Command Palette & Navigation
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Shift+P | Open Command Palette |
| Ctrl+P | Quick Open file by name |
| Ctrl+Shift+E | Focus Explorer sidebar |
| Ctrl+Shift+F | Global search across files |
| Ctrl+Shift+G | Open Source Control panel |
| Ctrl+` | Toggle integrated terminal |
| Ctrl+Shift+` | Create new terminal |
| Ctrl+B | Toggle sidebar visibility |
| Ctrl+\ | Split editor to the right |
| Ctrl+1/2/3 | Focus editor group 1, 2, or 3 |
Editing Essentials
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+D | Select next occurrence of current word |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Select ALL occurrences of current word |
| Alt+Click | Add cursor at click position |
| Ctrl+Alt+β/β | Add cursor above / below |
| Alt+β/β | Move line up / down |
| Shift+Alt+β | Copy / duplicate line down |
| Ctrl+Shift+K | Delete current line |
| Ctrl+/ | Toggle line comment |
| Shift+Alt+A | Toggle block comment |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z | Redo |
| Tab | Indent selected lines / Emmet expand |
| Shift+Tab | Outdent selected lines |
| Ctrl+] | Indent line |
| Ctrl+[ | Outdent line |
Code Navigation & IntelliSense
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| F12 | Go to Definition |
| Alt+F12 | Peek Definition (inline) |
| Shift+F12 | Show all References |
| F2 | Rename symbol across files |
| Ctrl+Space | Trigger IntelliSense suggestions |
| Ctrl+Shift+O | Go to symbol in current file |
| Ctrl+G | Go to specific line number |
| Ctrl+Home | Jump to beginning of file |
| Ctrl+End | Jump to end of file |
| Ctrl+Shift+\ | Jump to matching bracket |
Emmet in VS Code
| Abbreviation / Key | Output |
|---|---|
| ! | Full HTML5 boilerplate |
| div.container>header+main+footer | Layout scaffold with children |
| ul.nav>li.nav-item*4>a.nav-link{Item $} | Nav list with numbered links |
| form>input:text+input:email+button[type=submit]{Send} | Contact form scaffold |
| Ctrl+Alt+Enter (Win) / Ctrl+Opt+Enter (Mac) | Balance tag (expand to wrap) |
| Tab after abbreviation | Expand Emmet abbreviation |
| .box{content}*3 | Three divs with class and text |
| (header>nav)+(main>section*2)+footer | Full page layout with grouping |
Settings & Zen
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+K+Ctrl+S | Open Keyboard Shortcuts editor |
| Ctrl+K+Ctrl+T | Select color theme |
| Ctrl+, | Open Settings UI |
| Ctrl+Shift+V | Preview Markdown file |
| Ctrl+K+Z | Zen Mode (distraction-free) |
| F11 | Toggle full screen |
| Ctrl+= | Increase font size |
| Ctrl+- | Decrease font size |