Emacs Keyboard Shortcuts

Complete Emacs keyboard shortcuts and commands reference — 195 shortcuts across 27 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows & Mac.

Emacs writes its shortcuts in its own notation — C- is Ctrl and M- is Meta, which is Alt on most keyboards — and the ten in this table are the ones that let a newcomer open, edit, save and quit. The notes explain the notation, the two-key chords that start with C-x, and the one key that gets you out of anything.

Leaving Emacs (2)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `z`	iconify Emacs (or suspend it in terminal)	Iconify Emacs (or suspend it in terminal).
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `c`	exit Emacs permanently	Exit Emacs permanently.

Files (7)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `f`	read a file into Emacs	Read a file into Emacs.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `s`	save a file back to disk	Save a file back to disk.
`Ctrl` + `x, s`	save all files	Save all files.
`Ctrl` + `x, i`	insert contents of another file into this buffer	Insert contents of another file into this buffer.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `v`	replace this file with the file you really want	Replace this file with the file you really want.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `w`	write buffer to a specified file	Write buffer to a specified file.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `q`	toggle read-only status of buffer	Toggle read-only status of buffer.

Getting Help (6)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x, 1`	remove help window	Remove help window.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `v`	scroll help window	Scroll help window.
`Ctrl` + `h, a`	apropos: show commands matching a string	Apropos: show commands matching a string.
`Ctrl` + `h, k`	describe the function a key runs	Describe the function a key runs.
`Ctrl` + `h, f`	describe a function	Describe a function.
`Ctrl` + `h, m`	get mode-specific information	Get mode-specific information.

Error Recovery (4)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Alt` + `x, recover-session`	recover files lost by a system crash	Recover files lost by a system crash.
`Ctrl` + `x, u or Ctrl` + `_`	undo an unwanted change	Undo an unwanted change.
`Alt` + `x, revert-buffer`	restore a buffer to its original contents	Restore a buffer to its original contents.
`Ctrl` + `l`	redraw garbaged screen	Redraw garbaged screen.

Incremental Search (9)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `s`	search forward	Search forward.
`Ctrl` + `r`	search backward	Search backward.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `s`	regular expression search	Regular expression search.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `r`	reverse regular expression search	Reverse regular expression search.
`Alt` + `p`	select previous search string	Select previous search string.
`Alt` + `n`	select next search string	Select next search string.
`Enter`	exit incremental search	Exit incremental search.
`Backspace`	undo effect of last character	Undo effect of last character.
`Ctrl` + `g`	abort current search	Abort current search.

Motion (28)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `b`	character (backward)	Character (backward).
`Ctrl` + `f`	character (forward)	Character (forward).
`Alt` + `b`	word (backward)	Word (backward).
`Alt` + `f`	word (forward)	Word (forward).
`Ctrl` + `p`	line (backward)	Line (backward).
`Ctrl` + `n`	line (forward)	Line (forward).
`Ctrl` + `a`	go to line beginning (or end) (backward)	Go to line beginning (or end) (backward).
`Ctrl` + `e`	go to line beginning (or end) (forward)	Go to line beginning (or end) (forward).
`Alt` + `a`	sentence (backward)	Sentence (backward).
`Alt` + `e`	sentence (forward)	Sentence (forward).
`Alt` + `{`	paragraph (backward)	Paragraph (backward).
`Alt` + `}`	paragraph (forward)	Paragraph (forward).
`Ctrl` + `x, [`	page (backward)	Page (backward).
`Ctrl` + `x, ]`	page (forward)	Page (forward).
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `b`	sexp (backward)	Sexp (backward).
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `f`	sexp (forward)	Sexp (forward).
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `a`	function (backward)	Function (backward).
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `e`	function (forward)	Function (forward).
`Alt` + `<`	go to buffer beginning (or end) (backward)	Go to buffer beginning (or end) (backward).
`Alt` + `>`	go to buffer beginning (or end) (forward)	Go to buffer beginning (or end) (forward).
`Ctrl` + `v`	scroll to next screen	Scroll to next screen.
`Alt` + `v`	scroll to previous screen	Scroll to previous screen.
`Ctrl` + `x, <`	scroll left	Scroll left.
`Ctrl` + `x, >`	scroll right	Scroll right.
`Ctrl` + `l`	scroll current line to center, top, bottom	Scroll current line to center, top, bottom.
`Alt` + `g, g`	goto line	Goto line.
`Alt` + `g, c`	goto char	Goto char.
`Alt` + `m`	back to indentation	Back to indentation.

