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Notepad++ Keyboard Shortcuts (Latest) — Complete Cheat Sheet
Notepad++ keyboard shortcuts for editing, multi-document management, search & replace, macros, code folding, and plugin usage.
47 shortcuts across 4 categories · Windows
Notepad++ is a free, open-source code and text editor for Windows that supports over 80 programming languages and has a rich keyboard shortcut system including macro recording, column editing, and multi-document operations. It's the go-to lightweight code editor for Windows users who want speed and flexibility without a full IDE.
File & Basic Editing
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New File | Ctrl + N | Create a new document tab |
| Open File | Ctrl + O | Open a file from disk |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Save the current file |
| Save As | Ctrl + Alt + S | Save the file with a new name or location |
| Save All | Ctrl + Shift + S | Save all open documents |
| Close Current Tab | Ctrl + W | Close the active document tab |
| Close All Tabs | Ctrl + Shift + W | Close all open document tabs |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Undo the last action |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | Redo the last undone action |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cut selected text to clipboard |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Copy selected text to clipboard |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Paste from clipboard |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | Select all text in the document |
Line Editing
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate Line | Ctrl + D | Duplicate the current line below it |
| Delete Line | Ctrl + Shift + L | Delete the entire current line |
| Move Line Up | Ctrl + Shift + ↑ | Move the current line up one position |
| Move Line Down | Ctrl + Shift + ↓ | Move the current line down one position |
| Join Lines | Ctrl + J | Join the current line with the line below it |
| Uppercase | Ctrl + Shift + U | Convert selected text to UPPERCASE |
| Lowercase | Ctrl + U | Convert selected text to lowercase |
| Indent Selection | Tab | Indent the selected lines |
| Unindent Selection | Shift + Tab | Remove one level of indentation |
| Toggle Comment | Ctrl + Q | Add or remove a single-line comment |
| Toggle Block Comment | Ctrl + Shift + Q | Toggle a block comment around the selection |
Search & Navigation
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Find | Ctrl + F | Open the Find dialog |
| Find & Replace | Ctrl + H | Open the Find & Replace dialog |
| Find in Files | Ctrl + Shift + F | Search across multiple files in a directory |
| Find Next | F3 | Find the next occurrence of the search term |
| Find Previous | Shift + F3 | Find the previous occurrence |
| Go to Line | Ctrl + G | Jump to a specific line number |
| Go to Matching Bracket | Ctrl + B | Jump between matching parentheses or brackets |
| Toggle Bookmarks | Ctrl + F2 | Add or remove a bookmark on the current line |
| Next Bookmark | F2 | Jump to the next bookmarked line |
| Previous Bookmark | Shift + F2 | Jump to the previous bookmarked line |
| Go to Start of File | Ctrl + Home | Move cursor to the very beginning of the file |
| Go to End of File | Ctrl + End | Move cursor to the very end of the file |
View & Macros
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fold / Unfold Current Block | Ctrl + Alt + F | Collapse or expand the current code block |
| Fold All | Alt + 0 | Collapse all foldable code blocks |
| Unfold All | Alt + Shift + 0 | Expand all folded code blocks |
| Toggle Word Wrap | Alt + W | Enable or disable word wrapping |
| Show All Characters | Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Toggle display of whitespace and newline characters |
| Zoom In | Ctrl + + | Increase the editor font size |
| Zoom Out | Ctrl + - | Decrease the editor font size |
| Reset Zoom | Ctrl + / | Reset the editor font size to default |
| Start Recording Macro | Ctrl + Shift + R | Begin recording a macro of your keystrokes |
| Stop Recording Macro | Ctrl + Shift + R | Stop recording the current macro |
| Run Macro | Ctrl + Shift + P | Play back the last recorded macro |
Notepad++ Tips & Tricks
- Ctrl+D duplicates lines without selecting them first: In Notepad++, Ctrl+D duplicates the current line instantly — even if nothing is selected. Combine with Ctrl+Shift+↑/↓ to reorder the duplicate, making boilerplate and repetitive edits very fast.
- Find in Files searches entire project folders: Ctrl+Shift+F opens a 'Find in Files' dialog that searches across every file in a directory. You can filter by file extension (*.js, *.php) and replace across all matches at once — very powerful for bulk refactors.
- Use macros to automate repetitive edits: Record a macro (Ctrl+Shift+R) of any series of keystrokes, then replay it (Ctrl+Shift+P) on every line that needs the same treatment. You can also save macros permanently via the Macro menu.
Frequently Asked Questions — Notepad++
- How do I use Find and Replace in Notepad++?
- Press Ctrl+H to open the Find and Replace dialog. Enable 'Regular expression' at the bottom to use regex patterns for powerful text transformations. Use Ctrl+F for Find only, and Ctrl+Shift+F to search across all open files or an entire folder on disk.
- How do I run a macro in Notepad++?
- Record a macro by pressing Ctrl+Shift+R to start recording your keystrokes, then Ctrl+Shift+Q to stop recording. Press Ctrl+Shift+P to run the macro once on the current document. Go to Macro → Run a Macro Multiple Times to repeat it a specific number of times or until the end of the file.
- How do I duplicate a line in Notepad++?
- Press Ctrl+D to duplicate the current line and insert the copy immediately below. Press Ctrl+L to select the entire current line, and Ctrl+Shift+K to delete the current line without copying it to the clipboard. Press Ctrl+T to swap the current line upward with the line above.
- How do I fold code blocks in Notepad++?
- Press Alt+0 to fold all code blocks in the file, or Alt+Shift+0 to unfold all blocks. Press Ctrl+Alt+F to fold just the block at the current cursor position. Code folding works with any language that has folding markers configured in the language settings.
How to Learn Notepad++ Keyboard Shortcuts
Notepad++ is a free, open-source code and text editor for Windows, known for its lightweight interface and support for many programming languages. Its keyboard shortcuts cover standard editing operations alongside Notepad++-specific features such as macro recording, column editing, and multi-document tab management. Column editing mode is useful for modifying aligned text such as log files or configuration values, but the exact input method can vary with settings and version.
The Notepad++ shortcuts that save the most time in typical editing sessions are in the Find and Replace system. Ctrl+F opens the standard find dialog, Ctrl+H opens find and replace, and Ctrl+Shift+F opens the Find in Files dialog that searches across all files in a specified folder — powerful for searching a codebase or log directory without a dedicated IDE. Ctrl+G jumps to a specific line number, essential when an error message references a line. For working with multiple files, Ctrl+Tab cycles through open document tabs, and Ctrl+W closes the current tab. Notepad++ also supports macros — recorded sequences of keystrokes and editing operations that can be played back and assigned to keyboard shortcuts — a feature worth exploring for repetitive editing tasks on large or multiple files.