How many keyboard shortcuts does Terminal have on macOS?

Terminal has 161 keyboard shortcuts on macOS, organized into 9 sections: Windows & Tabs, Windows and Tabs, Command Line, Command Line Editing, and more. This page lists all of them with searchable, organized shortcut tables.

What are the most useful Terminal shortcuts for developers?

The highest-impact Terminal shortcuts are file navigation (Quick Open / Go to File), search across files, multi-cursor editing, and toggling the integrated terminal. These eliminate the most common mouse interactions during coding and have the biggest effect on editing speed.

Can I download Terminal shortcuts as a PDF?

Yes. Click the download button at the top of this page to generate a printable PDF cheat sheet with all 161 Terminal shortcuts. The PDF includes organized sections, keycap-style key labels, and space for your own notes.

Where is the official Terminal keyboard shortcuts documentation?

The official Terminal keyboard shortcuts documentation is available on their website. Every shortcut on this page is sourced from and verified against the official documentation to ensure accuracy.

Do these Terminal shortcuts work on all Mac keyboards?

Yes. These shortcuts work on all Mac keyboards, including MacBook built-in keyboards and external Apple keyboards. The modifier keys are Command (⌘), Option (⌥), Control (⌃), and Shift (⇧). On keyboards without a Function row, some F-key shortcuts may require holding the Fn key.

Terminal Shortcuts

Development161 shortcuts · 9 sections

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This page is a complete keyboard shortcut reference for Terminal on macOS, covering all 161 shortcuts organized into 9 sections. Whether you’re new to Terminal or looking to master advanced features, this cheat sheet has every key combination you need — from basic editing and navigation to app-specific power-user actions.

Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to work in Terminal. Every time you use a shortcut instead of reaching for the mouse, you save a few seconds — and those seconds compound into hours over weeks and months. Start with the shortcuts you use most (copy, paste, undo, save), then gradually add app-specific ones as they become relevant to your workflow. Bookmark this page or download the PDF cheat sheet for quick reference.

Using keyboard shortcuts in Terminal reduces context switching between keyboard and mouse, helping you maintain focus and work more efficiently. Research shows that shortcut-driven workflows can save up to 8 working days per year compared to menu-driven navigation. On macOS, most Terminal shortcuts follow standard conventions — once you learn the modifier key patterns, new shortcuts become intuitive.

Tips for Learning Shortcuts

Practice one new Terminal shortcut each day. Muscle memory builds faster when you focus on a single combination at a time rather than trying to learn them all at once.
Print or bookmark this page for quick reference while working in Terminal. Having shortcuts visible nearby helps bridge the gap between looking them up and recalling them from memory.
Start with the shortcuts you use most. In Terminal, common actions like copy, paste, undo, and save are worth learning first since they apply across nearly every workflow.

Windows & Tabs29

Action	Shortcut
New window	`⌘N`
New Window with Same Command	`⌃⌘N`
New tab	`⌘T`
New Tab with Same Command	`⌃⌘T`
Show or Hide Tab Bar	`⇧⌘T`
Show All Tabs	`⇧⌘\\`
New command	`⇧⌘N`
New remote connection	`⇧⌘K`
Show or Hide Inspector	`⌘I`
Edit title	`⇧⌘I`
Edit background color	`⌥⌘I`
Make Fonts Bigger	`⌘+`
Make Fonts Smaller	`⌘-`
Next window	`⌘``
Previous window	`⇧⌘~`
Next Tab	`⌃Tab`
Previous Tab	`⌃⇧Tab`
Split Window into Two Panes	`⌘D`
Close split pane	`⇧⌘D`
Close tab	`⌘W`
Close window	`⇧⌘W`
Close other tabs	`⌥⌘W`
Close all	`⌥⇧⌘W`
Scroll to top	`⌘Home`
Scroll to bottom	`⌘End`
Page up	`⌘Page Up`
Page down	`⌘Page Down`
Line up	`⌥⌘Page Up`
Line down	`⌥⌘Page Down`

Windows and Tabs29

Action	Shortcut
Next Tab	`⌃Tab`
New tab	`⌘T`
New remote connection	`⇧⌘K`
Make fonts smaller	`⌘-`
Close window	`⇧⌘W`
Page up	`⌘Page Up`
New tab with same command	`⌃⌘T`
Show or hide Inspector	`⌘I`
Next window	`⌘``
Previous Tab	`⌃⇧Tab`
Close other tabs	`⌥⌘W`
Page down	`⌘Page Down`
New window with same command	`⌃⌘N`
New command	`⇧⌘N`
Make fonts bigger	`⌘+`
Close tab	`⌘W`
Scroll to bottom	`⌘End`
Show or hide tab bar	`⇧⌘T`
Edit title	`⇧⌘I`
Previous window	`⇧⌘~`
Split window into two panes	`⌘D`
Close all	`⌥⇧⌘W`
Line up	`⌥⌘Page Up`
New window	`⌘N`
Show all tabs or exit tab overview	`⇧⌘\`
Edit background color	`⌥⌘I`
Close split pane	`⇧⌘D`
Scroll to top	`⌘Home`
Line down	`⌥⌘Page Down`

