Complete Gemini CLI keyboard shortcuts and commands reference — 25 shortcuts across 3 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows & Mac.
Gemini CLI is Google's open-source AI agent for the terminal, used by developers worldwide. Note: as of June 18, 2026, unpaid-tier and Google One users are transitioned to Antigravity CLI — these shortcuts apply to Gemini CLI proper (paid and enterprise tiers).
This page covers all 25 Gemini CLI shortcuts across 3 categories: Session & App Controls, Input & History, Slash Commands. Each shortcut includes a description to help you understand when and how to use it effectively.
✓ Verified July 2026 against the official Gemini CLI documentation (geminicli.com).
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl + C | Cancel / quit | Cancel the current request, or quit the CLI when the input is empty. |
| Ctrl + D | Exit CLI | Exit Gemini CLI when the input buffer is empty. |
| Ctrl + L | Clear screen | Clear the terminal screen and redraw the UI. |
| Ctrl + T | Toggle TODO list | Show or hide the full TODO list the agent is working through. |
| Ctrl + Y | Toggle YOLO mode | Toggle auto-approval (YOLO) mode for tool calls. |
| Shift + Tab | Cycle approval modes | Cycle through approval modes: default, auto-edit, and plan (read-only). |
| Ctrl + G | Open external editor | Open the current prompt or plan in an external editor. |
| F12 | Debug console | Toggle the debug console for detailed error information. |
| Esc Esc | Clear / rewind | Clear the input prompt, or browse and rewind previous interactions when empty. |
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enter | Submit prompt | Submit the current prompt to the model. |
| Ctrl + Enter | New line | Insert a newline without submitting (Alt+Enter and Ctrl+J also work). |
| Tab | Queue message | Queue the current prompt to run after the current task finishes. |
| Ctrl + R | Reverse history search | Start reverse search through prompt history, like a shell. |
| Ctrl + P / Ctrl + N | History previous / next | Show the previous or next entry in prompt history. |
| ! | Shell mode | On an empty prompt, enter or exit shell mode to run commands directly. |
| ? | Shortcuts panel | On an empty prompt, toggle the built-in keyboard shortcuts panel. |
| Ctrl + O | Expand paste / output | Expand or collapse paste placeholders and long content blocks. |
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| /help | List commands | Show help and list all available slash commands (alias /?). |
| /chat | Manage sessions | Browse, save, and resume past sessions and conversations. |
| /rewind | Rewind conversation | Rewind the conversation history to a previous turn. |
| /restore | Restore files | Restore files to their state before the last tool call. |
| /model | Switch model | View or change the current model. |
| /settings | Open settings | Open the settings editor from inside the REPL. |
| /vim | Vim mode | Enable vim NORMAL/INSERT editing modes in the input. |
| /auth | Switch auth | Switch to a different auth provider or account. |
Gemini CLI's 25 shortcuts on this page are organized into 3 categories: Session & App Controls (9), Input & History (8), Slash Commands (8). Session & App Controls is the largest group with 9 shortcuts — a good place to focus first if you're building muscle memory from scratch.
A few of these aren't Gemini CLI-specific — they're shared across tools: Ctrl + D (Exit CLI, also in Chrome); Ctrl + Enter (New line, also in Chrome); Ctrl + L (Clear screen, also in Chrome). Learning them here pays off well beyond Gemini CLI itself.
New to Gemini CLI? Start with Session & App Controls above — it's usually where the shortcuts you'll reach for constantly live. Once those feel automatic, work through Slash Commands to round out your workflow.
Want this on paper? The printable cheat sheet turns these 25 shortcuts into a one-page PDF you can pin above your desk. Prefer to learn by doing? Shortcut Speedrun turns memorization into a timed typing challenge with a global leaderboard, so you find out which Gemini CLI shortcuts you actually remember under pressure.
The most essential Gemini CLI shortcuts are: Ctrl + C (Cancel / quit), Ctrl + D (Exit CLI), Ctrl + L (Clear screen). These cover the most frequent actions and can significantly speed up your workflow.
Gemini CLI has 25 keyboard shortcuts across 3 categories on shortcut-tools.com.
These are command-line commands and keybindings — most work directly in your terminal. Combine them with shell history search (Ctrl + R) and aliases to work even faster.
The Gemini CLI shortcut for cancel / quit is Ctrl + C. Cancel the current request, or quit the CLI when the input is empty.
Gemini CLI includes 9 Session & App Controls shortcuts, including Ctrl + C (Cancel / quit) and Ctrl + D (Exit CLI). See the full list in the Session & App Controls section above.
Gemini CLI includes 8 Input & History shortcuts, including Enter (Submit prompt) and Ctrl + Enter (New line). See the full list in the Input & History section above.
Yes — use My Stack to combine Gemini CLI shortcuts with any other platform on this site into one printable reference, which is useful if your daily workflow spans several tools.
Start with the essentials: Learn Ctrl + C (Cancel / quit) and Ctrl + D (Exit CLI) 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 Session & App Controls category first.
Terminal tip: Bookmark this page for quick reference — muscle memory for these bindings compounds fast.