ComboShelf

Claude Code keyboard shortcuts

This covers Claude Code, the terminal tool, which is where the shortcuts are. Claude Code runs inside your terminal, so most of its text editing follows the readline conventions you already know from a shell, and a few of its keys can be intercepted by the terminal before they arrive.

52 shortcutsWindows and MacChecked 25 September 2026

Checked against Claude Code documentation — Interactive mode. Version: Claude Code, current release.

The same actions in the other AI coding tools, side by side: AI coding tools compared.

52 shortcuts

The top 17 are the Claude Code shortcuts this page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear here. The drill asks the marked ones first too, shuffled. Or tick your own and print those.

The 17 to learn first: the shortcuts the Claude Code page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear on it.

Your own sheet: the Claude Code shortcuts you ticked.

Running the session

Practise these
Interrupt Claude mid-answer without losing the work so far # The one to learn. It stops the current response or tool call so you can redirect, and sends anything you had queued next. On a permission prompt it declines.WinEscapeMacEscape
Interrupt a running operation, or clear the prompt # With nothing running, the first press clears the input and a second exits.WinControl plusCMacControl plusC
Clear the input, or open the rewind menu when it is already empty # The cleared draft goes into history, so Up brings it back.WinEscapethenEscapeMacEscapethenEscape
Exit the session # Press twice within 800ms. With text in the prompt it deletes forward instead.WinControl plusDMacControl plusD
Cycle the permission modes # Alt+M on Windows where the runtime does not enable VT input.WinShift plusTabMacShift plusTab
Redraw the screen # Keeps your input and the conversation. The fix when the display goes garbled.WinControl plusLMacControl plusL
Show or hide the transcript view #WinControl plusOMacControl plusO
Search back through command history #WinControl plusRMacControl plusR
Background the running task # Press twice under tmux.WinControl plusBMacControl plusB
Show or hide the task checklist #WinControl plusTMacControl plusT
Stash the prompt, or bring the stash back #WinControl plusSMacControl plusS
Open the prompt in your editor #WinControl plusGorControl plusXthenControl plusEMacControl plusGorControl plusXthenControl plusE
Suspend to the shell # Unix only. Type fg to come back.WinControl plusZMacControl plusZ
Paste an image from the clipboard # Cmd+V in iTerm2, Alt+V on Windows and WSL.WinControl plusVMacControl plusV
Show the shortcut help panel # On an empty prompt.Win?Mac?
Move between the tabs of a dialog # In permission dialogs and menus.WinLeft arroworRight arrowMacLeft arroworRight arrow
Stop every background subagent # Press it twice within three seconds to confirm. It also turns off artifact auto-replies for the rest of the session.WinControl plusXthenControl plusKMacControl plusXthenControl plusK
Dictate by voice # Hold to record, once voice dictation is turned on. /voice tap makes it tap to start and stop.WinSpace barMacSpace bar

While Claude is working

You do not have to wait for a turn to end to say something.

Queue a message while Claude works # It waits above the input box instead of interrupting. A message reaches Claude as soon as its running tool calls finish; commands wait for the end of the turn.WinEnterMacReturn
Send what you queued now # Ctrl+X then Ctrl+S works in any terminal. Ctrl+Enter needs one that reports extended keys, and Claude Code v2.1.275 or later.WinControl plusEnterorControl plusXthenControl plusSMacControl plusReturnorControl plusXthenControl plusS
Take back what you queued # From the first line of the input box. The queued messages come back into it for editing.WinUp arrowMacUp arrow

Switching model and mode

Practise these
Switch model # On a Mac this needs Option set as Meta in the terminal.WinAlt plusPMacOption plusP
Turn extended thinking on or off # Works on a Mac without setting Option as Meta.WinAlt plusTMacOption plusT
Turn fast mode on or off #WinAlt plusOMacOption plusO

Editing the prompt

These are the readline bindings, so they also work in bash, zsh and most other terminal programs. On macOS the Alt shortcuts need Option configured as Meta in your terminal settings.

Practise these
To the start of the line #WinControl plusAMacControl plusA
To the end of the line #WinControl plusEMacControl plusE
Delete to the end of the line #WinControl plusKMacControl plusK
Delete back to the start of the line #WinControl plusUMacControl plusU
Delete back to the last space # Takes a whole path or a --flag=value in one press.WinControl plusWMacControl plusW
Paste back what you last deleted #WinControl plusYMacControl plusY
Cycle through earlier deletions # After Ctrl+Y.WinAlt plusYMacOption plusY
Back one word #WinAlt plusBMacOption plusB
Forward one word #WinAlt plusFMacOption plusF
Delete to the end of the word #WinAlt plusDMacOption plusD
Delete the previous word only #WinControl plusBackspaceMacOption plusDelete
Undo the last edit to the input #WinControl plus_orControl plusShift plusMinusMacControl plus_orControl plusShift plusMinus
Move the cursor, or step through history # Moves within the prompt first when it spans more than one row. Ctrl+P and Ctrl+N do the same.WinUp arroworDown arrowMacUp arroworDown arrow

Writing more than one line

Which one works depends on your terminal, which is why there are four.

Practise these
New line, in any terminal #WinBackslashthenEnterMacBackslashthenReturn
New line, using a control sequence # Works everywhere, with no configuration.WinControl plusJMacControl plusJ
New line, where the terminal supports it # Native in iTerm2, WezTerm, Ghostty, Kitty, Warp, Apple Terminal and Windows Terminal.WinShift plusEnterMacShift plusReturn
New line, with Option as Meta # After setting Option as Meta in the terminal.WinNo shortcutMacOption plusReturn

Characters that start something

Open the command and skill menu # At the start of the prompt, or after a space mid-prompt.WinSlashMacSlash
Run a shell command and hand Claude the output # At the start of the prompt.Win!Mac!
Mention a file path, with completion #Win@Mac@
Insert an emoji by name #Win:Mac:
Accept the autocomplete suggestion # On most permission prompts, with Yes or No focused, Tab opens a box for a comment on your answer instead.WinTabMacTab

The transcript view

Open it with Ctrl+O first. Some of these need the fullscreen renderer.

Practise these
Show the shortcut help panel #Win?Mac?
Jump to the previous or next prompt #Win{or}Mac{or}
Show all content # Classic renderer only.WinControl plusEMacControl plusE
Write the conversation to the terminal scrollback # So your terminal's own search can find it.WinLeft bracketMacLeft bracket
Open the conversation in your editor #WinVMacV
Leave the transcript view #WinQorControl plusCorEscapeMacQorControl plusCorEscape

Next

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Claude Code keyboard shortcuts — comboshelf.com. Checked 25 September 2026 against Claude Code documentation — Interactive mode.