Complete Cursor AI keyboard shortcuts reference — 42 shortcuts across 6 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows, macOS & Linux.
Cursor is a VS Code fork, so the editor itself uses the VS Code keymap; what this page lists is the layer Cursor adds for its AI features — the side panel, inline edit, Tab completion and the terminal prompt bar. The table is the macOS keymap because that is how Cursor documents it; on Windows and Linux read Ctrl for Cmd and Alt for Option. The @-mentions and slash commands are on the prompts page.
Looking for @ mentions and CLI slash commands? They moved to the new Cursor prompt commands reference.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + I | Toggle Sidepanel (unless bound to mode) |
| Cmd + L | Toggle Sidepanel (unless bound to mode) |
| Cmd + E | Toggle Agent layout |
| Cmd + . | Mode Menu |
| Cmd + / | Loop between AI models |
| Cmd + Shift + J | Cursor settings |
| Cmd + Shift + Space | Toggle Voice Mode |
| Cmd + , | General settings |
| Cmd + Shift + P | Command palette |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Nudge (default) |
| Ctrl + Enter | Queue message |
| Cmd + Enter | Force send message (Chat) |
| Cmd + Shift + Backspace | Cancel generation (Chat) |
| Cmd + Shift + L | Add selected code as context (Chat) |
| Cmd + V | Add clipboard as context |
| Cmd + Shift + V | Add clipboard to input box |
| Cmd + Backspace | Reject all changes |
| Tab | Cycle to next message (Chat) |
| Shift + Tab | Rotate between Agent modes |
| Cmd + Option + / | Model toggle |
| Cmd + N | New chat |
| Cmd + T | New chat tab |
| Cmd + [ | Previous chat |
| Cmd + ] | Next chat |
| Cmd + W | Close chat |
| Esc | Unfocus field (Chat) |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + K | Open (Inline Edit) |
| Cmd + Shift + K | Toggle input focus (Inline Edit) |
| Enter | Submit (Inline Edit) |
| Cmd + Shift + Backspace | Cancel (Inline Edit) |
| Option + Enter | Ask quick question |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + Shift + L | Add selection to Chat (Code Selection & Context) |
| Cmd + Shift + K | Add selection to Edit (Code Selection & Context) |
| Cmd + L | Add selection to new chat (Code Selection & Context) |
| Cmd + M | Toggle file reading strategies |
| Cmd + Right | Accept next word of suggestion (Code Selection & Context) |
| Cmd + Enter | Search codebase in chat (Code Selection & Context) |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Tab | Accept suggestion (Tab) |
| Cmd + Right | Accept next word (Tab) |
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd + K | Open terminal prompt bar (Terminal) |
| Cmd + Enter | Run generated command (Terminal) |
| Esc | Accept command (Terminal) |
Cursor has three ways to ask for code and each has a key. Cmd + L opens the side panel chat (Agent, Ask or Manual mode — Cmd + . switches, Shift + Tab rotates) with any selection attached. Cmd + K opens inline edit at the cursor for a change confined to the current file; Enter submits it and Cmd + Shift + Backspace cancels. Tab accepts the inline completion, and Cmd + Right accepts only the next word of it when the suggestion is half right. Cmd + Shift + L adds the current selection to the open chat without starting a new one.
Cmd + N starts a new chat and Cmd + T a new chat tab; Cmd + [ and Cmd + ] move between chats and Cmd + W closes one. Ctrl + Enter queues a message to send after the current response, and Cmd + Backspace rejects every pending change from the agent at once. Cmd + / cycles through the configured models and Cmd + E toggles the agent layout, which gives the panel the full editor width for long diffs.
In the integrated terminal, Cmd + K opens a prompt bar where a plain-English request becomes a shell command; Cmd + Enter runs the generated command and Esc accepts it into the prompt without running. Cmd + Shift + J opens Cursor's own settings (models, rules, indexing), separate from the VS Code settings on Cmd + ,. Cmd + Shift + Space toggles voice mode.
Yes. Cursor is built on VS Code and keeps its keymap; only the AI features have new bindings.
Cmd + L opens the side panel for conversation and multi-file agent work. Cmd + K edits inline at the cursor, or opens the prompt bar in the terminal.
Press Cmd + Right to accept the next word; Tab accepts the whole suggestion.
On the Cursor prompt commands page, linked at the top of this page.
Open your assistant with this page preloaded as the source — great for follow-up questions like "which of these work in other apps?"