Command Line12

Action	Shortcut
Move backward one character	`Left`
Delete forward to end of word	`⌥D`
Move forward one word	`⌥Right`
Delete backward to beginning of word	`⌃W`
Move forward one character	`Right`
Delete to the end of the line	`⌃K`
Move insertion point to beginning of line	`⌃A`
Move backward one word	`⌥Left`
Delete one character	`Delete`
Move insertion point to end of line	`⌃E`
Delete the line	`⌃U`
Transpose two characters	`⌃T`

Command Line Editing11

Action	Shortcut
Move to Beginning of Line	`⌃A`
Move to End of Line	`⌃E`
Move Forward One Word	`⌥→`
Move Backward One Word	`⌥←`
Delete Line	`⌃U`
Delete to End of Line	`⌃K`
Delete Forward to End of Word	`⌥D`
Delete Backward to Beginning of Word	`⌃W`
Transpose Two Characters	`⌃T`
Cancel Command	`⌃C`
Suspend Process	`⌃Z`

Select and Find15

Action	Shortcut
Paste	`⌘V`
Paste the selection	`⇧⌘V`
Paste escaped text	`⌃⌘V`
Paste escaped selection	`⌃⇧⌘V`
Cut	`⌘X`
Copy	`⌘C`
Find next	`⌘G`
Open the character viewer	`⌃⌘Space`
Copy without background color	`⌃⇧⌘C`
Find previous	`⇧⌘G`
Find	`⌘F`
Select all	`⌘A`
Copy plain text	`⌥⇧⌘C`
Find using the selected text	`⌘E`
Jump to the selected text	`⌘J`

Select & Find15

Action	Shortcut
Cut	`⌘X`
Copy	`⌘C`
Copy Without Background Color	`⌃⇧⌘C`
Copy plain text	`⌥⇧⌘C`
Paste	`⌘V`
Paste the Selection	`⇧⌘V`
Paste Escaped Text	`⌃⌘V`
Paste escaped selection	`⌃⇧⌘V`
Find	`⌘F`
Find next	`⌘G`
Find previous	`⇧⌘G`
Find Using Selected Text	`⌘E`
Jump to Selected Text	`⌘J`
Select all	`⌘A`
Open Character Viewer	`⌃⌘Space`

Marks & Bookmarks15

Action	Shortcut
Mark	`⌘U`
Mark as bookmark	`⌥⌘U`
Unmark	`⇧⌘U`
Mark Line and Send Return	`⌘↩`
Send Return Without Marking	`⇧⌘↩`
Insert bookmark	`⇧⌘M`
Insert Bookmark with Name	`⌥⇧⌘M`
Jump to Previous Mark	`⌘↑`
Jump to Next Mark	`⌘↓`
Jump to Previous Bookmark	`⌥⌘↑`
Jump to Next Bookmark	`⌥⌘↓`
Clear to previous mark	`⌘L`
Clear to previous bookmark	`⌥⌘L`
Clear to start	`⌘K`
Select between marks	`⇧⌘A`

Marks and Bookmarks15

Action	Shortcut
Mark	`⌘U`
Mark as bookmark	`⌥⌘U`
Send return without marking	`⇧⌘Enter`
Jump to previous bookmark	`⌥⌘Up`
Select between marks	`⇧⌘A`
Insert bookmark	`⇧⌘M`
Jump to next bookmark	`⌥⌘Down`
Mark line and send return	`⌘Enter`
Jump to next mark	`⌘Down`
Clear to start	`⌘K`
Insert bookmark with name	`⌥⇧⌘M`
Clear to previous mark	`⌘L`
Unmark	`⇧⌘U`
Jump to previous mark	`⌘Up`
Clear to previous bookmark	`⌥⌘L`

Other20

Action	Shortcut
Print	`⌘P`
Toggle Use Option as Meta Key	`⌥⌘O`
Show alternate screen	`⇧⌘↓`
Hide alternate screen	`⇧⌘↑`
Open Man Page for Selection	`⌃⇧⌘?`
Search Man Page Index for Selection	`⌃⌥⌘/`
Complete Directory or File Name	`Tab`
Open Terminal settings	`⌘,`
Break (equivalent to Control-C)	`⌘.`
Soft reset terminal emulator	`⌥⌘R`
Hard reset terminal emulator	`⌃⌥⌘R`
Export text as	`⌘S`
Export selected text as	`⇧⌘S`
Reverse search command history	`⌃R`
Toggle Allow Mouse Reporting	`⌘R`
Enter or exit full screen	`⌃⌘F`
Show or hide colors	`⇧⌘C`
Hide alternate screen	`⇧⌘Up`
Toggle Use Option as Meta Key	`⌘O`
Show alternate screen	`⇧⌘Down`

Frequently Asked Questions

Access Terminal shortcuts from your menu bar

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