Killing and Deleting (15)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Backspace`	character (delete, not kill) (backward)	Character (delete, not kill) (backward).
`Ctrl` + `d`	character (delete, not kill) (forward)	Character (delete, not kill) (forward).
`Alt` + `Backspace`	word (backward)	Word (backward).
`Alt` + `d`	word (forward)	Word (forward).
`Alt` + `0 or Ctrl` + `k`	line (to end of) (backward)	Line (to end of) (backward).
`Ctrl` + `k`	line (to end of) (forward)	Line (to end of) (forward).
`Ctrl` + `x, Backspace`	sentence (backward)	Sentence (backward).
`Alt` + `k`	sentence (forward)	Sentence (forward).
`Alt` + `- or Ctrl` + `Alt` + `k`	sexp (backward)	Sexp (backward).
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `k`	sexp (forward)	Sexp (forward).
`Ctrl` + `w`	kill region	Kill region.
`Alt` + `w`	copy region to kill ring	Copy region to kill ring.
`Alt` + `z, char`	kill through next occurrence of char	Kill through next occurrence of char.
`Ctrl` + `y`	yank back last thing killed	Yank back last thing killed.
`Alt` + `y`	replace last yank with previous kill	Replace last yank with previous kill.

Marking (8)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `@ or Ctrl` + `Space`	set mark here	Set mark here.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `x`	exchange point and mark	Exchange point and mark.
`Alt` + `@`	set mark arg words away	Set mark arg words away.
`Alt` + `h`	mark paragraph	Mark paragraph.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `p`	mark page	Mark page.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `@`	mark sexp	Mark sexp.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `h`	mark function	Mark function.
`Ctrl` + `x, h`	mark entire buffer	Mark entire buffer.

Query Replace (2)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Alt` + `%`	interactively replace a text string	Interactively replace a text string.
`Alt` + `x, query-replace-regexp`	using regular expressions	Using regular expressions.

Query Replace responses (4)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Space or y`	replace this one, go on to next	Replace this one, go on to next.
`Backspace or n`	skip to next without replacing	Skip to next without replacing.
`Enter`	exit query-replace	Exit query-replace.
`Ctrl` + `r`	enter recursive edit (C-M-c to exit)	Enter recursive edit (C-M-c to exit).

Multiple Windows (23)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x, 1`	delete all other windows	Delete all other windows.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, 1`	delete all other windows (frame)	Delete all other windows (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, 2`	split window, above and below	Split window, above and below.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, 2`	split window, above and below (frame)	Split window, above and below (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, 0`	delete this window	Delete this window.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, 0`	delete this window (frame)	Delete this window (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, 3`	split window, side by side	Split window, side by side.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `v`	scroll other window	Scroll other window.
`Ctrl` + `x, o`	switch cursor to another window	Switch cursor to another window.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, o`	switch cursor to another window (frame)	Switch cursor to another window (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, 4, b`	select buffer in other window	Select buffer in other window.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, b`	select buffer in other window (frame)	Select buffer in other window (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, 4, f`	find file in other window	Find file in other window.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, f`	find file in other window (frame)	Find file in other window (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, 4, r`	find file read-only in other window	Find file read-only in other window.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, r`	find file read-only in other window (frame)	Find file read-only in other window (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, 4, d`	run Dired in other window	Run Dired in other window.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, d`	run Dired in other window (frame)	Run Dired in other window (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, 4, .`	find tag in other window	Find tag in other window.
`Ctrl` + `x, 5, .`	find tag in other window (frame)	Find tag in other window (frame).
`Ctrl` + `x, ^`	grow window taller	Grow window taller.
`Ctrl` + `x, {`	shrink window narrower	Shrink window narrower.
`Ctrl` + `x, }`	grow window wider	Grow window wider.

Formatting (14)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Tab`	indent current line (mode-dependent)	Indent current line (mode-dependent).
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `\`	indent region (mode-dependent)	Indent region (mode-dependent).
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `q`	indent sexp (mode-dependent)	Indent sexp (mode-dependent).
`Ctrl` + `x, Tab`	indent region rigidly arg columns	Indent region rigidly arg columns.
`Alt` + `;`	indent for comment	Indent for comment.
`Ctrl` + `o`	insert newline after point	Insert newline after point.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `o`	move rest of line vertically down	Move rest of line vertically down.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `o`	delete blank lines around point	Delete blank lines around point.
`Alt` + `^`	join line with previous (with arg, next)	Join line with previous (with arg, next).
`Alt` + `\`	delete all white space around point	Delete all white space around point.
`Alt` + `Space`	put exactly one space at point	Put exactly one space at point.
`Alt` + `q`	fill paragraph	Fill paragraph.
`Ctrl` + `x, f`	set fill column to arg	Set fill column to arg.
`Ctrl` + `x, .`	set prefix each line starts with	Set prefix each line starts with.

