Key Bindings for Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code lets you perform most tasks directly from the keyboard. This page lists out the default bindings (keyboard shortcuts) and describes how you can update them.

Note: If you visit this page on a Mac, you will see the key bindings for the Mac. If you visit using Windows or Linux, you will see the keys for that platform. If you need the key bindings for another platform, hover your mouse over the key you are interested in.

Keyboard Shortcuts editor

Visual Studio Code provides a rich and easy keyboard shortcuts editing experience using Keyboard Shortcuts editor. It lists all available commands with and without keybindings and you can easily change / remove / reset their keybindings using the available actions. It also has a search box on the top that helps you in finding commands or keybindings. You can open this editor by going to the menu under File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts. (Code > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts on macOS)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Most importantly, you can see keybindings according to your keyboard layout. For example, key binding Cmd+\ in US keyboard layout will be shown as Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Cmd+7 when layout is changed to German. The dialog to enter key binding will assign the correct and desired key binding as per your keyboard layout.

For doing more advanced keyboard shortcut customization, read Advanced Customization.

Keymap extensions

Keyboard shortcuts are vital to productivity and changing keyboarding habits can be tough. To help with this, File > Preferences > Keymap Extensions shows you a list of popular keymap extensions. These extensions modify the VS Code shortcuts to match those of other editors so you don't need to learn new keyboard shortcuts. There is also a Keymaps category of extensions in the Marketplace.

Tip: Click on an extension tile above to read the description and reviews to decide which extension is best for you. See more in the Marketplace.

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

We also have a printable version of these keyboard shortcuts. Help > Keyboard Shortcut Reference displays a condensed PDF version suitable for printing as an easy reference.

Below are links to the three platform-specific versions:

Detecting keybinding conflicts

If you have many extensions installed or you have customized your keyboard shortcuts, you can sometimes have keybinding conflicts where the same keyboard shortcut is mapped to several commands. This can result in confusing behavior, especially if different keybindings are going in and out of scope as you move around the editor.

The Keyboard Shortcuts editor has a context menu command Show Same Keybindings, which will filter the keybindings based on a keyboard shortcut to display conflicts.

Pick a command with the keybinding you think is overloaded and you can see if multiple commands are defined, the source of the keybindings and when they are active.

show keybinding conflicts result

Viewing modified keybindings

You can view any user modified keyboard shortcuts in VS Code in the Keyboard Shortcuts editor with the Show User Keybindings command in the More Actions (...) menu. This applies the @source:user filter to the Keyboard Shortcuts editor (Source is 'User').

Default Keyboard Shortcuts

Advanced customization

All keyboard shortcuts in VS Code can be customized via the keybindings.json file.

To configure keyboard shortcuts through the JSON file, open Keyboard Shortcuts editor and select the Open Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON) button on the right of the editor title bar.
This will open your keybindings.json file where you can overwrite the Default Keybindings.

Open Keyboard Shortcuts JSON button

You can also open the keybindings.json file from the Command Palette (⇧⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+P)) with the Preferences: Open Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON) command.

Keyboard rules

The keyboard shortcuts dispatching is done by analyzing a list of rules that are expressed in JSON. Here are some examples:

// Keybindings that are active when the focus is in the editor
{ "key": "home",            "command": "cursorHome",                  "when": "editorTextFocus" },
{ "key": "shift+home",      "command": "cursorHomeSelect",            "when": "editorTextFocus" },

// Keybindings that are complementary
{ "key": "f5",              "command": "workbench.action.debug.continue", "when": "inDebugMode" },
{ "key": "f5",              "command": "workbench.action.debug.start",    "when": "!inDebugMode" },

// Global keybindings
{ "key": "ctrl+f",          "command": "actions.find" },
{ "key": "alt+left",        "command": "workbench.action.navigateBack" },
{ "key": "alt+right",       "command": "workbench.action.navigateForward" },

// Global keybindings using chords (two separate keypress actions)
{ "key": "ctrl+k enter",    "command": "workbench.action.keepEditor" },
{ "key": "ctrl+k ctrl+w",   "command": "workbench.action.closeAllEditors" },

Each rule consists of:

a key that describes the pressed keys.
a command containing the identifier of the command to execute.
an optional when clause containing a boolean expression that will be evaluated depending on the current context.

Chords (two separate keypress actions) are described by separating the two keypresses with a space. For example, Ctrl+K Ctrl+C.

When a key is pressed:

the rules are evaluated from bottom to top.
the first rule that matches, both the key and in terms of when, is accepted.
no more rules are processed.
if a rule is found and has a command set, the command is executed.

The additional keybindings.json rules are appended at runtime to the bottom of the default rules, thus allowing them to overwrite the default rules. The keybindings.json file is watched by VS Code so editing it while VS Code is running will update the rules at runtime.

Accepted keys

The key is made up of modifiers and the key itself.

