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AI Tool Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential shortcuts for Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, and more. Speed up your workflow.

shortcuts productivity tools

Keyboard > mouse. Learn these shortcuts, move faster.

Jump to your tool:

TL;DR: Tab to accept, Esc to reject, Cmd+K to edit inline.

Claude Code (Terminal)

ActionShortcut
Start Claudeclaude
Continue chatclaude -c
Resume sessionclaude -r
Print mode (no interactive)claude -p "prompt"
Cancel generationCtrl+C
Force stopCtrl+C (twice)
Clear screenCtrl+L
ExitCtrl+D or type /exit

Slash Commands:

  • /help — Show commands
  • /clear — Clear context
  • /compact — Summarize and continue
  • /cost — Show session cost

Cursor

ActionMacWindows
Open ComposerCmd+Shift+ICtrl+Shift+I
Inline editCmd+KCtrl+K
ChatCmd+LCtrl+L
Accept suggestionTabTab
Reject suggestionEscEsc
Next suggestionAlt+]Alt+]
Previous suggestionAlt+[Alt+[
Toggle AI panelCmd+Shift+ACtrl+Shift+A

Pro Tips:

  • @file to reference files in chat
  • @codebase to search entire project
  • Select code before Cmd+K for targeted edits

GitHub Copilot

ActionMacWindows
Accept suggestionTabTab
Reject suggestionEscEsc
Next suggestionAlt+]Alt+]
Previous suggestionAlt+[Alt+[
Open Copilot panelCtrl+EnterCtrl+Enter
Trigger suggestionAlt+\Alt+\
Open ChatCmd+Shift+ICtrl+Shift+I

Chat Commands:

  • /explain — Explain selected code
  • /fix — Fix issues in selection
  • /tests — Generate tests
  • /docs — Generate documentation

Windsurf (Codeium)

ActionMacWindows
Open CascadeCmd+Shift+LCtrl+Shift+L
Inline completionTabTab
Trigger completionAlt+\Alt+\
Accept wordCmd+→Ctrl+→
Accept lineCmd+Shift+→Ctrl+Shift+→
DismissEscEsc

VS Code (General)

ActionMacWindows
Command paletteCmd+Shift+PCtrl+Shift+P
Quick open fileCmd+PCtrl+P
Find in filesCmd+Shift+FCtrl+Shift+F
Toggle terminalCtrl+`Ctrl+`
Split editorCmd+\Ctrl+\
Close tabCmd+WCtrl+W
Go to definitionF12F12
Peek definitionAlt+F12Alt+F12

Cline (VS Code Extension)

ActionMacWindows
Open ClineCmd+Shift+P → “Cline”Ctrl+Shift+P → “Cline”
New taskClick + in sidebarClick + in sidebar
Cancel taskClick stop buttonClick stop button
Approve actionClick checkmarkClick checkmark

Universal Patterns

These work almost everywhere:

What You WantCommon Shortcut
Accept AI suggestionTab
Reject suggestionEsc
Cycle suggestionsAlt+] / Alt+[
Open AI chatCmd/Ctrl+Shift+I or Cmd/Ctrl+L
Inline editCmd/Ctrl+K

Speed Tips

  1. Learn Tab and Esc first — These are your most-used shortcuts
  2. Use inline edit for small changes — Faster than chat for quick fixes
  3. Reference files in chat — @filename is faster than pasting
  4. Select before prompting — Context helps AI understand scope
  5. Use keyboard, not mouse — Build the muscle memory

🎯 Practice Now

  1. Find your tool’s shortcuts above
  2. Pick 3 you don’t know yet
  3. Use ONLY those 3 shortcuts for the next hour
  4. By tomorrow, they’ll be muscle memory

Speed comes from repetition. Start today.

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