If you’ve been coding for a while, you know the mouse can slow you down. Every time you move your hand from the keyboard to click around, it breaks your flow. The good news? Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is packed with keyboard shortcuts and navigation tricks that let you fly through your codebase without touching the mouse much.
This blog is your all-in-one guide to mastering VS Code with the keyboard — from beginner basics to pro-level hacks. Stick around till the end, and you’ll pick up tips that even seasoned developers don’t always use.
🎯 Why Rely Less on the Mouse?
- Speed – Shortcuts are faster than hunting through menus.
- Focus – Staying on the keyboard keeps you "in the flow."
- Professionalism – Efficient navigation makes you look (and feel) like a coding wizard.
⌨️ Moving Your Cursor Like a Pro
1. Basic Cursor Movement
- Arrows: Character-by-character navigation.
- Ctrl + → / ← (Win/Linux) or Option + → / ← (Mac): Jump word by word.
- Home / End: Go to start or end of a line.
- Ctrl + Home / End: Jump to the very top or bottom of the file.
👉 No more endless scrolling!
2. Multi-Cursor Magic
Multi-cursors let you edit many places at once.
- Alt + Click (Win/Linux) or Option + Click (Mac): Add a new cursor.
- Ctrl + Alt + Down/Up (Win/Linux) or Option + Cmd + Down/Up (Mac): Add cursors on lines above/below.
- Ctrl + D: Select the next match of the same word.
- Ctrl + Shift + L: Select all matches in one go.
💡 Scenario: Rename a function used 10 times in a file — all at once!
3. Selecting Smarter
- Shift + Arrows: Select text bit by bit.
- Ctrl + Shift + → / ← (Win/Linux) or Option + Shift + → / ← (Mac): Select words quickly.
- Ctrl + A: Select everything.
- Ctrl + Shift + Alt + → / ← (Win/Linux) or Shift + Option + Cmd + → / ← (Mac): Expand or shrink selections based on code structure.
🖱️ Cutting Down Mouse Input in VS Code
Command Palette: Your Superpower
- Ctrl + Shift + P (Win/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (Mac) 👉 Run any command just by typing.
No more digging into menus.
Quick File & Project Navigation
- Ctrl + P (Win/Linux) or Cmd + P (Mac) – Open any file instantly.
- Ctrl + E – Quick switch between recently opened files.
Jump Between Tabs & Editors
- Ctrl + Tab – Cycle through open files.
- Ctrl + PageUp/PageDown (Win/Linux) or Cmd + Option + ← / → (Mac) – Switch tabs left/right.
- *Ctrl + * – Split editor into two side-by-side windows.
Go to Definition & Symbols
- F12 – Jump to definition.
- Alt + F12 – Peek at definition inline.
- Ctrl + Shift + O – Jump to a function/class in the current file.
- Ctrl + T (Win/Linux) or Cmd + T (Mac) – Search all symbols in the project.
💡 Scenario: Working in a large codebase? These shortcuts help you navigate without scrolling endlessly.
⚡ Must-Know VS Code Shortcuts
Here’s a cheat table of power shortcuts:
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Open Terminal | Ctrl + ` | Cmd + ` |
| Split Terminal | Ctrl + Shift + 5 | Cmd + Shift + 5 |
| Toggle Sidebar | Ctrl + B | Cmd + B |
| Show Explorer | Ctrl + Shift + E | Cmd + Shift + E |
| Find in File | Ctrl + F | Cmd + F |
| Find Across Project | Ctrl + Shift + F | Cmd + Shift + F |
| Replace in File | Ctrl + H | Cmd + H |
| Format Code | Shift + Alt + F | Shift + Option + F |
| Comment Line | Ctrl + / | Cmd + / |
| Duplicate Line | Shift + Alt + ↓ / ↑ | Shift + Option + ↓ / ↑ |
| Move Line Up/Down | Alt + ↑ / ↓ | Option + ↑ / ↓ |
| Open Settings | Ctrl + , | Cmd + , |
| Zen Mode | Ctrl + K Z | Cmd + K Z |
🛠️ Advanced Productivity Tricks
1. Integrated Terminal Superpowers
- Ctrl + ` – Toggle terminal.
- Ctrl + Shift + ` – Create a new terminal.
- Ctrl + Shift + 5 – Split terminal into multiple panes.
👉 Run code, Git commands, or Docker without leaving VS Code.
2. Search and Replace Like a Ninja
- Ctrl + F – Find in current file.
- Ctrl + H – Replace in current file.
- Ctrl + Shift + F – Search across the entire project.
- Alt + Enter – Replace all occurrences in one click.
3. File & Workspace Management
- Ctrl + B – Show/hide the sidebar.
- Ctrl + K Z – Zen mode (full-screen, distraction-free).
- Ctrl + Shift + N – Open a new VS Code window.
- Ctrl + W – Close the current file.
🔥 Extra Hidden Gems
- Ctrl + Shift + Space – Trigger parameter hints for functions.
- Ctrl + K + Ctrl + C – Block comment selected code.
- Ctrl + Shift + V – Preview Markdown directly.
- *Ctrl + Shift + * – Jump between matching brackets
{}. - Ctrl + / – Toggle comments super quickly.
💡 These are small but powerful when you use them daily.
🧩 Extensions to Supercharge Navigation
- Bookmarks – Mark important lines and jump back quickly.
- Project Manager – Switch between projects easily.
- Vim – Use Vim-style navigation if you love speed.
- TabNine / Copilot – AI-based code suggestions so you type less.
💡 Tips to Build Muscle Memory
- Learn 5 Shortcuts per Week – Practice until they’re natural, then add more.
- Replace Mouse Habits – Catch yourself reaching for the mouse → stop → use a shortcut.
-
Customize Shortcuts – Go to
File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcutsand map them your way.
🎯 Final Thoughts
VS Code is not just an editor — it’s a productivity powerhouse. By ditching the mouse and relying on keyboard shortcuts, you’ll code faster, think clearer, and flow better.
It feels overwhelming at first, but remember: consistency beats memory. Start small, keep practicing, and in a few weeks you’ll barely touch your mouse.
Top comments (0)