The following modifiers are accepted:

Platform	Modifiers
macOS	Ctrl+, Shift+, Alt+, Cmd+
Windows	Ctrl+, Shift+, Alt+, Win+
Linux	Ctrl+, Shift+, Alt+, Meta+

The following keys are accepted:

f1-f19, a-z, 0-9
`, -, =, [, ], \, ;, ', ,, ., /
left, up, right, down, pageup, pagedown, end, home
tab, enter, escape, space, backspace, delete
pausebreak, capslock, insert
numpad0-numpad9, numpad_multiply, numpad_add, numpad_separator
numpad_subtract, numpad_decimal, numpad_divide

Command arguments

You can invoke a command with arguments. This is useful if you often perform the same operation on a specific file or folder. You can add a custom keyboard shortcut to do exactly what you want.

The following is an example overriding the Enter key to print some text:

{
  "key": "enter",
  "command": "type",
  "args": { "text": "Hello World" },
  "when": "editorTextFocus"
}

The type command will receive {"text": "Hello World"} as its first argument and add "Hello World" to the file instead of producing the default command.

For more information on commands that take arguments, refer to Built-in Commands.

Removing a specific key binding rule

You can write a key binding rule that targets the removal of a specific default key binding. With the keybindings.json, it was always possible to redefine all the key bindings of VS Code, but it can be difficult to make a small tweak, especially around overloaded keys, such as Tab or Escape. To remove a specific key binding, add a - to the command and the rule will be a removal rule.

Here is an example:

// In Default Keyboard Shortcuts
...
{ "key": "tab", "command": "tab", "when": ... },
{ "key": "tab", "command": "jumpToNextSnippetPlaceholder", "when": ... },
{ "key": "tab", "command": "acceptSelectedSuggestion", "when": ... },
...

// To remove the second rule, for example, add in keybindings.json:
{ "key": "tab", "command": "-jumpToNextSnippetPlaceholder" }

Keyboard layouts

Note: This section relates only to key bindings, not to typing in the editor.

The keys above are string representations for virtual keys and do not necessarily relate to the produced character when they are pressed. More precisely:

Reference: Virtual-Key Codes (Windows)
tab for VK_TAB (0x09)
; for VK_OEM_1 (0xBA)
= for VK_OEM_PLUS (0xBB)
, for VK_OEM_COMMA (0xBC)
- for VK_OEM_MINUS (0xBD)
. for VK_OEM_PERIOD (0xBE)
/ for VK_OEM_2 (0xBF)
` for VK_OEM_3 (0xC0)
[ for VK_OEM_4 (0xDB)
\ for VK_OEM_5 (0xDC)
] for VK_OEM_6 (0xDD)
' for VK_OEM_7 (0xDE)
etc.

Different keyboard layouts usually reposition the above virtual keys or change the characters produced when they are pressed. When using a different keyboard layout than the standard US, Visual Studio Code does the following:

All the key bindings are rendered in the UI using the current system's keyboard layout. For example, Split Editor when using a French (France) keyboard layout is now rendered as Ctrl+*:

render key binding

When editing keybindings.json, VS Code highlights misleading key bindings, those that are represented in the file with the character produced under the standard US keyboard layout, but that need pressing keys with different labels under the current system's keyboard layout. For example, here is how the Default Keyboard Shortcuts rules look like when using a French (France) keyboard layout:

keybindings.json guidance

There is also a widget that helps input the key binding rule when editing keybindings.json. To launch the Define Keybinding widget, press ⌘K ⌘K (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+K). The widget listens for key presses and renders the serialized JSON representation in the text box and below it, the keys that VS Code has detected under your current keyboard layout. Once you've typed the key combination you want, you can press Enter and a rule snippet will be inserted.

Note: On Linux, Visual Studio Code detects your current keyboard layout on start-up and then caches this information. For a good experience, we recommend restarting VS Code if you change your keyboard layout.

Keyboard layout-independent bindings

Using scan codes, it is possible to define keybindings which do not change with the change of the keyboard layout. For example:

{
  "key": "cmd+[Slash]",
  "command": "editor.action.commentLine",
  "when": "editorTextFocus"
}

Accepted scan codes:

[F1]-[F19], [KeyA]-[KeyZ], [Digit0]-[Digit9]
[Backquote], [Minus], [Equal], [BracketLeft], [BracketRight], [Backslash], [Semicolon], [Quote], [Comma], [Period], [Slash]
[ArrowLeft], [ArrowUp], [ArrowRight], [ArrowDown], [PageUp], [PageDown], [End], [Home]
[Tab], [Enter], [Escape], [Space], [Backspace], [Delete]
[Pause], [CapsLock], [Insert]
[Numpad0]-[Numpad9], [NumpadMultiply], [NumpadAdd], [NumpadComma]
[NumpadSubtract], [NumpadDecimal], [NumpadDivide]

'when' clause contexts

VS Code gives you fine control over when your key bindings are enabled through the optional when clause. If your key binding doesn't have a when clause, the key binding is globally available at all times. A when clause evaluates to either Boolean true or false for enabling key bindings.

