VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts

Code faster — the VS Code shortcuts worth memorising, Mac and Windows side by side.

Action	Mac	Windows
Command Palette	`⌘⇧P`	`Ctrl+Shift+P`
Quick Open file	`⌘P`	`Ctrl+P`
Toggle terminal	⌃`	Ctrl+`
Toggle sidebar	`⌘B`	`Ctrl+B`
Comment line	`⌘/`	`Ctrl+/`
Move line up / down	`⌥↑ / ↓`	`Alt+↑ / ↓`
Copy line up / down	`⇧⌥↑ / ↓`	`Shift+Alt+↑ / ↓`
Add cursor above / below	`⌘⌥↑ / ↓`	`Ctrl+Alt+↑ / ↓`
Select next occurrence	`⌘D`	`Ctrl+D`
Rename symbol	`F2`	`F2`
Go to definition	`F12`	`F12`
Format document	`⇧⌥F`	`Shift+Alt+F`
Find / replace	`⌘F / ⌘⌥F`	`Ctrl+F / Ctrl+H`
Multi-cursor at click	`⌥Click`	`Alt+Click`

The two shortcuts that define VS Code

⌘/Ctrl + Shift + P opens the Command Palette — every command in the editor is one search away, so you rarely need to remember any other shortcut. ⌘/Ctrl + D selects the next occurrence of the current word; press it repeatedly to edit every match at once with multiple cursors.

Move and duplicate lines

Alt+↑/↓ moves the current line (or selection) without cut-and-paste, and Shift+Alt+↓ duplicates it below. On the Mac swap Alt for ⌥.

FAQ

How do I open the Command Palette in VS Code?

Press Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux or ⌘⇧P on the Mac. Type any command name to run it — this is the fastest way to discover shortcuts.

What is the multi-cursor shortcut in VS Code?

Ctrl+D (⌘D on Mac) selects the next occurrence of the current selection, adding a cursor each time. Alt+Click places a cursor anywhere.

Can I change VS Code shortcuts?

Yes — open Keyboard Shortcuts with Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (⌘K ⌘S on Mac) and rebind any command. This page lists the defaults.