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VS Code - Productivity Shortcuts

This guide introduces several time-saving shortcuts and features in Visual Studio Code that help you code, navigate, and manage your projects more efficiently.

Command Palette

The Command Palette gives quick access to all commands in VS Code without needing to navigate menus. You can use it to run tasks, format code, open settings, manage extensions, and more.

Open the Command Palette: / Ctrl+Shift+P | Cmd+Shift+P
Type the command name (e.g. “Format Document”, “Git: Commit”, “Reload Window”) and press Enter.

The Command Palette also lists keyboard shortcuts for many commands, helping you learn new ones as you go.

Multi-cursor Editing

Multi-cursor editing allows you to place multiple cursors in different positions to edit text simultaneously.
This is useful for renaming repeated variables, editing lists, or modifying multiple lines at once.

To add another cursor:
- / Alt+Click | Option+Click
To select the next occurrence of the current word:
- / Ctrl+D | Cmd+D
To select all occurrences:
- / Ctrl+Shift+L | Cmd+Shift+L

Integrated Terminal

The Integrated Terminal lets you run command-line tools directly inside VS Code, avoiding context switching between your IDE and a separate terminal window.

Keyboard shortcut: / Ctrl+` | Ctrl+` (macOS uses Control, not Cmd, for this one)
Alternatively, / Ctrl+J | Cmd+J to open or hide the bottom panel, then select the Terminal tab if it isn’t active.

You can open multiple terminal tabs or split terminals to run parallel tasks such as testing and building.

Faster Editing and Refactoring

These editing shortcuts are especially helpful for quick refactoring, aligning code, and maintaining a clean file layout.

Rename Symbol

Rename variables, methods, or classes easily across the entire project. Press F2, type the new name, and press Enter.

Column (Box) Selection

Select text vertically instead of line by line. This is especially useful for editing tables, columns, or aligned code. Hold / Shift+Alt | Shift+Option, then drag with the mouse to create a rectangular selection.

Copy or Move Lines

Move or duplicate code quickly without using copy-paste.

Copy Line Up/Down: / Shift+Alt+Up/Down | Shift+Option+Up/Down
Move Line Up/Down: / Alt+Up/Down | Option+Up/Down

Trim Trailing Whitespace

Remove unnecessary spaces at the end of lines to keep your files tidy.

Keyboard shortcut: / Ctrl+K Ctrl+X | Cmd+K Cmd+X

Format Code

Automatically fix indentation and spacing so your code stays consistent and readable.

Format Selection: / Ctrl+K Ctrl+F | Cmd+K Cmd+F
Format Document: / Shift+Alt+F | Shift+Option+F

To configure formatting rules or format automatically on save, see the VS Code: Configuring the code style guide.

Toggle Comments

Comment or uncomment code without retyping. This is handy for debugging or testing different code paths.

Toggle Line Comment: / Ctrl+/ | Cmd+/
Toggle Block Comment: / Shift+Alt+A | Shift+Option+A

Workspace Management

You can adjust your VS Code layout quickly to maximize focus or view multiple panels at once.

Toggle Sidebar: / Ctrl+B | Cmd+B — Show or hide the Explorer sidebar.
Toggle Bottom Panel: / Ctrl+J | Cmd+J — Show or hide the bottom panel (Terminal, Output, Problems, Debug Console).

Hide panels when you need more screen space, then bring them back when debugging or managing files.

Jump directly to where a symbol is defined to trace how different parts of a larger codebase connect.

Go to Definition: F12, or / Ctrl+Click | Cmd+Click

For more navigation features such as Peek Definition and Go to Super Implementation, see the VS Code - Code Navigation guide.

Navigating Errors and Warnings

VS Code highlights syntax or compilation issues directly in the editor and lists them in the Problems panel.

Open Problems panel: / Ctrl+Shift+M | Cmd+Shift+M
Click any entry to jump directly to that line of code.
Hover over red or yellow squiggles in the editor to view issue details inline.

This helps you debug and clean up issues efficiently before committing or running your program.

Markdown Preview

When working on README files or project documentation, VS Code can preview Markdown in real time.

Open Markdown Preview: / Ctrl+Shift+V | Cmd+Shift+V

Open Side-by-Side Preview: / Ctrl+K V | Cmd+K V

All information, animated GIFs, and images on this page are adapted from the official Visual Studio Code – Tips and Tricks documentation. For more details and additional productivity tips, visit the official site.

Contributors: Jade Cheah (@JadeCheah)