Conditional operators

For conditional expressions, you can use the following conditional operators:

Operator	Symbol	Example
Equality	`==`	`"editorLangId == typescript"`
Inequality	`!=`	`"resourceExtname != .js"`
Or	`\|\|`	`"isLinux \|\| isWindows"`
And	`&&`	`"textInputFocus && !editorReadonly"`
Matches	`=~`	`resourceScheme =~ /^untitled$\|^file$/`

Contexts

Below are some of the possible when clause contexts which evaluate to Boolean true/false.

Context name	True when
Editor contexts
`editorFocus`	An editor has focus, either the text or a widget.
`editorTextFocus`	The text in an editor has focus (cursor is blinking).
`textInputFocus`	Any editor has focus (regular editor, debug REPL, etc.).
`inputFocus`	Any text input area has focus (editors or text boxes).
`editorHasSelection`	Text is selected in the editor.
`editorHasMultipleSelections`	Multiple regions of text are selected (multiple cursors).
`editorReadonly`	The editor is read only.
`editorLangId`	True when the editor's associated language Id matches. Example: `"editorLangId == typescript"`.
`isInDiffEditor`	The active editor is a difference editor.
`isInEmbeddedEditor`	True when the focus is inside an embedded editor.
Operating system contexts
`isLinux`	True when the OS is Linux
`isMac`	True when the OS is macOS
`isWindows`	True when the OS is Windows
`isWeb`	True when accessing the editor from the Web
List contexts
`listFocus`	A list has focus.
`listSupportsMultiselect`	A list supports multi select.
`listHasSelectionOrFocus`	A list has selection or focus.
`listDoubleSelection`	A list has a selection of 2 elements.
`listMultiSelection`	A list has a selection of multiple elements.
Mode contexts
`inDebugMode`	A debug session is running.
`debugType`	True when debug type matches. Example: `"debugType == 'node'"`.
`inSnippetMode`	The editor is in snippet mode.
`inQuickOpen`	The Quick Open drop-down has focus.
Resource contexts
`resourceScheme`	True when the resource Uri scheme matches. Example: `"resourceScheme == file"`
`resourceFilename`	True when the Explorer or editor filename matches. Example: `"resourceFilename == gulpfile.js"`
`resourceExtname`	True when the Explorer or editor filename extension matches. Example: `"resourceExtname == .js"`
`resourceLangId`	True when the Explorer or editor title language Id matches. Example: `"resourceLangId == markdown"`
`isFileSystemResource`	True when the Explorer or editor file is a file system resource that can be handled from a file system provider
`resourceSet`	True when an Explorer or editor file is set
`resource`	The full Uri of the Explorer or editor file
Explorer contexts
`explorerViewletVisible`	True if Explorer view is visible.
`explorerViewletFocus`	True if Explorer view has keyboard focus.
`filesExplorerFocus`	True if File Explorer section has keyboard focus.
`openEditorsFocus`	True if OPEN EDITORS section has keyboard focus.
`explorerResourceIsFolder`	True if a folder is selected in the Explorer.
Editor widget contexts
`findWidgetVisible`	Editor Find widget is visible.
`suggestWidgetVisible`	Suggestion widget (IntelliSense) is visible.
`suggestWidgetMultipleSuggestions`	Multiple suggestions are displayed.
`renameInputVisible`	Rename input text box is visible.
`referenceSearchVisible`	Peek References peek window is open.
`inReferenceSearchEditor`	The Peek References peek window editor has focus.
`config.editor.stablePeek`	Keep peek editors open (controlled by `editor.stablePeek` setting).
`quickFixWidgetVisible`	Quick Fix widget is visible.
`parameterHintsVisible`	Parameter hints are visible (controlled by `editor.parameterHints.enabled` setting).
`parameterHintsMultipleSignatures`	Multiple parameter hints are displayed.
Integrated terminal contexts
`terminalFocus`	An integrated terminal has focus.
`terminalIsOpen`	An integrated terminal is opened.
Timeline view contexts
`timelineFollowActiveEditor`	True if the Timeline view is following the active editor.
Timeline view item contexts
`timelineItem`	True when the timeline item's context value matches. Example: `"timelineItem =~ /git:file:commit\\b/"`.
Extension contexts
`extension`	True when the extension's ID matches. Example: `"extension == eamodio.gitlens"`.
`extensionStatus`	True when the extension is installed. Example: `"extensionStatus == installed"`.
`extensionHasConfiguration`	True if the extension has configuration.
Global UI contexts
`notificationFocus`	Notification has keyboard focus.
`notificationCenterVisible`	Notification Center is visible at the bottom right of VS Code.
`notificationToastsVisible`	Notification toast is visible at the bottom right of VS Code.
`searchViewletVisible`	Search view is open.
`sideBarVisible`	Side Bar is displayed.
`sideBarFocus`	Side Bar has focus.
`panelFocus`	Panel has focus.
`inZenMode`	Window is in Zen Mode.
`isCenteredLayout`	Editor is in centered layout mode.
`inDebugRepl`	Focus is in the Debug Console REPL.
`workbenchState`	Can be `empty`, `folder` (1 folder), or `workspace`.
`workspaceFolderCount`	Count of workspace folders.
`replaceActive`	Search view Replace text box is open.
`view`	True when view identifier matches. Example: `"view == myViewsExplorerID"`.
`viewItem`	True when viewItem context matches. Example: `"viewItem == someContextValue"`.
`isFullscreen`	True when window is in fullscreen.
`focusedView`	The identifier of the currently focused view.
`canNavigateBack`	True if it is possible to navigate back.
`canNavigateForward`	True if it is possible to navigate forward.
`canNavigateToLastEditLocation`	True if it is possible to navigate to the last edit location.
Global Editor UI contexts
`textCompareEditorVisible`	At least one diff (compare) editor is visible.
`textCompareEditorActive`	A diff (compare) editor is active.
`editorIsOpen`	True if one editor is open.
`groupActiveEditorDirty`	True when the active editor in a group is dirty.
`groupEditorsCount`	Number of editors in a group.
`activeEditorGroupEmpty`	True if the active editor group has no editors.
`activeEditorGroupIndex`	Index of the active editor in an group (beginning with `1`).
`activeEditorGroupLast`	True when the active editor in an group is the last one.
`multipleEditorGroups`	True when multiple editor groups are present.
`editorPinned`	True when the active editor in a group is pinned (not in preview mode).
`activeEditor`	The identifier of the active editor in a group.
Configuration settings contexts
`config.editor.minimap.enabled`	True when the setting `editor.minimap.enabled` is `true`.

