ComboShelf

Visual Studio keyboard shortcuts

Visual Studio, Microsoft's full IDE for Windows, leans on two-step chords: press Ctrl+K, then Ctrl+C, to comment out a selection. Keys depend on the keyboard mapping scheme that comes with the settings profile you pick at first launch, so these are the defaults for the General profile; the Visual C# profile differs in places. Every key can be changed on the Keyboard page under Environment in Tools > Options.

129 shortcutsWindowsChecked 27 September 2026

Checked against Microsoft Learn — Keyboard shortcuts in Visual Studio, Microsoft Learn — Shortcut tips for Visual Studio, Microsoft Learn — Finding and replacing text, Microsoft Learn — Productivity features in Visual Studio, Microsoft Learn — Copilot Completions in Visual Studio, Microsoft Learn — Visual Studio 2026 release notes and Microsoft — Visual Studio keyboard shortcuts (printable PDF). Version: Visual Studio 2026 (version 18.10), General profile, default keys.

129 shortcuts

The top 20 are the Visual Studio 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 Visual Studio page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear on it.

Your own sheet: the Visual Studio shortcuts you ticked.

Editing

Practise these
Comment or uncomment the line # Ctrl+/ needs Visual Studio 2022 version 17.11 or later.Control plusSlashorControl plusKthenControl plusSlash
Comment out the selection #Control plusKthenControl plusC
Uncomment the selection #Control plusKthenControl plusU
Comment or uncomment a block #Control plusShift plusSlash
Move the line up or down # Moves every selected line.Alt plusUp arroworAlt plusDown arrow
Duplicate the line # Microsoft's productivity features page gives Ctrl+E then V for Edit > Duplicate.Control plusD
Cut the line #Control plusL
Delete the line #Control plusShift plusL
Open a new line above # Microsoft's printable cheat sheet has this pair the other way round. The reference table, followed here, gives Ctrl+Enter for the line above.Control plusEnter
Open a new line below #Control plusShift plusEnter
Make the selection lowercase # Ctrl+Shift+U makes it uppercase.Control plusU
Format the document #Control plusKthenControl plusD
Format the selection #Control plusKthenControl plusF
Run Code Cleanup # The broom icon at the bottom of the editor does the same.Control plusKthenControl plusE
Delete back to the start of the word # Ctrl+Delete deletes to the end of the word.Control plusBackspace
Undo #Control plusZorAlt plusBackspace
Redo #Control plusYorControl plusShift plusZorAlt plusShift plusBackspace
Cycle through what you copied earlier # The clipboard ring.Control plusShift plusVorControl plusShift plusInsert
Turn word wrap on or off #Control plusEthenControl plusW

Carets and selections

Several carets at once let you make the same edit in two or more places without find and replace.

Practise these
Add a caret where you click #Control plusAlt plusclick
Add a caret at the next match of the selection # Then Ctrl+Shift+arrow keys grow every selection at once.Alt plusShift plusFull stop
Add a caret at every match #Alt plusShift plusSemicolon
Remove the last caret you added #Alt plusShift plusComma
Add carets on the lines above or below # Gives one caret per line. To get a box selection instead, tick Use box selection in Tools > Options > Text Editor > Advanced.Alt plusShift plusUp arroworAlt plusShift plusDown arrow
Select a block with the mouse #Alt plusdrag
Expand the selection # Shift+Alt+- contracts it again.Alt plusShift plusEquals
Expand the selection to the containing block #Alt plusShift plusRight bracket

IntelliSense and Copilot

Practise these
Complete the word #Control plusSpace barorAlt plusRight arrow
Show the member list #Control plusJ
Show parameter info #Control plusShift plusSpace bar
Show quick info #Control plusKthenControl plusI
Switch IntelliSense between completion and suggestion mode # In suggestion mode, IntelliSense inserts an option only when you choose it.Control plusAlt plusSpace bar
Insert a snippet #Control plusKthenControl plusX
Accept Copilot's suggestion # Esc, or carrying on typing, rejects it. The accept key can be changed, for example to Right.Tab
Show Copilot's next suggestion # With none showing, Alt+. or Alt+, asks for one. The reference table also gives these two keys to the IntelliSense filter level.Alt plusFull stop
Show Copilot's previous suggestion #Alt plusComma
Accept the next word of a Copilot suggestion #Control plusRight arrow
Accept the next line of a Copilot suggestion #Control plusDown arrow
Paste and let Copilot adapt the code to the file # Adaptive paste, on by default. Switch it off under Tools > Options > GitHub > Copilot > Editor.Alt plusShift plusV

