Ctrl + K Z
Enter Zen Mode (distraction-free)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + V
Open Markdown preview

Editing

CommandDescription
Cmd/Ctrl + X
Cut line (empty selection cuts entire line)
Cmd/Ctrl + C
Copy line (empty selection copies entire line)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + K
Delete entire line
Alt + Up/Down
Move line up/down
Shift + Alt + Up/Down
Copy line up/down
Cmd/Ctrl + Enter
Insert line below
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Enter
Insert line above
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + \
Jump to matching bracket
Cmd/Ctrl + ]
Indent line
Cmd/Ctrl + [
Outdent line
Cmd/Ctrl + /
Toggle line comment
Shift + Alt + A
Toggle block comment
Alt + Z
Toggle word wrap
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + [
Fold (collapse) region
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ]
Unfold (expand) region
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + 0
Fold all regions
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + J
Unfold all regions
Cmd/Ctrl + Z
Undo
Cmd + Shift + Z
Redo (macOS)
Ctrl + Y
Redo (Windows/Linux) — the primary binding
Ctrl + Shift + Z
Redo (Windows/Linux) — also bound by default, alongside Ctrl+Y
Cmd/Ctrl + D
Add selection to next find match
Home / End
Go to beginning / end of current line
Ctrl + Shift + M
Toggle whether Tab key moves focus between UI elements instead of inserting a tab character — an accessibility escape hatch (macOS)
Ctrl + M
Toggle whether Tab key moves focus between UI elements instead of inserting a tab character (Windows/Linux)

Search & Replace

CommandDescription
Cmd/Ctrl + F
Find in current file
Cmd/Ctrl + H
Find and replace in current file
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F
Search across all files in workspace
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + H
Replace across all files in workspace
F3 / Shift + F3
Find next / previous match
Alt + Enter
Select all occurrences of find match
Cmd/Ctrl + D
Add next occurrence to selection
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + D
Skip current and add next occurrence
Option + Cmd + C
Toggle case-sensitive search (macOS)
Alt + C
Toggle case-sensitive search (Windows/Linux)
Option + Cmd + R
Toggle regex search (macOS)
Alt + R
Toggle regex search (Windows/Linux)
Option + Cmd + W
Toggle whole word search (macOS)
Alt + W
Toggle whole word search (Windows/Linux)
F4 / Shift + F4
Jump to next/previous result in the Search sidebar
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + J
Toggle Search details — reveals the files-to-include/exclude filter fields

Multi-Cursor & Selection

CommandDescription
Alt + Click
Insert cursor at click position
Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Up/Down
Insert cursor above/below
Cmd/Ctrl + D
Select next occurrence of current word
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L
Select all occurrences of current selection
Cmd/Ctrl + L
Select current line
Shift + Alt + Drag
Column (box) selection
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + K
Delete line
Cmd/Ctrl + U
Undo last cursor operation
Ctrl + Shift + Cmd + Right
Expand selection outward to the next syntax node — Smart Select (macOS)
Shift + Alt + Right
Expand selection outward to the next syntax node — Smart Select (Windows/Linux)
Ctrl + Shift + Cmd + Left
Shrink selection back to the previous syntax node — Smart Select (macOS)
Shift + Alt + Left
Shrink selection back to the previous syntax node — Smart Select (Windows/Linux)
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + D
Move last selection to next find match

Rich Languages

CommandDescription
Ctrl + Space
Trigger IntelliSense / autocomplete suggestions
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Space
Trigger parameter hints
Cmd/Ctrl + .
Quick Fix / Code Actions (lightbulb menu)
F2
Rename symbol across all files
Shift + Alt + F
Format entire document
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + F
Format selected code
F12
Go to Definition
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + I
Show hover information
Shift + F12
Show all References
Ctrl + Shift + R
Open the Refactor menu — extract function, variable, etc. Uses Control on macOS too, not Cmd
Shift + Alt + O
Organize imports — remove unused, sort remaining
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + .
Replace the value under the cursor with its next value — increments a number, cycles a boolean/enum. Same combo as "Focus the breadcrumb bar" in Navigation; both are real, context-dependent defaults
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + ,
Replace the value under the cursor with its previous value
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + X
Trim trailing whitespace
Cmd/Ctrl + K M
Change the language mode for the current file

Terminal

CommandDescription
Ctrl + `
Toggle terminal panel — macOS uses Control here too, not Cmd, since Cmd+` is reserved by macOS for switching between windows of the same app
Ctrl + Shift + `
Create new terminal instance — Control on macOS too, same reason as above
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + 5
Split terminal
Cmd/Ctrl + \
Split editor
Ctrl + Shift + Up/Down
Scroll terminal up/down
Cmd/Ctrl + Up/Down
Scroll to top/bottom of terminal
Cmd/Ctrl + K (in terminal)
Clear terminal
Ctrl + Page Up/Down
Switch between terminal instances
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + C
Open a new external terminal window (the OS's native console) at the current folder