Note: You can use any user or workspace setting that evaluates to a boolean here with the prefix "config.".

The list above isn't exhaustive and you may see some when contexts for specific VS Code UI in the Default Keyboard Shortcuts.

Active/Focused view or panel 'when' clause context

You can have a keybinding that is enabled only when a specific view or panel is visible.

Context name	True when
activeViewlet	True when view is visible. Example: `"activeViewlet == 'workbench.view.explorer'"`
activePanel	True when panel is visible. Example: `"activePanel == 'workbench.panel.output'"`
focusedView	True when view is focused. Example: `"focusedView == myViewsExplorerID`

View Identifiers:

workbench.view.explorer - File Explorer
workbench.view.search - Search
workbench.view.scm - Source Control
workbench.view.debug - Run
workbench.view.extensions - Extensions

Panel Identifiers:

workbench.panel.markers - Problems
workbench.panel.output - Output
workbench.panel.repl - Debug Console
workbench.panel.terminal - Integrated Terminal
workbench.panel.comments - Comments
workbench.view.search - Search when search.location is set to panel

If you want a keybinding that is enabled only when a specific view or panel has focus, use sideBarFocus or panelFocus in combination with activeViewlet or activiewFocus.

For example, the when clause below is true only when the File Explorer has focus:

"sideBarFocus && activeViewlet == 'workbench.view.explorer'"

key-value when clause operator

There is a key-value pair operator for when clauses. The expression key =~ value treats the right hand side as a regular expression to match against the left hand side. For example, to contribute context menu items for all Docker files, one could use:

   "when": "resourceFilename =~ /docker/"

Custom keybindings for refactorings

The editor.action.codeAction command lets you configure keybindings for specific Refactorings (Code Actions). For example, the keybinding below triggers the Extract function refactoring Code Actions:

{
  "key": "ctrl+shift+r ctrl+e",
  "command": "editor.action.codeAction",
  "args": {
    "kind": "refactor.extract.function"
  }
}

This is covered in depth in the Refactoring topic where you can learn about different kinds of Code Actions and how to prioritize them in the case of multiple possible refactorings.

Default Keyboard Shortcuts

You can view all default keyboard shortcuts in VS Code in the Keyboard Shortcuts editor with the Show Default Keybindings command in the More Actions (...) menu. This applies the @source:default filter to the Keyboard Shortcuts editor (Source is 'Default').

Default Keyboard Shortcuts

You can view the default keyboard shortcuts as a JSON file using the command Preferences: Open Default Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON).

Note: The following keys are rendered assuming a standard US keyboard layout. If you use a different keyboard layout, please read below. You can view the currently active keyboard shortcuts in VS Code in the Command Palette (View -> Command Palette) or in the Keyboard Shortcuts editor (File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts).

Some commands included below do not have default keyboard shortcuts and so are displayed as unassigned but you can assign your own keybindings.

