---
title: "VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts Cheatsheet"
slug: "keyboard-shortcuts-vscode"
category: "cheatsheets"
tags: ["cheatsheets", "vscode", "keyboard-shortcuts", "editor", "productivity", "reference"]
status: "stable"
last_updated: 2026-05-14
summary: "VS Code keyboard shortcuts for file ops, navigation, multi-cursor editing, refactoring, terminal, and debugging, with Mac and Windows/Linux pairs."
related:
  [
    "[[tooling/claude-code-workflow]]",
    "[[tooling/github]]",
    "[[cheatsheets/git-commands]]",
    "[[cheatsheets/vim-commands]]",
    "[[cheatsheets/bash-one-liners]]",
    "[[coding/general-principles]]",
    "[[cheatsheets/index|Cheatsheets]]",
  ]
---

## Overview

VS Code shortcuts reduce context-switching by keeping hands on the keyboard during editing, navigation, and debugging. The patterns below cover the 80% of shortcuts worth memorizing. Mac uses `Cmd`; Windows and Linux use `Ctrl` in the same position. The key binding system is fully remappable via `keybindings.json` (`Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P` > "Open Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON)"). For terminal-first workflows, see [[cheatsheets/bash-one-liners]] and [[cheatsheets/vim-commands]].

## File and window operations

| Action               | Mac                             | Windows / Linux |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------- | --------------- |
| Open file by name    | `Cmd+P`                         | `Ctrl+P`        |
| Open command palette | `Cmd+Shift+P`                   | `Ctrl+Shift+P`  |
| New file             | `Cmd+N`                         | `Ctrl+N`        |
| Save                 | `Cmd+S`                         | `Ctrl+S`        |
| Save all             | `Cmd+Option+S`                  | `Ctrl+K S`      |
| Close tab            | `Cmd+W`                         | `Ctrl+W`        |
| Reopen closed tab    | `Cmd+Shift+T`                   | `Ctrl+Shift+T`  |
| Split editor         | `Cmd+\`                         | `Ctrl+\`        |
| Switch editor group  | `Cmd+1/2/3`                     | `Ctrl+1/2/3`    |
| Toggle sidebar       | `Cmd+B`                         | `Ctrl+B`        |
| Toggle terminal      | `` Ctrl+` ``                    | `` Ctrl+` ``    |
| Open settings (UI)   | `Cmd+,`                         | `Ctrl+,`        |
| Open settings (JSON) | `Cmd+Shift+P` > "settings json" | same            |

## Navigation

| Action                    | Mac                       | Windows / Linux          |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Go to symbol in file      | `Cmd+Shift+O`             | `Ctrl+Shift+O`           |
| Go to symbol in workspace | `Cmd+T`                   | `Ctrl+T`                 |
| Go to definition          | `F12`                     | `F12`                    |
| Peek definition           | `Option+F12`              | `Alt+F12`                |
| Go to references          | `Shift+F12`               | `Shift+F12`              |
| Go to line                | `Ctrl+G`                  | `Ctrl+G`                 |
| Go back / forward         | `Ctrl+-` / `Ctrl+Shift+-` | `Alt+Left` / `Alt+Right` |
| Breadcrumb focus          | `Cmd+Shift+.`             | `Ctrl+Shift+.`           |
| Quick open recent         | `Ctrl+R`                  | `Ctrl+R`                 |
| Move between tabs         | `Cmd+Option+Left/Right`   | `Ctrl+PageUp/Down`       |

```
# Quick symbol jump workflow:
Cmd+T → type "UserService" → Enter → instant jump across all files
```

## Search and replace

| Action                           | Mac                            | Windows / Linux |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | --------------- |
| Find in file                     | `Cmd+F`                        | `Ctrl+F`        |
| Find and replace in file         | `Cmd+H`                        | `Ctrl+H`        |
| Find in workspace                | `Cmd+Shift+F`                  | `Ctrl+Shift+F`  |
| Replace in workspace             | `Cmd+Shift+H`                  | `Ctrl+Shift+H`  |
| Select all occurrences           | `Cmd+Shift+L`                  | `Ctrl+Shift+L`  |
| Add next occurrence to selection | `Cmd+D`                        | `Ctrl+D`        |
| Skip current occurrence          | `Cmd+K Cmd+D`                  | `Ctrl+K Ctrl+D` |
| Toggle regex in search           | `Cmd+Option+R` (in search box) | `Alt+R`         |

