Complete Amazon Q keyboard shortcuts and commands reference — 25 shortcuts across 4 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows & Mac.
Amazon Q is a popular AI tool used by professionals worldwide. Learning keyboard shortcuts can dramatically speed up your workflow — studies show shortcut users save an average of 8 days per year compared to mouse-only users.
This page covers all 25 Amazon Q shortcuts across 4 categories: VS Code Shortcuts, CLI Commands, Slash Commands (Chat), Prompt Tips. Each shortcut includes a description to help you understand when and how to use it effectively.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + I | Open Q chat |
| Tab | Accept suggestion |
| Esc | Dismiss suggestion |
| Alt + C | Next suggestion |
| Ctrl + Shift + I | Q Developer panel |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| q chat | Start chat |
| q chat "prompt" | Single query |
| q translate | Shell translation |
| q --help | Help |
| q doctor | Diagnose issues |
| q version | Show version |
| q logout | Logout |
| q login | Login |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| /help | Show commands |
| /clear | Clear history |
| /quit | Exit chat |
| /transform | Code transform |
| /dev | Dev agent |
| /review | Code review |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| How do I set up <AWS service>? | AWS setup |
| Write a CDK stack for... | CDK generation |
| Debug this CloudWatch log: [paste] | Log analysis |
| Explain this IAM policy | Policy analysis |
| Optimise this Lambda function | Code optimisation |
| Generate a Terraform config for... | IaC generation |
The most essential Amazon Q shortcuts are: Ctrl + I (Open Q chat), Tab (Accept suggestion), Esc (Dismiss suggestion). These cover the most frequent actions and can significantly speed up your workflow.
Amazon Q has 25 keyboard shortcuts across 4 categories on shortcut-tools.com.
Simply press the key combination while Amazon Q is focused. Most shortcuts work immediately. On Mac, replace Ctrl with Cmd and Alt with Option for most shortcuts.
The Amazon Q shortcut for open q chat is Ctrl + I.
Start with the essentials: Learn Ctrl + I (Open Q chat) and Tab (Accept suggestion) first — these are the most commonly used.
Practice daily: Pick 2–3 new shortcuts each day and consciously use them instead of the mouse. Within a week, they become muscle memory.
Print this cheat sheet: Keep a reference nearby until shortcuts become automatic. Focus on the VS Code Shortcuts category first.
AI workflow tip: Combine keyboard shortcuts with prompt templates to create a fast, repeatable workflow. Save your best prompts and trigger them instantly.