Basic Editing

Key	Command	Command id
⌘X (Windows, Linux Ctrl+X)	Cut line (empty selection)	`editor.action.clipboardCutAction`
⌘C (Windows, Linux Ctrl+C)	Copy line (empty selection)	`editor.action.clipboardCopyAction`
⌘V (Windows, Linux Ctrl+V)	Paste	`editor.action.clipboardPasteAction`
⇧⌘K (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+K)	Delete Line	`editor.action.deleteLines`
⌘Enter (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Enter)	Insert Line Below	`editor.action.insertLineAfter`
⇧⌘Enter (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Enter)	Insert Line Above	`editor.action.insertLineBefore`
⌥↓ (Windows, Linux Alt+Down)	Move Line Down	`editor.action.moveLinesDownAction`
⌥↑ (Windows, Linux Alt+Up)	Move Line Up	`editor.action.moveLinesUpAction`
⇧⌥↓ (Windows Shift+Alt+Down, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Down)	Copy Line Down	`editor.action.copyLinesDownAction`
⇧⌥↑ (Windows Shift+Alt+Up, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Up)	Copy Line Up	`editor.action.copyLinesUpAction`
⌘Z (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Z)	Undo	`undo`
⇧⌘Z (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Y)	Redo	`redo`
⌘D (Windows, Linux Ctrl+D)	Add Selection To Next Find Match	`editor.action.addSelectionToNextFindMatch`
⌘K ⌘D (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+D)	Move Last Selection To Next Find Match	`editor.action.moveSelectionToNextFindMatch`
⌘U (Windows, Linux Ctrl+U)	Undo last cursor operation	`cursorUndo`
⇧⌥I (Windows, Linux Shift+Alt+I)	Insert cursor at end of each line selected	`editor.action.insertCursorAtEndOfEachLineSelected`
⇧⌘L (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+L)	Select all occurrences of current selection	`editor.action.selectHighlights`
⌘F2 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+F2)	Select all occurrences of current word	`editor.action.changeAll`
⌘L (Windows, Linux Ctrl+L)	Select current line	`expandLineSelection`
⌥⌘↓ (Windows Ctrl+Alt+Down, Linux Shift+Alt+Down)	Insert Cursor Below	`editor.action.insertCursorBelow`
⌥⌘↑ (Windows Ctrl+Alt+Up, Linux Shift+Alt+Up)	Insert Cursor Above	`editor.action.insertCursorAbove`
⇧⌘\ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+\)	Jump to matching bracket	`editor.action.jumpToBracket`
⌘] (Windows, Linux Ctrl+])	Indent Line	`editor.action.indentLines`
⌘[ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+[)	Outdent Line	`editor.action.outdentLines`
Home	Go to Beginning of Line	`cursorHome`
End	Go to End of Line	`cursorEnd`
⌘↓ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+End)	Go to End of File	`cursorBottom`
⌘↑ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Home)	Go to Beginning of File	`cursorTop`
⌃PageDown (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Down)	Scroll Line Down	`scrollLineDown`
⌃PageUp (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Up)	Scroll Line Up	`scrollLineUp`
⌘PageDown (Windows, Linux Alt+PageDown)	Scroll Page Down	`scrollPageDown`
⌘PageUp (Windows, Linux Alt+PageUp)	Scroll Page Up	`scrollPageUp`
⌥⌘[ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+[)	Fold (collapse) region	`editor.fold`
⌥⌘] (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+])	Unfold (uncollapse) region	`editor.unfold`
⌘K ⌘[ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+[)	Fold (collapse) all subregions	`editor.foldRecursively`
⌘K ⌘] (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+])	Unfold (uncollapse) all subregions	`editor.unfoldRecursively`
⌘K ⌘0 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+0)	Fold (collapse) all regions	`editor.foldAll`
⌘K ⌘J (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+J)	Unfold (uncollapse) all regions	`editor.unfoldAll`
⌘K ⌘C (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+C)	Add Line Comment	`editor.action.addCommentLine`
⌘K ⌘U (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+U)	Remove Line Comment	`editor.action.removeCommentLine`
⌘/ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+/)	Toggle Line Comment	`editor.action.commentLine`
⇧⌥A (Windows Shift+Alt+A, Linux Ctrl+Shift+A)	Toggle Block Comment	`editor.action.blockComment`
⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+F)	Find	`actions.find`
⌥⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+H)	Replace	`editor.action.startFindReplaceAction`
Enter	Find Next	`editor.action.nextMatchFindAction`
⇧Enter (Windows, Linux Shift+Enter)	Find Previous	`editor.action.previousMatchFindAction`
⌥Enter (Windows, Linux Alt+Enter)	Select All Occurrences of Find Match	`editor.action.selectAllMatches`
⌥⌘C (Windows, Linux Alt+C)	Toggle Find Case Sensitive	`toggleFindCaseSensitive`
⌥⌘R (Windows, Linux Alt+R)	Toggle Find Regex	`toggleFindRegex`
⌥⌘W (Windows, Linux Alt+W)	Toggle Find Whole Word	`toggleFindWholeWord`
⌃⇧M (Windows, Linux Ctrl+M)	Toggle Use of Tab Key for Setting Focus	`editor.action.toggleTabFocusMode`
	Toggle Render Whitespace	`toggleRenderWhitespace`
⌥Z (Windows, Linux Alt+Z)	Toggle Word Wrap	`editor.action.toggleWordWrap`