Case Change (5)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Alt` + `u`	uppercase word	Uppercase word.
`Alt` + `l`	lowercase word	Lowercase word.
`Alt` + `c`	capitalize word	Capitalize word.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `u`	uppercase region	Uppercase region.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `l`	lowercase region	Lowercase region.

The Minibuffer (8)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Tab`	complete as much as possible	Complete as much as possible.
`Space`	complete up to one word	Complete up to one word.
`Enter`	complete and execute	Complete and execute.
`Alt` + `p`	fetch previous minibuffer input	Fetch previous minibuffer input.
`Alt` + `n`	fetch later minibuffer input or default	Fetch later minibuffer input or default.
`Alt` + `r`	regexp search backward through history	Regexp search backward through history.
`Alt` + `s`	regexp search forward through history	Regexp search forward through history.
`Ctrl` + `g`	abort command	Abort command.

Buffers (3)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x, b`	select another buffer	Select another buffer.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `b`	list all buffers	List all buffers.
`Ctrl` + `x, k`	kill a buffer	Kill a buffer.

Transposing (4)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `t`	transpose characters	Transpose characters.
`Alt` + `t`	transpose words	Transpose words.
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `t`	transpose lines	Transpose lines.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `t`	transpose sexps	Transpose sexps.

Spelling Check (4)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Alt` + `$`	check spelling of current word	Check spelling of current word.
`Alt` + `x, ispell-region`	check spelling of all words in region	Check spelling of all words in region.
`Alt` + `x, ispell-buffer`	check spelling of entire buffer	Check spelling of entire buffer.
`Alt` + `x, flyspell-mode`	toggle on-the-fly spell checking	Toggle on-the-fly spell checking.

Tags (4)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Alt` + `.`	find a tag (a definition)	Find a tag (a definition).
`Alt` + `x, visit-tags-table`	specify a new tags file	Specify a new tags file.
`Alt` + `x, tags-search`	regexp search on all files in tags table	Regexp search on all files in tags table.
`Alt` + `x, tags-query-replace`	run query-replace on all the files	Run query-replace on all the files.

Shells (5)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Alt` + `!`	execute a shell command	Execute a shell command.
`Alt` + `&`	execute a shell command asynchronously	Execute a shell command asynchronously.
`Alt` + `\|`	run a shell command on the region	Run a shell command on the region.
`Ctrl` + `u or Alt` + `\|`	filter region through a shell command	Filter region through a shell command.
`Alt` + `x, shell`	start a shell in window shell	Start a shell in window shell.

Rectangles (6)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x, r, r`	copy rectangle to register	Copy rectangle to register.
`Ctrl` + `x, r, k`	kill rectangle	Kill rectangle.
`Ctrl` + `x, r, y`	yank rectangle	Yank rectangle.
`Ctrl` + `x, r, o`	open rectangle, shifting text right	Open rectangle, shifting text right.
`Ctrl` + `x, r, c`	blank out rectangle	Blank out rectangle.
`Ctrl` + `x, r, t`	prefix each line with a string	Prefix each line with a string.

Abbrevs (6)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x, a, g`	add global abbrev	Add global abbrev.
`Ctrl` + `x, a, l`	add mode-local abbrev	Add mode-local abbrev.
`Ctrl` + `x, a, i, g`	add global expansion for this abbrev	Add global expansion for this abbrev.
`Ctrl` + `x, a, i, l`	add mode-local expansion for this abbrev	Add mode-local expansion for this abbrev.
`Ctrl` + `x, a, e`	explicitly expand abbrev	Explicitly expand abbrev.
`Alt` + `/`	expand previous word dynamically	Expand previous word dynamically.

Miscellaneous (3)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `u, num`	numeric argument	Numeric argument.
`Alt` + `-`	negative argument	Negative argument.
`Ctrl` + `q, char`	quoted insert	Quoted insert.

