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Gemini CLI keyboard shortcuts

Gemini CLI is Google's coding agent for the terminal, and Google publishes a full table of its default keys, many with two or three alternatives. Its line editing follows the readline keys a shell uses, and a handful of keys depend on the terminal, which Google names in its limitations. Since 18 June 2026 Google serves it only to Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise customers; individual and free users were moved to Antigravity CLI.

65 shortcutsWindows and MacChecked 25 September 2026

Checked against Gemini CLI documentation — Keyboard shortcuts, Gemini CLI documentation — Commands and Google Developers Blog — Transitioning Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLI. Version: Gemini CLI, current release, default keybindings.

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

65 shortcuts

The top 16 are the Gemini CLI 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 16 to learn first: the shortcuts the Gemini CLI page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear on it.

Your own sheet: the Gemini CLI shortcuts you ticked.

Running the session

Practise these
Cancel the request, clear the input, or quit # Google lists all three for Ctrl+C: it cancels a request that is running, clears text in the input, and quits the CLI when the input is empty.WinControl plusCMacControl plusC
Exit the CLI # When the input is empty. With text in it, Ctrl+D deletes the character to the right.WinControl plusDMacControl plusD
Dismiss a dialog, or cancel the current focus #WinEscapeorControl plusLeft bracketMacEscapeorControl plusLeft bracket
Clear the input, or go back through earlier interactions # Pressed twice quickly. With text in the prompt it clears it; with the prompt empty it lets you browse and rewind earlier interactions.WinEscapethenEscapeMacEscapethenEscape
Cycle the approval modes # Default (asks first), auto-edit (approves edits) and plan (read-only). Plan is skipped while the agent is busy. Google notes it does not work in Windows Terminal on Node 20 and earlier versions of Node 22.WinShift plusTabMacShift plusTab
Switch YOLO mode on or off # YOLO approves every tool call automatically.WinControl plusYMacControl plusY
Clear the screen and redraw the interface #WinControl plusLMacControl plusL
Suspend the CLI to the background # Google's table also gives Ctrl+Z to undoing an edit in the input.WinControl plusZMacControl plusZ
Show or hide the shortcuts panel # On an empty prompt. Press ? again to close it and type a ?.Win?Mac?
Enter or leave shell mode # On an empty prompt.Win!Mac!
Switch between the minimal and the full interface # While typing in the prompt, when no completion or search is open. Gemini CLI remembers the choice for later sessions.WinTabthenTabMacTabthenTab

Writing and sending the prompt

Practise these
Send the prompt #WinEnterMacReturn
Start a new line without sending # Not in macOS Terminal, and in Windows Terminal only from version 1.25, Google says. Ctrl+Enter, Alt+Enter and Ctrl+J do the same, and so does Cmd+Enter on a Mac.WinShift plusEnterMacShift plusReturn
Start a new line at the end of a line # A backslash at the end of the line, then Enter. It keeps single-line mode.WinBackslashthenEnterMacBackslashthenReturn
Queue the prompt to run after the current task # While a task is running.WinTabMacTab
Write the prompt in an external editor # Also opens a plan in the editor when one is shown.WinControl plusGorControl plusShift plusGMacControl plusGorControl plusShift plusG
Put a file's content into the prompt # Followed by a path, as in @src/app.ts. A folder's path reads the files in it and its subfolders, leaving out files Git ignores.Win@Mac@
Paste from the clipboard # Google's table gives Win+V as well, but Windows keeps Win+V for its clipboard history.WinControl plusVorAlt plusVMacControl plusVorCommand plusVorOption plusV
Expand or collapse a pasted block # With the cursor on the marker a long paste leaves, such as [Pasted Text: 12 lines]. The same key expands and collapses blocks of content outside alternate buffer mode.WinControl plusOMacControl plusO
Undo the last edit to the input # Google's table gives Ctrl+Z to suspending the CLI as well. It gives Win+Z for undo too, but Windows keeps Win+Z for its snap layouts.WinControl plusZorAlt plusZMacControl plusZorOption plusZorCommand plusZ
Redo the edit you undid # Google's table gives Win+Shift+Z as well, left out of the Windows column like Win+V and Win+Z above.WinControl plusShift plusZorAlt plusShift plusZMacControl plusShift plusZorShift plusCommand plusZorOption plusShift plusZ

Moving and deleting in the input

Mostly the readline keys a shell uses, with the arrow-key versions Google lists beside them.

