Keyboard shortcuts in Terminal on Mac
In the Terminal app on your Mac, you can quickly accomplish many tasks using keyboard shortcuts. See the shortcuts below, as well as in Terminal menus in the menu bar. In app menus, keyboard shortcuts are represented by symbols.
Note: Keyboard shortcuts in apps may vary depending on the language and keyboard layout you’re using on your Mac. If the shortcuts below don’t work as you expect, look in the app menus in the menu bar to see the correct shortcuts. You can also use the Keyboard Viewer to see your current keyboard layout, known as an input source.
Work with Terminal windows and tabs
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
New window | Command-N |
New window with same command | Control-Command-N |
New tab | Command-T |
New tab with same command | Control-Command-T |
Show or hide tab bar | Shift-Command-T |
Show all tabs or exit tab overview | Shift-Command-Backslash (\) |
New command | Shift-Command-N |
New remote connection | Shift-Command-K |
Show or hide Inspector | Command-I |
Edit title | Shift-Command-I |
Edit background colour | Option-Command-I |
Make fonts bigger | Command-Plus (+) |
Make fonts smaller | Command-Minus (–) |
Next window | Command-Grave Accent (`) |
Previous window | Command-Shift-Tilde (~) |
Next Tab | Control-Tab |
Previous Tab | Control-Shift-Tab |
Split window into two panes | Command-D |
Close split pane | Shift-Command-D |
Close tab | Command-W |
Close window | Shift-Command-W |
Close other tabs | Option-Command-W |
Close all | Option-Shift-Command-W |
Scroll to top | Command-Home |
Scroll to bottom | Command-End |
Page up | Command-Page Up |
Page down | Command-Page Down |
Line up | Option-Command-Page Up |
Line down | Option-Command-Page Down |
Edit a command line
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Reposition the insertion point | Press and hold the Option key while moving the pointer to a new insertion point |
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the line | Control-A |
Move the insertion point to the end of the line | Control-E |
Move the insertion point forwards one character | Right Arrow |
Move the insertion point backwards one character | Left Arrow |
Move the insertion point forwards one word | Option-Right Arrow |
Move the insertion point backwards one word | Option-Left Arrow |
Delete the line | Control-U |
Delete to the end of the line | Control-K |
Delete forwards to the end of the word | Option-D (available when Use Option as Meta key is selected) |
Delete backwards to the beginning of the word | Control-W |
Delete one character | Delete |
Forward-delete one character | Forward Delete (or use Fn-Delete) |
Transpose two characters | Control-T |
Select and find text in a Terminal window
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Select a complete file path | Press and hold the Shift and Command keys and double-click the path |
Select a complete line of text | Triple-click the line |
Select a word | Double-click the word |
Select a URL | Press and hold the Shift and Command keys and double-click the URL |
Select a rectangular block | Press and hold the Option key and drag to select text |
Cut | Command-X |
Copy | Command-C |
Copy without background colour | Control-Shift-Command-C |
Copy plain text | Option-Shift-Command-C |
Paste | Command-V |
Paste the selection | Shift-Command-V |
Paste escaped text | Control-Command-V |
Paste escaped selection | Control-Shift-Command-V |
Find | Command-F |
Find next | Command-G |
Find previous | Command-Shift-G |
Find using the selected text | Command-E |
Jump to the selected text | Command-J |
Select all | Command-A |
Open the character viewer | Control-Command-Space |
Work with marks and bookmarks
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Mark | Command-U |
Mark as bookmark | Option-Command-U |
Unmark | Shift-Command-U |
Mark line and send return | Command-Return |
Send return without marking | Shift-Command-Return |
Insert bookmark | Shift-Command-M |
Insert bookmark with name | Option-Shift-Command-M |
Jump to previous mark | Command-Up Arrow |
Jump to next mark | Command-Down Arrow |
Jump to previous bookmark | Option-Command-Up Arrow |
Jump to next bookmark | Option-Command-Down Arrow |
Clear to previous mark | Command-L |
Clear to previous bookmark | Option-Command-L |
Clear to start | Command-K |
Select between marks | Shift-Command-A |
Other shortcuts
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Enter or exit full screen | Control-Command-F |
Show or hide colours | Shift-Command-C |
Open Terminal preferences | Command-Comma (,) |
Break | Typing Command-Full Stop (.) is equivalent to entering Control-C on the command line |
Command-P | |
Soft reset terminal emulator state | Option-Command-R |
Hard reset terminal emulator state | Control-Option-Command-R |
Open a URL | Hold down the Command key and double-click the URL |
Add the complete path to a file | Drag the file from the Finder into the Terminal window |
Export text as | Command-S |
Export selected text as | Shift-Command-S |
Reverse search command history | Control-R |
Toggle “Allow Mouse Reporting” option | Command-R |
Toggle “Use Option as Meta Key” option | Command-Option-O |
Show alternate screen | Shift-Command-Down Arrow |
Hide alternate screen | Shift-Command-Up Arrow |
Open man page for selection | Control-Shift-Command-Question Mark (?) |
Search man page index for selection | Control-Option-Command-Slash (/) |
Complete directory or file name | On a command line, type one or more characters, then press Tab |
Display a list of possible directory or file name completions | On a command line, type one or more characters, then press Tab twice |