International Character Sets (6)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x, Enter, l`	specify principal language	Specify principal language.
`Alt` + `x, list-input-methods`	show all input methods	Show all input methods.
`Ctrl` + `\`	enable or disable input method	Enable or disable input method.
`Ctrl` + `x, Enter, c`	set coding system for next command	Set coding system for next command.
`Alt` + `x, list-coding-systems`	show all coding systems	Show all coding systems.
`Alt` + `x, prefer-coding-system`	choose preferred coding system	Choose preferred coding system.

Info (4)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `h, i`	enter the Info documentation reader	Enter the Info documentation reader.
`Ctrl` + `h, S`	find specified function or variable in Info	Find specified function or variable in Info.
`Space`	scroll forward	Scroll forward.
`Backspace`	scroll reverse	Scroll reverse.

Registers (4)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x, r, s`	save region in register	Save region in register.
`Ctrl` + `x, r, i`	insert register contents into buffer	Insert register contents into buffer.
`Ctrl` + `x, r, Space`	save value of point in register	Save value of point in register.
`Ctrl` + `x, r, j`	jump to point saved in register	Jump to point saved in register.

Keyboard Macros (6)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x, (`	start defining a keyboard macro	Start defining a keyboard macro.
`Ctrl` + `x, )`	end keyboard macro definition	End keyboard macro definition.
`Ctrl` + `x, e`	execute last-defined keyboard macro	Execute last-defined keyboard macro.
`Ctrl` + `u or Ctrl` + `x, (`	append to last keyboard macro	Append to last keyboard macro.
`Alt` + `x, name-last-kbd-macro`	name last keyboard macro	Name last keyboard macro.
`Alt` + `x, insert-kbd-macro`	insert Lisp definition in buffer	Insert Lisp definition in buffer.

Emacs Lisp (5)

Shortcut	Action	What it does
`Ctrl` + `x or Ctrl` + `e`	eval sexp before point	Eval sexp before point.
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `x`	eval current defun	Eval current defun.
`Alt` + `x, eval-region`	eval region	Eval region.
`Alt` + `:`	read and eval minibuffer	Read and eval minibuffer.
`Alt` + `x, load-library`	load a Lisp library from load-path	Load a Lisp library from load-path.

📜 Source: GNU Emacs Reference Card (version 31), gnu.org. The GNU Emacs reference card for Emacs 31, section by section. Emacs notation is expanded: C-x is Ctrl + x, M-x is Alt + x, and a comma separates keys pressed in sequence (Ctrl + x, Ctrl + f). Checked 2026-09-08. How we verify ›

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most useful Emacs keyboard shortcuts?

The most essential Emacs shortcuts are: C-x C-s (Save), C-x C-f (Open file), C-x C-c (Quit).

What is the Emacs shortcut for save?

The Emacs shortcut for save is C-x C-s.

What's the fastest way to learn all Emacs shortcuts?

Print the Emacs cheat sheet and keep it next to your keyboard for the first week, then switch to active recall: open Shortcut Speedrun and practice Emacs shortcuts against the clock until they're automatic.

Can I combine Emacs shortcuts with other tools?

Yes — use My Stack to combine Emacs shortcuts with any other platform on this site into one printable reference, which is useful if your daily workflow spans several tools.

Do Emacs shortcuts differ between Windows and Mac?

Most do not — the underlying key is the same, but Emacs (like most software) maps Ctrl on Windows/Linux to Cmd on Mac for standard operations. Where a shortcut is platform-specific, this page notes the Mac variant next to the Windows one.

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Reading the notation

C-x C-s means hold Ctrl and press x, then hold Ctrl and press s: a chord of two keys, each with its modifier. M-x is Alt + x (or Esc then x on keyboards where Alt is taken). C-x is the prefix for file and buffer commands and C-c for mode-specific ones, which is why so many bindings begin with them. C-g cancels whatever is in progress — a half-typed chord, a prompt in the minibuffer, a running command — and is the key to press whenever Emacs seems stuck.

Files and quitting

C-x C-f opens a file (creating it if new) with completion in the minibuffer, C-x C-s saves the current buffer and C-x C-c quits, asking about unsaved buffers. Buffers, not files, are what you edit; C-x b switches between them and C-x C-b lists them.

Editing and commands

C-w cuts (kills) the region between mark and point, M-w copies it and C-y pastes (yanks); the kill ring holds many entries and M-y after C-y cycles through them. C-/ undoes — Emacs undo is a single command that walks back through history, including undos. C-s starts incremental search, which moves as you type and where C-s again finds the next match. M-x runs any command by name with completion, so M-x followed by describe-key tells you what any key does.

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