VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts
The command palette is the one binding worth learning first, because every other command in the editor can be reached through it. The bindings below are the Windows and Linux defaults, grouped by the task they serve rather than alphabetically, so the ones you use together sit together.
14 shortcuts across 3 groups
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + P | Open the command palette |
| Ctrl + P | Quick open a file by name |
| Ctrl + , | Open settings |
| Ctrl + B | Toggle the sidebar |
| Ctrl + ` | Toggle the integrated terminal |
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt + Up / Down | Move the current line up or down |
| Shift + Alt + Down | Copy the line down |
| Ctrl + / | Toggle a line comment |
| Ctrl + D | Add the next matching selection |
| Ctrl + Shift + K | Delete the current line |
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + G | Go to a line number |
| F12 | Go to definition |
| Ctrl + Tab | Cycle through open editors |
| Ctrl + Shift + F | Search across all files |
Source: Visual Studio Code key bindings documentation. Bindings listed for Windows. On macOS, Cmd replaces Ctrl in most of these bindings, but not all: the vendor documentation publishes a separate macOS keymap and it is the authority, not a substitution rule. The VS Code version these bindings were checked against is not established, so treat any binding that does not work as a version difference and check the vendor documentation linked above. 14 shortcuts.
Getting these into muscle memory
A cheat sheet only helps if the bindings move from the page into your hands. The fastest way is to pick two or three shortcuts from a single group above, force yourself to use them for a few days even when the mouse feels quicker, and only then add more. Trying to memorize an entire sheet at once rarely sticks, because none of the bindings get enough repetition to become automatic.
The groups here are ordered by how often you reach for them. Openers and palettes come first because they unlock everything else, then editing and navigation, which is where most of a session is spent. Keep this page open in a tab while you learn, and it will quietly work its way out of your sight and into your fingers.