To the start of the line #WinControl plusAorHomeMacControl plusAorHome
To the end of the line #WinControl plusEorEndMacControl plusEorEnd
Back one word #WinControl plusLeft arroworAlt plusLeft arroworAlt plusBMacControl plusLeft arroworOption plusLeft arroworOption plusB
Forward one word #WinControl plusRight arroworAlt plusRight arroworAlt plusFMacControl plusRight arroworOption plusRight arroworOption plusF
Forward one character #WinRight arroworControl plusFMacRight arroworControl plusF
Delete to the end of the line #WinControl plusKMacControl plusK
Delete back to the start of the line #WinControl plusUMacControl plusU
Delete the previous word #WinControl plusBackspaceorAlt plusBackspaceorControl plusWMacControl plusDeleteorOption plusDeleteorControl plusW
Delete the next word #WinControl plusDeleteorAlt plusDeleteorAlt plusDMacControl plusForward DeleteorOption plusForward DeleteorOption plusD
Delete the character to the left #WinBackspaceorControl plusHMacDeleteorControl plusH
Delete the character to the right #WinDeleteorControl plusDMacForward DeleteorControl plusD

History and suggestions

Previous prompt in the history # Up does the same when the cursor is at the top of a single-line input.WinControl plusPMacControl plusP
Next prompt in the history # Down does the same when the cursor is at the bottom of a single-line input.WinControl plusNMacControl plusN
Search back through the history # Enter sends the selected match; Tab accepts a suggestion while searching.WinControl plusRMacControl plusR
Accept the inline suggestion #WinTaborEnterMacTaborReturn
Previous or next completion # Ctrl+P and Ctrl+N as well.WinUp arroworDown arrowMacUp arroworDown arrow
Expand or collapse an inline suggestion #WinRight arroworLeft arrowMacRight arroworLeft arrow

Scrolling and the screen

Practise these
Scroll up or down #WinShift plusUp arroworShift plusDown arrowMacShift plusUp arroworShift plusDown arrow
Scroll by a page #WinPage UporPage DownMacPage UporPage Down
Scroll to the top #WinControl plusHomeorShift plusHomeMacControl plusHomeorShift plusHome
Scroll to the bottom #WinControl plusEndorShift plusEndMacControl plusEndorShift plusEnd
Show or hide the full to-do list #WinControl plusTMacControl plusT
Switch Markdown rendering on or off #WinAlt plusMMacOption plusM
Show or hide the debug console # For the detail behind an error.WinF12MacF12
Show the IDE context details #WinF4MacF4
Switch mouse mode on or off # Mouse mode lets the mouse scroll and click.WinControl plusSMacControl plusS
Switch copy mode on or off # In alternate buffer mode.WinF9MacF9
Hold to speak in Voice Mode #WinSpace barMacSpace bar

Background shells

Practise these
Show or hide the current background shell #WinControl plusBMacControl plusB
Show or hide the list of background shells # Elsewhere Ctrl+L clears the screen.WinControl plusLMacControl plusL
Stop the active background shell #WinControl plusKMacControl plusK
Move focus into the active shell #WinTabMacTab
Move focus back to Gemini #WinShift plusTabMacShift plusTab

Vi mode

Once vim mode is on, with /vim or the general.vimMode setting. Counts work as in Vim: 5j, 3dd.

Go to NORMAL mode #WinEscapeMacEscape
Insert at the cursor, or after it #i or a
Insert at the start or the end of the line #I or A
Open a new line below or above #o or O
Clear the input, in NORMAL mode #WinEscapethenEscapeMacEscapethenEscape
Word forward, back, or to its end #w b e
First line, last line #gg G
Delete the line, or to the end of it #dd D
Change the word, or the line #cw cc
Yank the line, then paste after or before #yy p P
Undo, and repeat the last command #u .

Next

Antigravity

Google Antigravity is three products, and this page keeps them apart: the Antigravity 2.0 desktop app, the Antigravity IDE, and the agy terminal CLI.

96 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

Claude Code

This covers Claude Code, the terminal tool, which is where the shortcuts are.

52 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

Codex CLI

Codex CLI is OpenAI's coding agent for the terminal, and OpenAI documents only a short list of its keys.

17 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

Terminal

Almost everything here comes from readline, the line editor that bash and zsh both use.

73 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

Gemini CLI keyboard shortcuts — comboshelf.com. Checked 25 September 2026 against Gemini CLI documentation — Keyboard shortcuts.