Rich Languages Editing

Key	Command	Command id
⌃Space (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Space)	Trigger Suggest	`editor.action.triggerSuggest`
⇧⌘Space (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+Space)	Trigger Parameter Hints	`editor.action.triggerParameterHints`
⇧⌥F (Windows Shift+Alt+F, Linux Ctrl+Shift+I)	Format Document	`editor.action.formatDocument`
⌘K ⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+F)	Format Selection	`editor.action.formatSelection`
F12	Go to Definition	`editor.action.revealDefinition`
⌘K ⌘I (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+I)	Show Hover	`editor.action.showHover`
⌥F12 (Windows Alt+F12, Linux Ctrl+Shift+F10)	Peek Definition	`editor.action.peekDefinition`
⌘K F12 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K F12)	Open Definition to the Side	`editor.action.revealDefinitionAside`
⌘. (Windows, Linux Ctrl+.)	Quick Fix	`editor.action.quickFix`
⇧F12 (Windows, Linux Shift+F12)	Go to References	`editor.action.goToReferences`
F2	Rename Symbol	`editor.action.rename`
⇧⌘. (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+.)	Replace with Next Value	`editor.action.inPlaceReplace.down`
⇧⌘, (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+,)	Replace with Previous Value	`editor.action.inPlaceReplace.up`
⌃⇧⌘→ (Windows, Linux Shift+Alt+Right)	Expand AST Selection	`editor.action.smartSelect.expand`
⌃⇧⌘← (Windows, Linux Shift+Alt+Left)	Shrink AST Selection	`editor.action.smartSelect.shrink`
⌘K ⌘X (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+X)	Trim Trailing Whitespace	`editor.action.trimTrailingWhitespace`
⌘K M (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K M)	Change Language Mode	`workbench.action.editor.changeLanguageMode`

Navigation

Key	Command	Command id
⌘T (Windows, Linux Ctrl+T)	Show All Symbols	`workbench.action.showAllSymbols`
⌃G (Windows, Linux Ctrl+G)	Go to Line...	`workbench.action.gotoLine`
⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+P)	Go to File..., Quick Open	`workbench.action.quickOpen`
⇧⌘O (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+O)	Go to Symbol...	`workbench.action.gotoSymbol`
⇧⌘M (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+M)	Show Problems	`workbench.actions.view.problems`
F8	Go to Next Error or Warning	`editor.action.marker.nextInFiles`
⇧F8 (Windows, Linux Shift+F8)	Go to Previous Error or Warning	`editor.action.marker.prevInFiles`
⇧⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+P) or F1	Show All Commands	`workbench.action.showCommands`
⌃Tab (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Tab)	Navigate Editor Group History	`workbench.action.quickOpenPreviousRecentlyUsedEditorInGroup`
⌃- (Windows Alt+Left, Linux Ctrl+Alt+-)	Go Back	`workbench.action.navigateBack`
⌃- (Windows Alt+Left, Linux Ctrl+Alt+-)	Go back in Quick Input	`workbench.action.quickInputBack`
⌃⇧- (Windows Alt+Right, Linux Ctrl+Shift+-)	Go Forward	`workbench.action.navigateForward`

Editor/Window Management

Key	Command	Command id
⇧⌘N (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+N)	New Window	`workbench.action.newWindow`
⌘W (Windows, Linux Ctrl+W)	Close Window	`workbench.action.closeWindow`
⌘W (Windows Ctrl+F4, Linux Ctrl+W)	Close Editor	`workbench.action.closeActiveEditor`
⌘K F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K F)	Close Folder	`workbench.action.closeFolder`
	Cycle Between Editor Groups	`workbench.action.navigateEditorGroups`
⌘\ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+\)	Split Editor	`workbench.action.splitEditor`
⌘1 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+1)	Focus into First Editor Group	`workbench.action.focusFirstEditorGroup`
⌘2 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+2)	Focus into Second Editor Group	`workbench.action.focusSecondEditorGroup`
⌘3 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+3)	Focus into Third Editor Group	`workbench.action.focusThirdEditorGroup`
	Focus into Editor Group on the Left	`workbench.action.focusPreviousGroup`
	Focus into Editor Group on the Right	`workbench.action.focusNextGroup`
⌘K ⇧⌘← (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+PageUp)	Move Editor Left	`workbench.action.moveEditorLeftInGroup`
⌘K ⇧⌘→ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+PageDown)	Move Editor Right	`workbench.action.moveEditorRightInGroup`
⌘K ← (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Left)	Move Active Editor Group Left	`workbench.action.moveActiveEditorGroupLeft`
⌘K → (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Right)	Move Active Editor Group Right	`workbench.action.moveActiveEditorGroupRight`
⌃⌘→ (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Alt+Right)	Move Editor into Next Group	`workbench.action.moveEditorToNextGroup`
⌃⌘← (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Alt+Left)	Move Editor into Previous Group	`workbench.action.moveEditorToPreviousGroup`

