Claude Code uses a context-sensitive keybinding system. Shortcuts are organized by the UI context in which they apply — some work everywhere, others only when a specific dialog or panel is focused.
Default keybindings
Global
These shortcuts are active everywhere, regardless of focus.
| Keybinding | Action |
|---|
Ctrl+C | Interrupt the current operation (double-press to exit) |
Ctrl+D | Exit Claude Code |
Ctrl+L | Redraw the screen |
Ctrl+T | Toggle the to-do list panel |
Ctrl+O | Toggle the transcript viewer |
Ctrl+R | Search command history |
| Keybinding | Action |
|---|
Enter | Submit the prompt |
Shift+Tab | Cycle through input modes (plan, auto, etc.) |
Up | Load the previous message from history |
Down | Load the next message from history |
Ctrl+G | Open the prompt in an external editor |
Ctrl+X Ctrl+E | Open the prompt in an external editor (readline binding) |
Ctrl+S | Stash the current prompt draft |
Ctrl+_ | Undo last edit in the prompt |
Ctrl+V | Paste an image from the clipboard (Linux/macOS) |
Alt+V | Paste an image from the clipboard (Windows) |
Escape | Cancel the current operation |
Meta+P | Open the model picker |
Autocomplete
These shortcuts apply when the autocomplete menu is visible.
| Keybinding | Action |
|---|
Tab | Accept the selected suggestion |
Escape | Dismiss the autocomplete menu |
Up | Select the previous suggestion |
Down | Select the next suggestion |
| Keybinding | Action |
|---|
Page Up | Scroll up one page |
Page Down | Scroll down one page |
Ctrl+Home | Scroll to the top |
Ctrl+End | Scroll to the bottom |
Ctrl+Shift+C | Copy selected text |
Confirmation dialogs
These shortcuts apply when a permission or confirmation prompt is shown.
| Keybinding | Action |
|---|
Y / Enter | Confirm yes |
N / Escape | Confirm no |
Up / Down | Navigate options |
Tab | Move to the next field |
Space | Toggle a checkbox |
Ctrl+E | Toggle the permission explanation |
Transcript viewer
| Keybinding | Action |
|---|
Escape / Q / Ctrl+C | Close the transcript viewer |
Ctrl+E | Toggle showing all messages |
History search
Activated with Ctrl+R from the chat input.
| Keybinding | Action |
|---|
Ctrl+R | Show next match |
Enter | Execute the selected command |
Tab / Escape | Accept and return to input |
Ctrl+C | Cancel and return to input |
Customizing keybindings
Run /keybindings to open ~/.claude/keybindings.json in your default editor. If the file does not exist, Claude Code creates it from a template containing all default bindings.
The file uses a JSON format with an array of context blocks:
{
"$schema": "https://www.schemastore.org/claude-code-keybindings.json",
"bindings": [
{
"context": "Global",
"bindings": {
"ctrl+l": "app:redraw",
"ctrl+t": "app:toggleTodos"
}
},
{
"context": "Chat",
"bindings": {
"enter": "chat:submit",
"ctrl+g": "chat:externalEditor"
}
}
]
}
context and a map of key patterns to action identifiers. To remap a key, change the action value. To unbind a key entirely, set it to null:
{
"bindings": [
{
"context": "Chat",
"bindings": {
"ctrl+s": null
}
}
]
}
{
"bindings": [
{
"context": "Global",
"bindings": {
"ctrl+shift+d": "command:doctor"
}
}
]
}
Available contexts
| Context | When it applies |
|---|
Global | Active everywhere, regardless of focus |
Chat | When the chat input is focused |
Autocomplete | When the autocomplete menu is visible |
Confirmation | When a confirmation or permission dialog is shown |
Transcript | When viewing the transcript |
HistorySearch | When searching command history |
Settings | When the settings panel is open |
Select | When a list or select component is focused |
Scroll | When scrolling through output |
Task | When a task or agent is running in the foreground |
ThemePicker | When the theme picker is open |
DiffDialog | When the diff dialog is open |
ModelPicker | When the model picker is open |
Plugin | When the plugin dialog is open |
Reserved shortcuts
A small set of shortcuts cannot be rebound because they are handled before the keybinding system runs:
| Shortcut | Reason |
|---|
Ctrl+C | Hardcoded interrupt and exit |
Ctrl+D | Hardcoded exit |
Ctrl+M | Identical to Enter in all terminals |
Ctrl+Z (SIGTSTP) and Ctrl+\ (SIGQUIT) are intercepted by the OS and never reach Claude Code.
Keybinding customization is a preview feature. Run /doctor after editing keybindings.json to check for validation errors.
Vim mode keybindings
When vim mode is active, the chat input uses a modal editing model with its own keybindings for normal, insert, and visual modes. See Vim Mode for the full reference.