## Multi-cursor and selection

| Action                   | Mac                                        | Windows / Linux     |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------- |
| Add cursor above / below | `Cmd+Option+Up/Down`                       | `Ctrl+Alt+Up/Down`  |
| Add cursor at click      | `Option+Click`                             | `Alt+Click`         |
| Select to line end       | `Shift+End`                                | `Shift+End`         |
| Expand selection to word | `Cmd+Shift+Right`                          | `Ctrl+Shift+Right`  |
| Select current line      | `Cmd+L`                                    | `Ctrl+L`            |
| Move line up / down      | `Option+Up/Down`                           | `Alt+Up/Down`       |
| Copy line up / down      | `Shift+Option+Up/Down`                     | `Shift+Alt+Up/Down` |
| Delete line              | `Cmd+Shift+K`                              | `Ctrl+Shift+K`      |
| Insert line below        | `Cmd+Enter`                                | `Ctrl+Enter`        |
| Insert line above        | `Cmd+Shift+Enter`                          | `Ctrl+Shift+Enter`  |
| Join line below          | `Ctrl+J` (not default; add in keybindings) |                     |

## Refactoring

| Action                       | Mac                           | Windows / Linux         |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| Rename symbol                | `F2`                          | `F2`                    |
| Extract to function/variable | `Cmd+.` then choose           | `Ctrl+.` then choose    |
| Quick fix / code action      | `Cmd+.`                       | `Ctrl+.`                |
| Format document              | `Shift+Option+F`              | `Shift+Alt+F`           |
| Format selection             | `Cmd+K Cmd+F`                 | `Ctrl+K Ctrl+F`         |
| Organize imports             | `Shift+Option+O`              | `Shift+Alt+O`           |
| Fold / unfold region         | `Cmd+Option+[/]`              | `Ctrl+Shift+[/]`        |
| Fold all / unfold all        | `Cmd+K Cmd+0` / `Cmd+K Cmd+J` | `Ctrl+K 0` / `Ctrl+K J` |

## Terminal

| Action                        | Mac                      | Windows / Linux           |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------- |
| New terminal                  | `` Ctrl+Shift+` ``       | `` Ctrl+Shift+` ``        |
| Toggle terminal panel         | `` Ctrl+` ``             | `` Ctrl+` ``              |
| Kill terminal                 | `Cmd+K` (in terminal)    | same (if configured)      |
| Clear terminal                | `Cmd+K`                  | `Ctrl+K` (shell shortcut) |
| Next / previous terminal      | `Ctrl+PageDown/Up`       | `Ctrl+PageDown/Up`        |
| Focus terminal from editor    | `` Ctrl+` ``             | `` Ctrl+` ``              |
| Focus editor from terminal    | `Cmd+1`                  | `Ctrl+1`                  |
| Run selected text in terminal | (assign via keybindings) |                           |

## Debugging

| Action                   | Mac            | Windows / Linux |
| ------------------------ | -------------- | --------------- |
| Start / continue         | `F5`           | `F5`            |
| Stop                     | `Shift+F5`     | `Shift+F5`      |
| Restart                  | `Cmd+Shift+F5` | `Ctrl+Shift+F5` |
| Step over                | `F10`          | `F10`           |
| Step into                | `F11`          | `F11`           |
| Step out                 | `Shift+F11`    | `Shift+F11`     |
| Toggle breakpoint        | `F9`           | `F9`            |
| Toggle inline breakpoint | `Shift+F9`     | `Shift+F9`      |
| Open debug console       | `Cmd+Shift+Y`  | `Ctrl+Shift+Y`  |

## Common gotchas

- `Cmd+D` selects the next occurrence of the current word, not all occurrences. Use `Cmd+Shift+L` to select all at once.
- Multi-cursor column editing requires placing cursors first with `Cmd+Option+Down`, then typing. It does not select a rectangular block automatically; use the box-select extension for that.
- `F12` (go to definition) jumps to the compiled type declaration for npm packages unless you have source maps and the package includes `declarationMap`. Set `"declarationMap": true` in `tsconfig.json` to jump to the source.
- `Shift+Option+F` (format document) uses the default formatter. If multiple formatters are installed, VS Code prompts you to choose; set a default in `settings.json` with `"editor.defaultFormatter"`.
- Opening the command palette with `Cmd+P` then typing `>` switches to command mode. This is the same as `Cmd+Shift+P`; the `>` prefix selects commands vs files.

## Related

- [[tooling/claude-code-workflow]]
- [[tooling/github]]
- [[cheatsheets/git-commands]]
- [[cheatsheets/vim-commands]]
- [[cheatsheets/bash-one-liners]]
- [[coding/general-principles]]
- [[cheatsheets/index|Cheatsheets]]