Debug

CommandDescription
F5
Start / continue debugging
Shift + F5
Stop debugging
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F5
Restart debugging
Ctrl + F5
Start without debugging
F6
Pause debugging
F9
Toggle breakpoint on current line
F10
Step over (execute line, don't enter functions)
F11
Step into (enter function)
Shift + F11
Step out (exit current function)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + D
Open Debug sidebar
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + I
Show debug hover (inspect variable)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Y
Open Debug Console

Extensions

CommandDescription
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + X
Open Extensions view
@installed
Filter: show installed extensions (type in search)
@enabled
Filter: show enabled extensions
@disabled
Filter: show disabled extensions
@updates
Filter: show installed extensions with updates available — renamed from @outdated in newer VS Code releases
@recommended
Filter: show recommended extensions
@builtin
Filter: show extensions that ship built into VS Code
@category:themes
Filter: show extensions in a category, e.g. themes, linters, debuggers, snippets, formatters
ext install <publisher>.<name>
e.g. code --install-extension esbenp.prettier-vscode
Install extension from CLI

Git Integration

CommandDescription
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + G
Open Source Control (Git) sidebar
Ctrl + Shift + G G
Focus Source Control view
Cmd/Ctrl + Enter (in SCM)
Commit staged changes
Click + on file (in SCM)
Stage file for commit
Click − on file (in SCM)
Unstage file
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Git: Pull
Pull from remote via Command Palette
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Git: Push
Push to remote via Command Palette
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Git: Checkout to...
Switch branch via Command Palette
Gutter indicator (left of line numbers)
Green = added, blue = modified, red = deleted lines
Alt + F5 / Shift + Alt + F5
Go to next / previous change in diff
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Git: Stash
Stash changes
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Git: View File History
View file history (with GitLens)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Git: Clone
Clone a repository via Command Palette
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → Git: Create Branch...
Create and switch to a new branch via Command Palette

File Management

CommandDescription
Cmd/Ctrl + N
New (untitled) file
Cmd/Ctrl + O
Open file...
Cmd/Ctrl + S
Save
Option + Cmd + S
Save all open files (macOS)
Ctrl + K S
Save all open files (Windows/Linux)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + S
Save As...
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + W
Close all open editors
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + T
Reopen the most recently closed editor
Cmd/Ctrl + K P
Copy the file path of the active file
Cmd/Ctrl + K R
Reveal the active file in Explorer (Windows) / Finder (macOS)
Cmd/Ctrl + K Enter
Keep a preview-mode (italic tab) editor open permanently instead of it being replaced by the next file you open

Editor & Window Management

CommandDescription
Cmd/Ctrl + K F
Close the current folder/workspace
Shift + Cmd + W
Close window (macOS)
Alt + F4
Close window (Windows/Linux)
Cmd/Ctrl + 1/2/3
Focus into the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd editor group
Cmd/Ctrl + K Cmd/Ctrl + Left/Right
Focus into the editor group to the left/right
Cmd/Ctrl + K Shift + Cmd + Left/Right
Move the active editor left/right within its group (macOS)
Ctrl + Shift + PageUp/PageDown
Move the active editor left/right within its group (Windows/Linux)
Cmd/Ctrl + K Left/Right
Move the active editor group left/right
Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Right/Left
Move the active editor into the next/previous editor group

Window & Display

CommandDescription
Ctrl + Cmd + F
Toggle full screen (macOS)
F11
Toggle full screen (Windows/Linux)
Cmd/Ctrl + =
Zoom in
Cmd/Ctrl + -
Zoom out
Cmd/Ctrl + Numpad0
Reset zoom level to 100%
Shift + Alt + 0
Toggle editor layout between horizontal and vertical split
Ctrl + Q
Quick Open View — jump to any sidebar/panel view by name

Chat & AI

CommandDescription
Ctrl + Cmd + I
Open the Chat view (macOS)
Ctrl + Alt + I
Open the Chat view (Windows/Linux)
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I
Open Chat in agent mode
Cmd/Ctrl + I
Open inline chat in the editor
Cmd/Ctrl + I (in terminal)
Open inline chat in the integrated terminal
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Alt + L
Open Quick Chat — a lightweight chat popup that doesn't take over a full view
Cmd/Ctrl + .
Open the chat mode/agent picker — only active while a chat input is focused; the same combo is Quick Fix in the editor
Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + .
Open the language model picker
Cmd/Ctrl + N (in Chat view)
Start a new chat session — same combo as New File, scoped to the Chat view
Tab
Accept an inline chat code suggestion

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