VSCode Shortcuts Cheat Sheet

Master Visual Studio Code with this comprehensive keyboard shortcuts reference. Search by shortcut, filter by category or modifier keys (Ctrl/Cmd, Alt/Option, Shift), and boost your productivity with essential shortcuts for coding, debugging, and development workflow.

41 shortcuts found
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Ctrl+P

File Navigation

Quick Open - Open files by name

Platform Support:

Ctrl+P (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+P (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+P Open quick file picker
Ctrl+P filename Type filename to search and open
Ctrl+P > command Type '>' to access command palette

Notes:

Most important VSCode shortcut for file navigation

Ctrl+Shift+E

File Navigation

Show Explorer sidebar

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+E (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+E (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+E Toggle file explorer visibility
Focus + Arrow keys Navigate files in explorer

Notes:

Essential for project file management

Ctrl+Shift+F

File Navigation

Search in files

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+F (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+F (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+F Open global search panel
Alt+Enter Replace all occurrences in search

Notes:

Search across all files in workspace

Ctrl+Shift+G

File Navigation

Show Source Control (Git)

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+G (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+G (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+G Open Git panel
Ctrl+Enter Commit changes

Notes:

Essential for version control workflow

Ctrl+B

File Navigation

Toggle sidebar visibility

Platform Support:

Ctrl+B (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+B (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+B Show/hide left sidebar

Notes:

Maximize editor space when needed

Ctrl+D

Multi-cursor & Selection

Select next occurrence of current selection

Platform Support:

Ctrl+D (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+D (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+D Select current word or next occurrence
Ctrl+D repeatedly Select multiple occurrences for multi-cursor editing

Notes:

Most powerful multi-cursor feature in VSCode

Ctrl+Shift+L

Multi-cursor & Selection

Select all occurrences of current selection

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+L (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+L (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+L Select all occurrences of selected text

Notes:

Quick way to edit all occurrences at once

Alt+Click

Multi-cursor & Selection

Insert cursor at clicked location

Platform Support:

Alt+Click (Windows/Linux) | Option+Click (macOS)

Examples:

Alt+Click Add cursor at multiple locations
Alt+Shift+Drag Column selection mode

Notes:

Create multiple cursors for simultaneous editing

Ctrl+Shift+K

Multi-cursor & Selection

Delete line

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+K (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+K (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+K Delete entire current line

Notes:

Quick line deletion without selecting

Ctrl+L

Multi-cursor & Selection

Select entire line

Platform Support:

Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+L (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+L Select current line
Ctrl+L repeatedly Select multiple consecutive lines

Notes:

Useful for line-based operations

Shift+Alt+Down

Multi-cursor & Selection

Copy line down

Platform Support:

Shift+Alt+Down (Windows/Linux) | Shift+Option+Down (macOS)

Examples:

Shift+Alt+Down Duplicate current line below
Shift+Alt+Up Duplicate current line above

Notes:

Quick line duplication

Alt+Down

Multi-cursor & Selection

Move line down

Platform Support:

Alt+Down (Windows/Linux) | Option+Down (macOS)

Examples:

Alt+Down Move current line down
Alt+Up Move current line up

Notes:

Reorder lines quickly

Shift+Alt+F

Code Formatting

Format document

Platform Support:

Shift+Alt+F (Windows/Linux) | Shift+Option+F (macOS)

Examples:

Shift+Alt+F Format entire document
Ctrl+K Ctrl+F Format selection only

Notes:

Requires a formatter extension for the language

F2

Code Formatting

Rename symbol

Platform Support:

F2

Examples:

F2 Rename variable/function across all files

Notes:

Smart rename with IntelliSense support

Ctrl+.

Code Formatting

Quick fix / Code actions

Platform Support:

Ctrl+. (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+. (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+. Show available code fixes
Alt+Enter Alternative quick fix shortcut

Notes:

Access refactoring options and auto-fixes

Ctrl+Shift+P

Code Formatting

Show Command Palette

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+P (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+P Access all VSCode commands
> Format Document Search for format command

Notes:

Gateway to all VSCode functionality

Ctrl+F

Search & Replace

Find in current file

Platform Support:

Ctrl+F (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+F (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+F Open find box for current file
F3 Find next occurrence
Shift+F3 Find previous occurrence

Notes:

Basic find functionality with regex support

Ctrl+H

Search & Replace

Find and Replace in current file

Platform Support:

