Terminal and shell keyboard shortcuts
Almost everything here comes from readline, the line editor that bash and zsh both use. Readline is why the same keys work over SSH, inside a container, and in most other programs that read a line of input. The last two groups cover the terminal application itself, where macOS and Windows differ.
Checked against GNU — Readline command names and bindings and Microsoft — Windows Terminal actions. Version: bash 5 and zsh 5 with emacs bindings, the default.
Showing the Windows keyboard. Showing the Mac keyboard.
The top 20 are the Terminal 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 20 to learn first: the shortcuts the Terminal page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear on it.
Your own sheet: the Terminal shortcuts you ticked.
The five that change how you use a shell
Practise theseMoving along the line
Practise theseEditing the line
Practise theseHistory
Practise these!!sudo !!!$Completion
Controlling what is running
Practise thesefgbgjobsmacOS Terminal and iTerm2
Practise theseWindows Terminal
Practise theseNext
Claude Code
This covers Claude Code, the terminal tool, which is where the shortcuts are.
tmux
Most tmux keys start with the prefix, Ctrl+B: press it, let go, then press the command key.
Vim
Vim is not a list of shortcuts so much as a small language: an operator, then a motion or a text object.
VS Code
VS Code has more shortcuts than anyone can hold in their head, so this page is ordered by how often you would actually reach for one.
Terminal and shell keyboard shortcuts — comboshelf.com. Checked 18 September 2026 against GNU — Readline command names and bindings.