Cursor Keyboard Shortcuts: From AI Chat to Inline Editing
A complete guide to keyboard shortcuts for Cursor, the AI-first code editor by Anysphere. Covers chat controls, inline editing, context selection, and general settings.
Posted at: 2026.8.26
Cursor is an AI-first code editor built by Anysphere on top of VS Code. It preserves your familiar extensions and editing habits while tightly integrating shortcuts designed specifically for AI workflows.
Because standard editing keybindings are identical to Visual Studio Code, existing VS Code users will feel right at home.
Memorize and Code at Lightning Speed! Convenient Shortcuts for Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code has now become a standard development editor. We've put together a collection of convenient shortcuts that, once memorized, will enable you to code at lightning speed.
Chat & Input Controls
To get the most out of Cursor, start with the shortcuts for AI Chat and Composer.
Beyond routine actions like starting a new chat (Ctrl/Cmd + N), managing tabs, or queuing prompts, the two must-know shortcuts are Accept All Changes (Ctrl/Cmd + Enter) and Reject All Changes (Ctrl/Cmd + Backspace).
Since you'll review suggestions constantly, approving or rejecting changes without leaving the keyboard keeps you in flow. That said, because these default bindings span across both hands, you might want to rebind them if you usually keep one hand on the mouse wheel during diff reviews.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Send Message (Nudge) | Enter |
| Queue Message | CtrlEnter |
| Force Send Message (Windows) | CtrlEnter |
| Force Send Message (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)Enter |
| Cancel Generation (Windows) | CtrlShiftBackspace |
| Cancel Generation (Mac) | ShiftCmd (⌘)Backspace |
| Accept All Changes (Windows) | CtrlEnter |
| Accept All Changes (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)Enter |
| Reject All Changes (Windows) | CtrlBackspace |
| Reject All Changes (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)Backspace |
| Go to Next Message | Tab |
| Toggle Agent Mode | ShiftTab |
| New Chat (Windows) | CtrlN |
| New Chat (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)N |
| New Chat Tab (Windows) | CtrlT |
| New Chat Tab (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)T |
| Previous Chat (Windows) | Ctrl[ |
| Previous Chat (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)[ |
| Next Chat (Windows) | Ctrl] |
| Next Chat (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)] |
| Close Chat (Windows) | CtrlW |
| Close Chat (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)W |
| Unfocus Chat Input | ESC |
Inline Edit Controls
Inline editing lets you generate or tweak code directly inside your active file without switching over to a side panel.
Anchored by the essential Ctrl/Cmd + K prompt bar, this section includes commands to toggle focus and ask quick questions (Alt/Option + Enter) while staying focused on your code.
Targeting specific lines or blocks this way keeps instructions precise, avoids unnecessary context bloat, and helps save token usage.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open Inline Edit (Windows) | CtrlK |
| Open Inline Edit (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)K |
| Toggle Input Focus (Windows) | CtrlShiftK |
| Toggle Input Focus (Mac) | ShiftCmd (⌘)K |
| Quick Question to Inline AI (Windows) | AltEnter |
| Quick Question to Inline AI (Mac) | Option (⌥)Enter |
Code Selection & Context
Getting accurate answers from AI comes down to feeding it the right context. These shortcuts make selecting and scoping code effortless.
The single most important command here is Add Selection to Chat (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + L)—you'll reach for it constantly.
Combined with codebase-wide indexing (Ctrl/Cmd + Enter) and the terminal prompt bar (Ctrl/Cmd + K), you can hand the AI exact context in seconds.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Add Selection to Chat (Windows) | CtrlShiftL |
| Add Selection to Chat (Mac) | ShiftCmd (⌘)L |
| Toggle File Read Mode (Windows) | CtrlM |
| Toggle File Read Mode (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)M |
| Accept Next Word of Suggestion (Windows) | Ctrl→ |
| Accept Next Word of Suggestion (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)→ |
| Search Codebase in Chat (Windows) | CtrlEnter |
| Search Codebase in Chat (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)Enter |
| Accept Suggestion | Tab |
| Open Terminal Prompt Bar (Windows) | CtrlK |
| Open Terminal Prompt Bar (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)K |
| Execute Generated Terminal Command (Windows) | CtrlEnter |
| Execute Generated Terminal Command (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)Enter |
General & View Settings
These shortcuts toggle AI panels, cycle models, and open preference menus.
While layout shortcuts don't alter your code directly, being able to snap panels open or closed on the fly is a game-changer on smaller screens like laptops.
Mastering these view toggles will help you tailor a clean, distraction-free workspace that fits your daily development flow.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Toggle Side Panel (Windows) | CtrlI |
| Toggle Side Panel (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)I |
| Toggle AI Chat Panel (Windows) | CtrlL |
| Toggle AI Chat Panel (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)L |
| Toggle Agent Layout (Windows) | CtrlE |
| Toggle Agent Layout (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)E |
| Show Mode Menu (Windows) | Ctrl. |
| Show Mode Menu (Mac) | Cmd (⌘). |
| Cycle AI Models (Windows) | Ctrl/ |
| Cycle AI Models (Mac) | Cmd (⌘)/ |
| Open Cursor Settings (Windows) | CtrlShiftJ |
| Open Cursor Settings (Mac) | ShiftCmd (⌘)J |
| Toggle Voice Mode (Windows) | CtrlShiftSpace |
| Toggle Voice Mode (Mac) | ShiftCmd (⌘)Space |
| Open General Settings (Windows) | Ctrl, |
| Open General Settings (Mac) | Cmd (⌘), |
| Open Command Palette (Windows) | CtrlShiftP |
| Open Command Palette (Mac) | ShiftCmd (⌘)P |