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VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts (Latest) — Complete Cheat Sheet
Supercharge your coding workflow in Visual Studio Code with shortcuts for editing, navigation, terminal, and debugging.
47 shortcuts across 5 categories · Windows · macOS · Linux
Visual Studio Code is the most widely used code editor, and its extensive keyboard shortcut system is one of its greatest strengths. From multi-cursor editing to the Command Palette, mastering VS Code shortcuts lets you write, navigate, and refactor code without ever reaching for the mouse.
Editing
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Command Palette | Ctrl + Shift + P | Open the command palette to run any VS Code command |
| Quick Open File | Ctrl + P | Quickly open any file by name |
| Duplicate Line | Shift + Alt + ↓ | Duplicate the current line below |
| Move Line Down | Alt + ↓ | Move the current line down |
| Move Line Up | Alt + ↑ | Move the current line up |
| Delete Line | Ctrl + Shift + K | Delete the entire current line |
| Toggle Comment | Ctrl + / | Toggle line comment on the current line or selection |
| Block Comment | Shift + Alt + A | Toggle block comment on the selection |
| Format Document | Shift + Alt + F | Auto-format the entire document |
| Rename Symbol | F2 | Rename a variable or function across all files |
| Add Multiple Cursors | Alt + Click | Place additional cursors by clicking with Alt held |
| Select All Occurrences | Ctrl + Shift + L | Select every occurrence of the current word |
| Expand Selection | Shift + Alt + → | Expand the selection to the next logical unit |
Navigation
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Go to Definition | F12 | Jump to where a function or variable is defined |
| Peek Definition | Alt + F12 | View the definition inline without leaving the file |
| Go to References | Shift + F12 | Find all references to the symbol under the cursor |
| Go to Line | Ctrl + G | Jump to a specific line number |
| Go to Symbol in File | Ctrl + Shift + O | Jump to a function or class in the current file |
| Go to Symbol in Workspace | Ctrl + T | Search for any symbol across all files |
| Navigate Back | Alt + ← | Go back to the previous cursor location |
| Navigate Forward | Alt + → | Go forward to the next cursor location |
| Switch Tab | Ctrl + Tab | Switch between open editor tabs |
| Split Editor | Ctrl + \ | Split the editor into two side-by-side panels |
Search & Replace
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Find | Ctrl + F | Open find widget in the current file |
| Replace | Ctrl + H | Open find and replace in the current file |
| Find in Files | Ctrl + Shift + F | Search across all files in the workspace |
| Replace in Files | Ctrl + Shift + H | Find and replace across all files |
| Toggle Case Sensitive | Alt + C | Toggle case-sensitive search in the find widget |
| Toggle Regex | Alt + R | Toggle regular expression mode in the find widget |
| Find Next | Enter | Jump to the next search match |
| Find Previous | Shift + Enter | Jump to the previous search match |
Terminal & Panels
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Terminal | Ctrl + ` | Show or hide the integrated terminal panel |
| New Terminal | Ctrl + Shift + ` | Open a new terminal instance |
| Toggle Sidebar | Ctrl + B | Show or hide the file explorer sidebar |
| Toggle Problems Panel | Ctrl + Shift + M | Show errors and warnings in the Problems panel |
| Toggle Output Panel | Ctrl + Shift + U | Show the output panel |
| Zoom In | Ctrl + + | Increase the editor font size |
| Zoom Out | Ctrl + - | Decrease the editor font size |
| Reset Zoom | Ctrl + 0 | Reset the editor zoom to default |
Debug & Source Control
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle Breakpoint | F9 | Add or remove a breakpoint on the current line |
| Start / Continue Debugging | F5 | Start a debug session or resume from a breakpoint |
| Step Over | F10 | Execute the next line without entering function calls |
| Step Into | F11 | Step into the function call on the current line |
| Step Out | Shift + F11 | Step out of the current function |
| Stop Debugging | Shift + F5 | Stop the current debug session |
| Open Source Control | Ctrl + Shift + G | Open the Git source control panel |
| Stage Changes | Ctrl + Enter | Stage selected changes in the source control panel |
VS Code Tips & Tricks
- Multi-cursor editing saves massive time: Place your cursor on a word, press Ctrl+D to select the next occurrence, and keep pressing to select more. Edit all of them simultaneously.
- Use the Command Palette for everything: Press Ctrl+Shift+P and type anything — install extensions, change settings, run tasks, or switch themes — all without leaving the keyboard.
- Emmet shortcuts speed up HTML/CSS: Type a CSS selector like ul>li*5 and press Tab — VS Code expands it into a full HTML structure instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions — VS Code
- What is the most important VS Code keyboard shortcut?
- Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) opens the Command Palette — the central hub for every VS Code command. From here you can run tasks, change settings, install extensions, and more without memorizing individual shortcuts.
- How do I open the integrated terminal in VS Code?
- Press Ctrl+` (backtick) to toggle the integrated terminal open or closed. Use Ctrl+Shift+` to create a new terminal instance.
- How do I edit multiple lines at once in VS Code?
- Hold Alt and click where you want additional cursors, or press Ctrl+Alt+Down/Up to add cursors on adjacent lines. Ctrl+D selects the next match of the current selection for multi-cursor editing.
How to Learn VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts
Visual Studio Code combines file navigation, multi-cursor editing, terminal access, debugging, source control, and extensions in one editor. Its shortcut system helps developers move between those tasks without repeatedly opening menus. A practical learning path is to start with commands that expose the rest of the interface, then add editing and navigation shortcuts that match the work you do most often.
The single most important VS Code shortcut to master first is Ctrl+Shift+P — the Command Palette. It gives you searchable access to every feature in the editor, so even before you've memorized individual shortcuts, you can do anything quickly by typing its name. From there, Ctrl+P (Quick Open by filename) and Ctrl+G (go to line) are the navigation shortcuts that save the most time in real codebases. Multi-cursor editing (Ctrl+D to select the next match, Ctrl+Alt+Down to add a cursor below) is the VS Code superpower most worth learning — once you can edit ten places at once, single-cursor editing starts to feel painfully slow.