Ctrl+H (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Option+F (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+H Open find and replace panel
Ctrl+Alt+Enter Replace all occurrences

Notes:

Find and replace with regex support

Ctrl+Shift+H

Search & Replace

Replace in files

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+H (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+H (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+H Global find and replace

Notes:

Replace across multiple files in workspace

F5

Debugging

Start debugging

Platform Support:

F5

Examples:

F5 Start/continue debugging session
Ctrl+F5 Start without debugging

Notes:

Primary debugging command

F9

Debugging

Toggle breakpoint

Platform Support:

F9

Examples:

F9 Set/remove breakpoint on current line
Ctrl+Shift+F9 Remove all breakpoints

Notes:

Essential for debugging workflow

F10

Debugging

Step over

Platform Support:

F10

Examples:

F10 Execute current line and move to next

Notes:

Debug step commands

F11

Debugging

Step into

Platform Support:

F11

Examples:

F11 Step into function calls
Shift+F11 Step out of current function

Notes:

Deep debugging navigation

Shift+F5

Debugging

Stop debugging

Platform Support:

Shift+F5

Examples:

Shift+F5 Stop current debugging session

Notes:

End debugging session

Ctrl+Shift+X

Extensions & Settings

Show Extensions

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+X (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+X Open Extensions marketplace

Notes:

Install and manage VSCode extensions

Ctrl+,

Extensions & Settings

Open Settings

Platform Support:

Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+, (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+, Open user settings
Ctrl+Shift+P > Preferences Access settings via command palette

Notes:

Configure VSCode preferences

Ctrl+K Ctrl+S

Extensions & Settings

Open Keyboard Shortcuts

Platform Support:

Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+K Cmd+S (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+K Ctrl+S Customize keyboard shortcuts

Notes:

Modify or create custom shortcuts

Ctrl+`

Terminal Integration

Toggle integrated terminal

Platform Support:

Ctrl+` (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+` (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+` Show/hide integrated terminal
Ctrl+Shift+` Create new terminal instance

Notes:

Access terminal without leaving VSCode

Ctrl+Shift+C

Terminal Integration

Open external terminal

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Shift+C (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Shift+C Open system terminal in current directory

Notes:

Launch external terminal application

Ctrl+\

Window Management

Split editor

Platform Support:

Ctrl+\ (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+\ (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+\ Split current editor into two panes
Ctrl+1/2/3 Focus editor group 1, 2, or 3

Notes:

Essential for multi-file editing

Ctrl+W

Window Management

Close editor

Platform Support:

Ctrl+W (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+W (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+W Close current editor tab
Ctrl+K W Close all editors

Notes:

File closure shortcuts

Ctrl+Tab

Window Management

Quick Open previous editor

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Tab (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Tab (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Tab Switch to previously opened file
Ctrl+Shift+Tab Navigate through open editors

Notes:

Quick file switching

Ctrl+PageDown

Window Management

Next editor tab

Platform Support:

Ctrl+PageDown (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Option+Right (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+PageDown Switch to next tab
Ctrl+PageUp Switch to previous tab

Notes:

Tab navigation

Ctrl+G

Code Navigation

Go to line

Platform Support:

Ctrl+G (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+G (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+G Jump to specific line number
Ctrl+P :123 Alternative: type :line_number in Quick Open

Notes:

Quick navigation to specific lines

F12

Code Navigation

Go to definition

Platform Support:

F12

Examples:

F12 Jump to function/variable definition
Alt+F12 Peek definition (inline preview)

Notes:

IntelliSense navigation feature

Shift+F12

Code Navigation

Show references

Platform Support:

Shift+F12

Examples:

Shift+F12 Find all references to symbol

Notes:

See where symbols are used

Ctrl+-

Code Navigation

Go back

Platform Support:

Ctrl+- (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+- (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+- Navigate back in cursor history
Ctrl+Shift+- Navigate forward in cursor history

Notes:

Navigate through cursor position history

Ctrl+Z

General Productivity

Undo

Platform Support:

Ctrl+Z (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+Z (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+Z Undo last action
Ctrl+Shift+Z Redo last undone action

Notes:

Basic undo/redo functionality

Ctrl+S

General Productivity

Save file

Platform Support:

Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+S (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+S Save current file
Ctrl+K S Save all files

Notes:

