Visual Studio Code Keyboard Shortcuts

macOS Uses Command (⌘) as the primary modifier. Cmd+Shift+P opens the command palette. Option (⌥) is used for word-by-word cursor movement and a few multi-cursor operations. Some macOS system shortcuts can overlap with VS Code — the platform page notes where this occurs.

Windows Uses Ctrl as the primary modifier. Ctrl+Shift+P opens the command palette. Alt is used for multi-cursor operations and word navigation differs from Mac. F-key shortcuts work without Fn by default.

Linux Uses Ctrl, matching Windows. The shortcut set is identical to Windows. Desktop environment shortcuts can conflict with a small number of VS Code bindings — more common on Linux than on other platforms. The VS Code keyboard customization panel is where Linux users most often make adjustments.

Command palette. The single most important shortcut in VS Code. Opens a searchable list of every editor command — running tasks, changing settings, installing extensions, and anything else you'd normally dig through menus to find.

File navigation. Quick open (search files by name), switching between open editors, navigating the file explorer, and recently opened files all have keyboard shortcuts.

Editor and cursor. Single and multi-cursor placement, word-by-word navigation, line selection, code folding, and block movement.

Integrated terminal. Opening and closing the terminal panel, creating new terminal instances, and switching between them.

Debugger. Starting and stopping debug sessions, stepping through code (step over, step into, step out), breakpoint management, and debug console navigation.

Source control. Staging files, opening the diff view, and navigating between changes all have shortcuts in VS Code's built-in Git integration.

A printable PDF of VS Code shortcuts is available for each platform. The debugger and terminal shortcut sections are long enough that a printed reference is useful during the first weeks of learning them — especially since those areas are used less frequently than editing shortcuts and harder to memorize passively.

GitHub Desktop, Slack, Notion, Figma, and Zoom sit near VS Code because development work often connects code editing, source control, team communication, documentation, design review, and meetings. GitHub Desktop supports repository workflows, Slack and Zoom cover communication around code, Notion holds project context and docs, and Figma connects developer work to design files. These apps are related by workflow and audience, not because every VS Code session uses all of them.

What is the most important VS Code keyboard shortcut to learn first?

The command palette. It opens a searchable list of every command in VS Code, so anything you'd normally find in a menu is one shortcut away. On Mac: Cmd+Shift+P. On Windows and Linux: Ctrl+Shift+P. Once you know it, you can find every other shortcut from within VS Code itself.

Do VS Code shortcuts work the same across Mac, Windows, and Linux?

The actions are the same, but the modifier keys differ. Mac uses Command (⌘); Windows and Linux use Ctrl. A few shortcuts also use platform-specific secondary modifiers — Option on Mac for word navigation, Alt on Windows. Each platform page shows the exact keys.

Does HKeys cover VS Code's customized shortcuts or just the defaults?

Only the defaults. VS Code supports full keyboard remapping, so users' configurations vary widely. The pages on HKeys cover the shortcuts VS Code ships with on each platform before any customization.

Can I get a printable version of the VS Code shortcut list?

Yes. Each platform page has a downloadable PDF. Free HKeys accounts include PDF downloads.

This section lists official sources and documentation for Visual Studio Code. These references are here so you can verify shortcut behavior. They are especially useful when a command feels different, or when an update changes how a shortcut works.

Official references are the safest place to check platform differences, keyboard layout issues, browser conflicts, operating system shortcut conflicts, and app-version differences. Even a familiar shortcut can behave differently when the OS reserves a key pattern or a keyboard layout changes what your hands actually produce. When something feels off, treat the docs as the source of truth.