Daily use VS Code Shortcuts for Developers
VS Code is one of the most popular code editor for developers. According to Stack Overflow Developer Survery 2025, 75.9% of the developers used VS Code as their editors. Most developers don't use essential VS Code's keyboard shortcuts. Knowing the right ones can save a lot of time in long run. We have listed some important default VS Code shortcuts worth knowing.
Navigation & Search
These are shortcuts that eliminates the need to touch the mouse for navigating the project.
| Shortcut | Mac | Windows / Linux | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Command Palette | ? + Shift + P |
Ctrl + Shift + P |
Access every VS Code command by name |
| Quick Open file | ? + P |
Ctrl + P |
Jump to any file in the project instantly |
| Go to symbol | ? + Shift + O |
Ctrl + Shift + O |
Jump to a function or class in the current file |
| Go to line | Ctrl + G |
Ctrl + G |
Jump to a specific line number |
| Find in files | ? + Shift + F |
Ctrl + Shift + F |
Search across the entire workspace |
| Replace in files | ? + Shift + H |
Ctrl + Shift + H |
Find and replace across all files |
| Jump to bracket | ? + Shift + \ |
Ctrl + Shift + \ |
Move cursor to the matching bracket |
Editing
The editing shortcuts are necessary when editing files.
| Shortcut | Mac | Windows / Linux | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move line up / down | Alt + ?/? |
Alt + ?/? |
Reorder lines without cut-paste |
| Delete line | ? + Shift + K |
Ctrl + Shift + K |
Remove the entire line instantly |
| Select all occurrences | ? + Shift + L |
Ctrl + Shift + L |
Select every match of the current word |
| Add next occurrence | ? + D |
Ctrl + D |
Incrementally add the next matching selection |
| Toggle line comment | ? + / |
Ctrl + / |
Comment or uncomment the selected lines |
| Fold / unfold region | ? + Alt + [/] |
Ctrl + Shift + [/] |
Collapse or expand a code block |
Terminal & Panels
Switching between your editor and terminal is easier with these shortcuts.
| Shortcut | Mac | Windows / Linux | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggle terminal | Ctrl + ` |
Ctrl + ` |
Open or hide the integrated terminal |
| New terminal | Ctrl + Shift + ` |
Ctrl + Shift + ` |
Spawn a fresh terminal instance |
| Toggle sidebar | ? + B |
Ctrl + B |
Hide/show the file explorer panel |
| Toggle panel | ? + J |
Ctrl + J |
Show or hide the bottom panel |
Code Intelligence
| Shortcut | Mac | Windows / Linux | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rename symbol | F2 |
F2 |
Rename a variable/function across all usages |
| Go to definition | F12 |
F12 |
Jump to where a symbol is defined |
| Show references | Shift + F12 |
Shift + F12 |
See every place a symbol is used |
| Show hover docs | ? + K + I |
Ctrl + K + I |
See type info and documentation inline |
| Quick fix / refactor | ? + . |
Ctrl + . |
Trigger code actions and refactoring hints |
Layout & Focus
| Shortcut | Mac | Windows / Linux | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split editor | ? + \ |
Ctrl + \ |
Open a side-by-side editing view |
| Switch editor tab | Ctrl + Tab |
Ctrl + Tab |
Cycle through open editor tabs |
| Close editor | ? + W |
Ctrl + W |
Close the current tab |
References
There are many other VS Code shortcuts that will surely be useful for a developer. Official source for more VS Code shortcuts are listed below:
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Updated: May 24, 2026
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