File Management

Key	Command	Command id
⌘N (Windows, Linux Ctrl+N)	New File	`workbench.action.files.newUntitledFile`
Ctrl+O	Open File...	`workbench.action.files.openFile`
⌘S (Windows, Linux Ctrl+S)	Save	`workbench.action.files.save`
⌥⌘S (Windows Ctrl+K S, Linux )	Save All	`workbench.action.files.saveAll`
⇧⌘S (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+S)	Save As...	`workbench.action.files.saveAs`
⌘W (Windows Ctrl+F4, Linux Ctrl+W)	Close	`workbench.action.closeActiveEditor`
⌥⌘T (Windows, Linux )	Close Others	`workbench.action.closeOtherEditors`
⌘K W (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K W)	Close Group	`workbench.action.closeEditorsInGroup`
	Close Other Groups	`workbench.action.closeEditorsInOtherGroups`
	Close Group to Left	`workbench.action.closeEditorsToTheLeft`
	Close Group to Right	`workbench.action.closeEditorsToTheRight`
⌘K ⌘W (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+W)	Close All	`workbench.action.closeAllEditors`
⇧⌘T (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+T)	Reopen Closed Editor	`workbench.action.reopenClosedEditor`
⌘K Enter (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Enter)	Keep Open	`workbench.action.keepEditor`
⌘K P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K P)	Copy Path of Active File	`workbench.action.files.copyPathOfActiveFile`
⌘K R (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K R)	Reveal Active File in Windows	`workbench.action.files.revealActiveFileInWindows`
⌘K O (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K O)	Show Opened File in New Window	`workbench.action.files.showOpenedFileInNewWindow`
	Compare Opened File With	`workbench.files.action.compareFileWith`

Display

Key	Command	Command id
⌃⌘F (Windows, Linux F11)	Toggle Full Screen	`workbench.action.toggleFullScreen`
⌘K Z (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Z)	Toggle Zen Mode	`workbench.action.toggleZenMode`
Escape Escape	Leave Zen Mode	`workbench.action.exitZenMode`
⌘= (Windows, Linux Ctrl+=)	Zoom in	`workbench.action.zoomIn`
⌘- (Windows, Linux Ctrl+-)	Zoom out	`workbench.action.zoomOut`
⌘Numpad0 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Numpad0)	Reset Zoom	`workbench.action.zoomReset`
⌘B (Windows, Linux Ctrl+B)	Toggle Sidebar Visibility	`workbench.action.toggleSidebarVisibility`
⇧⌘E (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+E)	Show Explorer / Toggle Focus	`workbench.view.explorer`
⇧⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+F)	Show Search	`workbench.view.search`
⌃⇧G (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+G)	Show Source Control	`workbench.view.scm`
⇧⌘D (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+D)	Show Run	`workbench.view.debug`
⇧⌘X (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+X)	Show Extensions	`workbench.view.extensions`
⇧⌘U (Windows Ctrl+Shift+U, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+H)	Show Output	`workbench.action.output.toggleOutput`
⌃Q (Windows Ctrl+Q, Linux )	Quick Open View	`workbench.action.quickOpenView`
⇧⌘C (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+C)	Open New Command Prompt	`workbench.action.terminal.openNativeConsole`
⇧⌘V (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+V)	Toggle Markdown Preview	`markdown.showPreview`
⌘K V (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K V)	Open Preview to the Side	`markdown.showPreviewToSide`
⌃` (Windows, Linux Ctrl+`)	Toggle Integrated Terminal	`workbench.action.terminal.toggleTerminal`

Search

Key	Command	Command id
⇧⌘F (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+F)	Show Search	`workbench.view.search`
⇧⌘H (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+H)	Replace in Files	`workbench.action.replaceInFiles`
⌥⌘C (Windows, Linux Alt+C)	Toggle Match Case	`toggleSearchCaseSensitive`
⌥⌘W (Windows, Linux Alt+W)	Toggle Match Whole Word	`toggleSearchWholeWord`
⌥⌘R (Windows, Linux Alt+R)	Toggle Use Regular Expression	`toggleSearchRegex`
⇧⌘J (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+J)	Toggle Search Details	`workbench.action.search.toggleQueryDetails`
F4	Focus Next Search Result	`search.action.focusNextSearchResult`
⇧F4 (Windows, Linux Shift+F4)	Focus Previous Search Result	`search.action.focusPreviousSearchResult`
↓ (Windows, Linux Down)	Show Next Search Term	`history.showNext`
↑ (Windows, Linux Up)	Show Previous Search Term	`history.showPrevious`

