⌨ Keyboard Shortcut Reference

VS Code · Chrome · Mac — Search and filter 150+ shortcuts

What is Keyboard Shortcuts Reference?

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference is a searchable index of keyboard shortcuts for popular developer tools, applications, and operating systems. Browse shortcuts for VS Code, Chrome DevTools, Terminal/Bash, macOS, Windows, Vim/Neovim, Git, and more. Filter by application, search by action (e.g., 'find all', 'rename', 'format'), and copy shortcuts directly.

Mastering keyboard shortcuts is one of the highest-ROI productivity investments for developers. Research suggests keyboard-proficient users complete common tasks 2-4x faster than mouse-dependent users. The most universally valuable shortcuts are those for your primary editor (VS Code: Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P for command palette, Cmd/Ctrl+P for file quick-open, Cmd/Ctrl+D for multi-cursor), browser DevTools (F12, Cmd+Shift+C for element picker, Cmd+Shift+J for console), and terminal (Ctrl+R for history search, Ctrl+A/E for line start/end).

Cross-platform considerations: macOS uses ⌘ Command where Windows/Linux use Ctrl for most shortcuts. Some shortcuts differ completely: macOS ⌘+Space (Spotlight) vs Windows (Windows key). VS Code normalizes this — most VS Code shortcuts work the same on all platforms with ⌘ on Mac and Ctrl on Windows. Terminal emulators (iTerm2, Windows Terminal, Hyper) add their own shortcuts on top of shell shortcuts.

How to Use

  1. Select the application from the category menu (VS Code, Chrome, macOS, etc.).
  2. Search by action (e.g., 'split editor', 'delete line') to find the shortcut.
  3. Use the OS toggle (Mac / Windows / Linux) to see platform-specific shortcuts.
  4. Click any shortcut row to copy it to the clipboard.
  5. Mark shortcuts as 'learned' to track your keyboard shortcut progress.

Examples

VS Code: format document

Result: Mac: ⌥⇧F / Windows: Alt+Shift+F / Linux: Ctrl+Shift+I

Chrome DevTools: open console

Result: Mac: ⌘⌥J / Windows: Ctrl+Shift+J

Terminal: reverse search history

Result: Ctrl+R → type to search → Enter to run, Ctrl+R again to cycle matches

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important VS Code keyboard shortcuts?

Must-know VS Code shortcuts: Cmd/Ctrl+P — Quick open file (fuzzy search). Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P — Command palette (run any command). Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+F — Search across all files. Cmd/Ctrl+D — Add selection to next find match (multi-cursor). Alt+Up/Down — Move line up/down. Cmd/Ctrl+/ — Toggle line comment. Cmd/Ctrl+B — Toggle sidebar. Cmd/Ctrl+J — Toggle terminal. F12 — Go to definition. Cmd/Ctrl+K Z — Zen mode. Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+K — Delete line. F2 — Rename symbol. These 15 shortcuts cover 80% of daily editing tasks.

How do I customize keyboard shortcuts in VS Code?

In VS Code: Cmd/Ctrl+K Cmd/Ctrl+S opens the Keyboard Shortcuts editor. Search for a command and click the edit icon to reassign. Or edit keybindings.json directly (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P → 'Open Keyboard Shortcuts JSON'). Format: [{key: 'ctrl+shift+d', command: 'editor.action.duplicateSelection'}]. Useful: assign Cmd+Enter to 'editor.action.insertLineAfter' to insert a line below without moving to the end of the current line. The when clause allows context-sensitive shortcuts (only in terminal, only when editor is focused).

What are the most useful Chrome DevTools shortcuts?

Essential Chrome DevTools shortcuts: F12 / Cmd+Opt+I — Open DevTools. Cmd+Shift+C — Inspect element (click to select). Cmd+Opt+J — Open console. Ctrl+L — Clear console. Cmd+Shift+P — Command menu (like VS Code's command palette). Ctrl+` — Toggle console in Elements panel. Cmd+[ / Cmd+] — Navigate between panels. F8 — Resume (debugger). F10 — Step over. F11 — Step into. Shift+F11 — Step out. Cmd+Shift+M — Toggle device toolbar (responsive mode). Cmd+R — Hard reload, Cmd+Shift+R — Hard reload + clear cache.

What are essential terminal keyboard shortcuts?

Universal terminal shortcuts (bash/zsh): Ctrl+R — Reverse search command history (type to filter). Ctrl+A — Move cursor to beginning of line. Ctrl+E — Move cursor to end of line. Ctrl+W — Delete word before cursor. Ctrl+K — Delete from cursor to end of line. Ctrl+U — Delete entire line. Ctrl+C — Cancel current command. Ctrl+L — Clear screen. Ctrl+D — Exit/logout. Alt+. (dot) — Insert last argument of previous command. !! — Repeat last command. !$ — Last argument of last command. Tab — Autocomplete. Ctrl+Z — Suspend process (use 'fg' to resume).

What keyboard shortcuts exist for navigating between apps?

macOS: Cmd+Tab — switch between apps. Cmd+` — switch between windows of the same app. Cmd+Space — Spotlight search. Ctrl+Up (Mission Control) — see all spaces. Ctrl+Left/Right — switch spaces. Windows: Alt+Tab — switch apps. Win+Tab — Task View. Win+number — open/focus app pinned to taskbar. Win+D — show desktop. Win+E — File Explorer. Win+V — Clipboard history. Virtual desktops: Win+Ctrl+D (new), Win+Ctrl+Left/Right (switch), Win+Ctrl+F4 (close). Linux (GNOME): Super key for Activities. Super+Page Up/Down for workspaces.

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