Essential Visual Studio Code Shortcuts to Boost Your Productivity

Hello, digital folks! 👋
In this post, I’ll share the must-know shortcuts to help you master Visual Studio Code right from the start. This editor isn’t just lightweight and powerful—it’s packed with keyboard shortcuts that can save you hours of work.

My Favorite Shortcuts (Use These Today!)

Here are the shortcuts I use most often:

• Ctrl + D: Select a word and keep pressing to select multiple instances simultaneously. Perfect for quick edits!

• Ctrl + + / Ctrl + -: Adjust text size in the editor instantly.

• Ctrl + L (in the terminal): Clears the terminal screen completely.

• Arrow ↑: Navigate through your terminal command history.

Now that you know some essentials, here’s the full list to take your workflow to the next level. 🚀

File Navigation and Management

• Open a file quickly:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + P

  • Mac: Cmd + P

• Switch between open files:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Tab

  • Mac: Cmd + Tab

• Close the current file:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + W

  • Mac: Cmd + W

• Toggle the sidebar:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + B

  • Mac: Cmd + B

Code Editing

• Duplicate a line or selection:

  • Windows/Linux: Shift + Alt + Down/Up

  • Mac: Shift + Option + Down/Up

• Move a line or selection:

  • Windows/Linux: Alt + Down/Up

  • Mac: Option + Down/Up

• Select word by word:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + D

  • Mac: Cmd + D

• Select all occurrences of a word:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Shift + L

  • Mac: Cmd + Shift + L

• Add cursors manually:

  • Windows/Linux: Alt + Click

  • Mac: Option + Click

Search and Replace

• Find in the current file:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + F

  • Mac: Cmd + F

• Search across the entire project:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Shift + F

  • Mac: Cmd + Shift + F

• Replace in the current file:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + H

  • Mac: Cmd + H

Integrated Terminal Shortcuts

• Open or close the terminal:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + `

  • Mac: Cmd + `

• Clear the terminal:

  • Windows/Linux/Mac: Ctrl + L

• Repeat previous commands:

  • Use the arrow up (↑) to scroll through command history.

Code View and Font Size

• Increase font size:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + +

  • Mac: Cmd + +

• Decrease font size:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + -

  • Mac: Cmd + -

• Reset font size:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + 0

  • Mac: Cmd + 0

Customizable Shortcuts and Extensions

Missing a shortcut or want to tweak one?

1. Customize them in:

   • Windows/Linux: File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts

   • Mac: Code > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts

2. Use extensions like Keymap to import shortcuts from other editors (Sublime Text, Atom, etc.).

Final Tip

📌 Take it slow: Don’t try to learn them all at once. Start with 3–4 you use frequently and gradually add more as you go.

💬 What’s your favorite shortcut or hidden gem? Share it in the comments! 😊