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Windows Terminal Keyboard Shortcuts (Latest) — Complete Cheat Sheet
Windows Terminal keyboard shortcuts for managing tabs, panes, profiles, scrolling, and clipboard — covering both the default and customisable bindings.
34 shortcuts across 3 categories · Windows
Windows Terminal is Microsoft's modern terminal application that brings PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), and other shells into a unified, tabbed interface with full GPU-accelerated rendering. Its keyboard shortcuts for pane splitting, tab management, and profile switching make it the most productive terminal environment on Windows.
Tabs & Profiles
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New Tab | Ctrl + Shift + T | Open a new tab using the default profile |
| New Tab with Profile 1–9 | Ctrl + Shift + 1–9 | Open a new tab using a specific saved profile |
| Close Tab | Ctrl + Shift + W | Close the current tab |
| Next Tab | Ctrl + Tab | Switch to the next tab |
| Previous Tab | Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Switch to the previous tab |
| Switch to Tab 1–8 | Ctrl + Alt + 1–8 | Jump to a specific tab by position |
| Move Tab Right | Ctrl + Shift + PgDn | Move the current tab one position to the right |
| Move Tab Left | Ctrl + Shift + PgUp | Move the current tab one position to the left |
| Rename Tab | Double-click tab | Double-click the tab title to rename it |
| Open Settings | Ctrl + , | Open the Windows Terminal settings UI |
| Open New Tab Menu | Ctrl + Shift + Space | Open the dropdown to choose a profile for a new tab |
Panes
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Split Pane Horizontally | Alt + Shift + - | Split the current pane into two horizontal panes |
| Split Pane Vertically | Alt + Shift + + | Split the current pane into two vertical panes |
| Close Pane | Ctrl + Shift + W | Close the currently focused pane |
| Move Focus Left | Alt + ← | Move focus to the pane on the left |
| Move Focus Right | Alt + → | Move focus to the pane on the right |
| Move Focus Up | Alt + ↑ | Move focus to the pane above |
| Move Focus Down | Alt + ↓ | Move focus to the pane below |
| Resize Pane Left | Alt + Shift + ← | Resize the active pane to the left |
| Resize Pane Right | Alt + Shift + → | Resize the active pane to the right |
| Toggle Pane Zoom | Alt + Z | Maximise the active pane to fill the window |
Clipboard & Scrolling
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Copy Selection | Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy the selected text |
| Paste | Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste text from the clipboard |
| Find | Ctrl + Shift + F | Search for text in the terminal output |
| Scroll Up | Ctrl + Shift + ↑ | Scroll the terminal buffer up one line |
| Scroll Down | Ctrl + Shift + ↓ | Scroll the terminal buffer down one line |
| Scroll Page Up | Ctrl + Shift + PgUp | Scroll up one full screen |
| Scroll Page Down | Ctrl + Shift + PgDn | Scroll down one full screen |
| Scroll to Top | Ctrl + Shift + Home | Jump to the top of the terminal buffer |
| Scroll to Bottom | Ctrl + Shift + End | Jump to the bottom of the terminal buffer |
| Increase Font Size | Ctrl + + | Increase the terminal font size |
| Decrease Font Size | Ctrl + - | Decrease the terminal font size |
| Reset Font Size | Ctrl + 0 | Reset the font size to the configured default |
| Toggle Full Screen | Alt + Enter | Toggle Windows Terminal in and out of full screen |
Windows Terminal Tips & Tricks
- Alt+Z zooms the active pane to full size: When working with multiple split panes, Alt+Z temporarily maximises the focused pane so you can read it better, then pressing Alt+Z again restores the split. No need to close and reopen panes.
- Ctrl+, opens a full GUI settings editor: Unlike most terminals, Windows Terminal has a complete graphical settings UI (Ctrl+,) where you can change colours, fonts, keybindings, and startup profiles. The underlying file is settings.json — you can edit either.
- Use profiles to open different shells in one click: Windows Terminal can host PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL, Git Bash, Azure Cloud Shell, and any other shell as named profiles. Press Ctrl+Shift+1 through 9 to open a specific profile directly in a new tab.
Frequently Asked Questions — Windows Terminal
- How do I open a new tab in Windows Terminal?
- Press Ctrl+Shift+T to open a new tab using the default profile. Press Ctrl+Shift+1 through Ctrl+Shift+9 to open a specific profile (PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL, etc.) directly in a new tab. Press Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab to switch between open tabs.
- How do I split the pane in Windows Terminal?
- Press Alt+Shift+D to split the terminal horizontally into side-by-side panes. Press Alt+Shift+Minus to split vertically (top/bottom). Use Alt+Arrow keys to move focus between panes. Press Ctrl+Shift+W to close the currently focused pane.
- How do I search in Windows Terminal?
- Press Ctrl+Shift+F to open the search bar at the top of the terminal window. Type your query to highlight all matches in the visible terminal output. Press Enter or F3 to jump between matches, and Escape to close the search bar and return focus to the terminal.
- How do I change the font size in Windows Terminal?
- Press Ctrl+Plus (+) to increase the terminal font size and Ctrl+Minus (-) to decrease it. Press Ctrl+0 to reset to the default size defined in your settings. To make a permanent size change, open Settings (Ctrl+,) and adjust the font size under the profile's Appearance tab.
How to Learn Windows Terminal Keyboard Shortcuts
Windows Terminal is Microsoft's modern replacement for the aging Windows console host, bringing tabbed interface, GPU-accelerated text rendering, and support for multiple shell profiles (PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL distributions, Azure Cloud Shell, and more) into a single application. Its keyboard shortcuts cover both standard terminal operations and its unique multi-tab, multi-pane interface. Alt+Shift+D duplicates the current pane side by side, Alt+Shift+Plus creates a new pane split horizontally, and Alt+Arrow keys move focus between panes — a tiling window manager model within the terminal that lets you run multiple shells simultaneously without switching between windows.
The Windows Terminal shortcuts most useful in day-to-day development work are Ctrl+Shift+T to open a new tab with the default profile, Ctrl+Shift+P to open the command palette (where you can switch profiles or run terminal settings commands), and Ctrl+Shift+F to open Find within the terminal buffer — useful for searching through command output without scrolling. Windows Terminal supports extensive keyboard customization through its settings.json file, where you can remap any action to any key combination. For developers working heavily with WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), Windows Terminal's profile system — where different shells have their own appearance settings — makes keeping Windows and Linux workflows distinct and organized. The shortcut Ctrl+Comma opens the settings UI directly, which is worth knowing for initial configuration.