Essential file operations

Ctrl+N

General Productivity

New file

Platform Support:

Ctrl+N (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+N (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+N Create new untitled file
Ctrl+Shift+N New window

Notes:

File creation shortcuts

Ctrl+O

General Productivity

Open file

Platform Support:

Ctrl+O (Windows/Linux) | Cmd+O (macOS)

Examples:

Ctrl+O Open file dialog
Ctrl+K O Open folder

Notes:

File opening operations

VSCode Productivity Guide

Essential Shortcuts

  • Quick Open: Ctrl+P - Most used shortcut
  • Command Palette: Ctrl+Shift+P - Access all commands
  • Multi-cursor: Ctrl+D - Select next occurrence
  • Find in Files: Ctrl+Shift+F - Global search
  • Toggle Terminal: Ctrl+` - Built-in terminal

Productivity Tips

  • File Explorer: Ctrl+Shift+E for quick navigation
  • Split Editor: Ctrl+\ for side-by-side editing
  • Go to Definition: F12 for code navigation
  • Format Document: Shift+Alt+F for clean code
  • Quick Fix: Ctrl+. for auto-corrections

Multi-cursor Magic

  • Ctrl+D - Select next occurrence of selection
  • Ctrl+Shift+L - Select all occurrences
  • Alt+Click - Add cursor at clicked position
  • Ctrl+Alt+Up/Down - Add cursors above/below
  • Essential for bulk editing and refactoring

Navigation Mastery

  • Ctrl+G - Go to specific line number
  • F12 - Go to definition
  • Shift+F12 - Find all references
  • Ctrl+- - Navigate back in history
  • Ctrl+Tab - Quick switch between files

Debugging Workflow

  • F5 - Start debugging session
  • F9 - Toggle breakpoints
  • F10 - Step over functions
  • F11 - Step into functions
  • Shift+F5 - Stop debugging

Window Management

  • Ctrl+\ - Split editor vertically
  • Ctrl+1/2/3 - Focus editor groups
  • Ctrl+B - Toggle sidebar
  • Ctrl+W - Close current editor
  • Ctrl+K W - Close all editors

🎯 Pro Tips

  • Use the key filters above (Ctrl/Cmd, Alt/Option, Shift, F1-F12) to find shortcuts by modifier keys
  • Customize shortcuts: Ctrl+K Ctrl+S opens keyboard shortcuts
  • Install productivity extensions like Bracket Pair Colorizer and GitLens
  • Learn IntelliSense: Ctrl+Space for code suggestions
  • Use integrated terminal instead of switching windows
  • Master multi-cursor editing for bulk changes

📚 What is Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is a free, open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. Launched in 2015, it has quickly become the most popular code editor among developers worldwide, supporting virtually every programming language and offering an extensive ecosystem of extensions.

🚀 Key Features

  • ✓ IntelliSense: Smart code completion, error detection, and refactoring
  • ✓ Integrated Terminal: Built-in command line access
  • ✓ Git Integration: Version control built into the editor
  • ✓ Extension Marketplace: Thousands of extensions available
  • ✓ Multi-platform: Windows, macOS, and Linux support
  • ✓ Debugging: Built-in debugger for multiple languages

💡 Why Choose VSCode?

  • • Performance: Fast startup and lightweight resource usage
  • • Free & Open Source: No licensing costs, active community
  • • Language Support: Works with virtually any programming language
  • • Customizable: Themes, settings, and keyboard shortcuts
  • • Remote Development: SSH, containers, and WSL support
  • • Industry Standard: Used by millions of developers globally

🎯 Perfect For

Web Development

HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Vue.js, Angular development

Backend Development

Python, Java, C#, Go, Ruby, PHP, and Node.js applications

DevOps & Cloud

Docker, Kubernetes, Azure, AWS, and infrastructure as code

🚀 Getting Started with VSCode

1. Installation

Download from code.visualstudio.com • Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux • Lightweight installation (~100MB)

2. First Steps

Install language extensions • Set up your theme and preferences • Learn essential shortcuts

3. Boost Productivity

Master keyboard shortcuts • Use Command Palette frequently • Configure workspace settings

Pro Tip: VSCode's power lies in its keyboard shortcuts. Start with the essentials like Ctrl+P and Ctrl+Shift+P, then gradually learn more shortcuts to dramatically increase your coding speed and efficiency! 🎯