Preferences

Key	Command	Command id
⌘, (Windows, Linux Ctrl+,)	Open Settings	`workbench.action.openSettings`
	Open Workspace Settings	`workbench.action.openWorkspaceSettings`
⌘K ⌘S (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+S)	Open Keyboard Shortcuts	`workbench.action.openGlobalKeybindings`
	Open User Snippets	`workbench.action.openSnippets`
⌘K ⌘T (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+T)	Select Color Theme	`workbench.action.selectTheme`
	Configure Display Language	`workbench.action.configureLocale`

Debug

Key	Command	Command id
F9	Toggle Breakpoint	`editor.debug.action.toggleBreakpoint`
F5	Start	`workbench.action.debug.start`
F5	Continue	`workbench.action.debug.continue`
⌃F5 (Windows, Linux Ctrl+F5)	Start (without debugging)	`workbench.action.debug.run`
F6	Pause	`workbench.action.debug.pause`
F11	Step Into	`workbench.action.debug.stepInto`
⇧F11 (Windows, Linux Shift+F11)	Step Out	`workbench.action.debug.stepOut`
F10	Step Over	`workbench.action.debug.stepOver`
⇧F5 (Windows, Linux Shift+F5)	Stop	`workbench.action.debug.stop`
⌘K ⌘I (Windows, Linux Ctrl+K Ctrl+I)	Show Hover	`editor.debug.action.showDebugHover`

Tasks

Key	Command	Command id
⇧⌘B (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+B)	Run Build Task	`workbench.action.tasks.build`
	Run Test Task	`workbench.action.tasks.test`

Extensions

Key	Command	Command id
	Install Extension	`workbench.extensions.action.installExtension`
	Show Installed Extensions	`workbench.extensions.action.showInstalledExtensions`
	Show Outdated Extensions	`workbench.extensions.action.listOutdatedExtensions`
	Show Recommended Extensions	`workbench.extensions.action.showRecommendedExtensions`
	Show Popular Extensions	`workbench.extensions.action.showPopularExtensions`
	Update All Extensions	`workbench.extensions.action.updateAllExtensions`

Next steps

Now that you know about our Key binding support, what's next...

Language Support - Our Good, Better, Best language grid to see what you can expect
Debugging - This is where VS Code really shines
Node.js - End to end Node.js scenario with a sample app

Common questions

How can I find out what command is bound to a specific key?

In the Keyboard Shortcut editor, you can filter on specific keystrokes to see which commands are bound to which keys. Below you can see that Ctrl+Shift+P is bound to Show All Commands to bring up the Command Palette.

Key bindings quick outline

How to add a key binding to an action? For example, add Ctrl+D to Delete Lines

Find a rule that triggers the action in the Default Keyboard Shortcuts and write a modified version of it in your keybindings.json file:

// Original, in Default Keyboard Shortcuts
{ "key": "ctrl+shift+k",          "command": "editor.action.deleteLines",
                                     "when": "editorTextFocus" },
// Modified, in User/keybindings.json, Ctrl+D now will also trigger this action
{ "key": "ctrl+d",                "command": "editor.action.deleteLines",
                                     "when": "editorTextFocus" },

How can I add a key binding for only certain file types?

Use the editorLangId context key in your when clause:

{ "key": "shift+alt+a",           "command": "editor.action.blockComment",
                                     "when": "editorTextFocus && editorLangId == csharp" },

I have modified my key bindings in `keybindings.json`, why don't they work?

The most common problem is a syntax error in the file. Otherwise, try removing the when clause or picking a different key. Unfortunately, at this point, it is a trial and error process.

5/7/2020

Key Bindings for Visual Studio Code

Keyboard Shortcuts editor

Keymap extensions

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Detecting keybinding conflicts

Viewing modified keybindings

Advanced customization

Keyboard rules

Accepted keys

Command arguments

Removing a specific key binding rule

Keyboard layouts

Keyboard layout-independent bindings

'when' clause contexts

Conditional operators

Contexts

Active/Focused view or panel 'when' clause context

key-value when clause operator

Custom keybindings for refactorings

Default Keyboard Shortcuts

Basic Editing

Rich Languages Editing

Navigation

Editor/Window Management

File Management

Display

Search

Preferences

Debug

Tasks

Extensions

Next steps

Common questions

How can I find out what command is bound to a specific key?

How to add a key binding to an action? For example, add Ctrl+D to Delete Lines

How can I add a key binding for only certain file types?

I have modified my key bindings in keybindings.json, why don't they work?

I have modified my key bindings in `keybindings.json`, why don't they work?