Refactoring

Show quick actions and refactorings # The same as clicking the light bulb or screwdriver icon.Control plusFull stoporAlt plusEnter
Rename the symbol #Control plusRthenControl plusR
Extract a method #Control plusRthenControl plusM
Extract an interface #Control plusRthenControl plusI
Encapsulate a field #Control plusRthenControl plusE
Reorder parameters # The O is the letter.Control plusRthenControl plusO
Remove and sort usings #Control plusRthenControl plusG
Generate a method #Control plusKthenControl plusM

Bookmarks and outlining

Set or clear a bookmark #Control plusKthenControl plusK
Go to the next bookmark # Ctrl+K then Ctrl+P goes to the previous one.Control plusKthenControl plusN
Clear every bookmark #Control plusKthenControl plusL
Expand or collapse this block #Control plusMthenControl plusM
Expand or collapse every block #Control plusMthenControl plusL
Collapse to definitions # The O is the letter.Control plusMthenControl plusO
Collapse every block # Ctrl+M then Ctrl+X expands them all again.Control plusMthenControl plusA

Building and debugging

Practise these
Build the solution #Control plusShift plusB
Cancel the build #Control plusPause
Start debugging # Also continues when the debugger is paused.F5
Start without debugging #Control plusF5
Stop debugging #Shift plusF5
Restart debugging #Control plusShift plusF5
Step over # Before debugging has started, F10 starts it and stops on the first line of your code.F10
Step into #F11
Step out #Shift plusF11
Run to the cursor #Control plusF10
Set the next statement #Control plusShift plusF10
Set or remove a breakpoint #F9
Enable or disable a breakpoint #Control plusF9
Delete every breakpoint #Control plusShift plusF9
Break into the running program #Control plusAlt plusPause
Open QuickWatch #Shift plusF9orControl plusAlt plusQ
Attach to a process #Control plusAlt plusP
Apply code changes while debugging #Alt plusF10
Open exception settings #Control plusAlt plusE

Debugger windows and tests

Practise these
Open the Immediate window # Type ? and a variable name to print its value.Control plusAlt plusI
Open the Breakpoints window #Control plusAlt plusB
Open the Call Stack window #Control plusAlt plusC
Open the Locals window #Control plusAlt plusVthenL
Open the Autos window #Control plusAlt plusVthenA
Open the first Watch window # 2, 3 or 4 in place of 1 opens the other Watch windows.Control plusAlt plusWthen1
Open Test Explorer #Control plusEthenT
Run every test #Control plusRthenA
Debug every test #Control plusRthenControl plusA
Run the tests in the current context # Ctrl+R then Ctrl+T debugs them instead.Control plusRthenT
Repeat the last test run # Ctrl+R then D debugs the last run.Control plusRthenL

Windows, tabs and files

Practise these
Open Solution Explorer #Control plusAlt plusL
Open the Properties window #F4
Open the Error List #Control plusBackslashthenControl plusEorControl plusBackslashthenE
Open the Output window # The O is the letter.Control plusAlt plusO
Open the Toolbox #Control plusAlt plusX
Open Git Changes # The 0 is zero.Control plus0thenControl plusGorControl plus0thenG
Close the document # Ctrl+W was added in Visual Studio 2026 and is not assigned in the Visual C# profile.Control plusWorControl plusF4
Close the tool window #Shift plusEscape
Go back to the document from a tool window #Escape
Switch to the next document # Ctrl+Shift+Tab goes the other way.Control plusTab
Go to the next tab # Ctrl+Alt+PageUp or Ctrl+PageUp for the previous tab. In the text editor, Ctrl+PageDown is View Bottom instead.Control plusAlt plusPage DownorControl plusPage Down
Keep a preview tab open #Control plusAlt plusHome
Show the open file in Solution Explorer #Control plusLeft bracketthenSorControl plusLeft bracketthenControl plusS
Zoom in # Ctrl+Shift+, zooms out.Control plusShift plusFull stop
Save the file #Control plusS
Save everything #Control plusShift plusS
Add a new item to the project #Control plusShift plusA

Next

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.

82 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

JetBrains IDEs

In a JetBrains IDE, Shift pressed twice searches everything, and Alt+Enter (Opt+Enter on a Mac) offers a fix for the code under the caret.

129 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

SSMS

SQL Server Management Studio takes most of its editing keys from Visual Studio, then adds its own for running queries, execution plans and the results pane.

155 shortcuts · Windows

Windows

These are the system shortcuts: they work on the desktop and inside almost any app, because Windows handles them before the app ever sees the key press.

149 shortcuts · Windows

Visual Studio keyboard shortcuts — comboshelf.com. Checked 27 September 2026 against Microsoft Learn — Keyboard shortcuts in Visual Studio.