Cursor IDE

Cursor IDE Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up the Cursor AI code editor with shortcuts for chat, Agent, inline edit, context, and the integrated terminal. Cursor extends VS Code—defaults below follow Cursor’s keyboard docs; on Windows/Linux, Cmd maps to Ctrl and Opt to Alt in most chords. For dedicated agent-only mappings, use our Cursor Agent Mode shortcuts; for editor baseline keys, use our VS Code guide; for terminal-first AI workflows, see Claude Code shortcuts; for Claude.ai chat and Desktop, see Claude shortcuts; for research-first querying, use Perplexity shortcuts; for JVM workflows, see IntelliJ shortcuts.

What’s New in Cursor Shortcuts (August 2026)

Last verified 29 August 2026 against Cursor’s official keyboard shortcuts reference. Changes in this update:

  • Full shortcut list chord — press CtrlR then CtrlS (⌘R then ⌘S on Mac) to open Cursor’s own shortcut reference. This is now listed for Windows/Linux as well as macOS.
  • Accept all suggested changes added to the Windows/Linux chat list. When Cursor is offering edits, CtrlEnter applies them all; when you are still typing, the same chord queues your message instead.
  • Enter now nudges by default in the chat input rather than always sending, so CtrlEnter / ⌘Return is the reliable way to force a send mid-generation.
  • Voice mode (CtrlShiftSpace), Agent layout (CtrlE), mode menu (Ctrl.) and model looping (Ctrl/) are confirmed current on both platforms.

If you are migrating from VS Code, compare this page with our VS Code shortcuts list to keep your muscle memory while adopting Cursor-specific Agent and inline-edit workflows. If your flow is terminal-first, pair this with our Claude Code keyboard shortcuts page; if your flow is research-first, pair it with our Perplexity shortcuts page.

General & Command Palette

Toggle side panel
CtrlIorCtrlL
Toggle Agent layout
CtrlE
Mode menu
Ctrl.
Loop between AI models
Ctrl/
Open Cursor settings
CtrlShiftJ
Toggle voice mode
CtrlShiftSpace
General / editor settings
Ctrl,
Command palette
CtrlShiftP
Open all shortcuts (Cursor chord)
CtrlRCtrlS
Keyboard shortcuts editor (VS Code chord)
CtrlKCtrlS

AI Chat

Nudge (default in chat)
Enter
Queue message
CtrlEnter
Accept all suggested changes
CtrlEnter(when changes are offered)
New line in chat (without sending)
ShiftEnter
Cancel generation
CtrlShiftBackspace
Add selected code to chat
CtrlShiftL
Paste clipboard as context
CtrlV
Paste clipboard into input box
CtrlShiftV
Reject all suggested changes
CtrlBackspace
Next message in thread
Tab
Rotate Agent modes
ShiftTab
Model toggle
CtrlAlt/
New chat
CtrlN
New chat (alternate)
CtrlR
New chat tab
CtrlT
Previous chat
Ctrl[
Next chat
Ctrl]
Close chat
CtrlW
Unfocus chat field
Esc

Inline Edit (Composer)

Open inline edit
CtrlK
Toggle inline input focus
CtrlShiftK
Submit inline edit
Enter
Cancel inline edit
CtrlShiftBackspace
Ask quick question
AltEnter

Context & Selection

@-mentions in prompt
@
Shortcut commands in prompt
/
Add selection to Edit
CtrlShiftK
Add selection to new chat
CtrlL
Toggle file reading strategies
CtrlM
Accept next word of suggestion
Ctrl→
Search codebase from chat
CtrlEnter
Add copied code as reference context
SelectCtrlCCtrlV
Add copied code as plain text context
CtrlCCtrlShiftV

Inline Completions (Tab)

Accept suggestion
Tab
Accept next word
Ctrl→

Integrated Terminal

Open terminal prompt bar
CtrlK(in terminal)
Run generated command
CtrlEnter
Accept command
Esc

Editor Baseline (VS Code)

Quick open file
CtrlP
Find in files
CtrlShiftF
Toggle terminal
Ctrl`
Toggle primary sidebar
CtrlB
Go to line
CtrlG
Format document
ShiftAltF

General & Command Palette

Toggle side panel
⌘Ior⌘L
Toggle Agent layout
⌘E
Mode menu
⌘.
Loop between AI models
⌘/
Open Cursor settings
⌘⇧J
Toggle voice mode
⌘⇧Space
General / editor settings
⌘,
Command palette
⌘⇧P
Open all shortcuts (Cursor chord)
⌘R⌘S
Keyboard shortcuts editor
⌘K⌘S

AI Chat

Nudge (default)
Return
Queue message
CtrlReturn
Force send (while typing) or accept all AI changes (when offered)
⌘Return
Cancel generation
⌘⇧⌫
Add selected code to chat
⌘⇧L
Paste clipboard as context
⌘V
Paste clipboard into input box
⌘⇧V
Reject all suggested changes
⌘⌫
Next message
Tab
Rotate Agent modes
⇧Tab
Model toggle
⌘⌥/
New chat
⌘N
New chat (alternate)
⌘R
New chat tab
⌘T
Previous chat
⌘[
Next chat
⌘]
Close chat
⌘W
Unfocus field
Esc

Inline Edit (Composer)

Open inline edit
⌘K
Toggle inline input focus
⌘⇧K
Submit
Return
Cancel
⌘⇧⌫
Ask quick question
⌥Return

Context & Selection

@-mentions
@
Shortcut commands
/
Add selection to Chat
⌘⇧L
Add selection to Edit
⌘⇧K
Add selection to new chat
⌘L
Toggle file reading strategies
⌘M
Accept next word of suggestion
⌘→
Search codebase in chat
⌘Return
Add copied reference code as context
⌘C⌘V
Add copied code as text context
⌘C⌘⇧V

Inline Completions (Tab)

Accept suggestion
Tab
Accept next word
⌘→

Integrated Terminal

Open terminal prompt bar
⌘K
Run generated command
⌘Return
Accept command
Esc

Editor Baseline (VS Code)

Quick open file
⌘P
Find in files
⌘⇧F
Toggle terminal
⌘`
Toggle primary sidebar
⌘B
Go to line
⌘G
Format document
⇧⌥F

Also see: Google Antigravity • GitHub Copilot • VS Code • Windsurf • IntelliJ • Sublime Text

Cursor Shortcuts — Frequently Asked Questions

Are Cursor keyboard shortcuts the same as VS Code?

Cursor builds directly on VS Code and shares most of its default keybindings. However, Cursor adds and overrides shortcuts for AI chat, inline edit, Agent mode, and model switching — for example Ctrl+K opens Cursor's inline edit instead of VS Code's "Go to Line". You can remap everything in the Keyboard Shortcuts editor (Ctrl+K Ctrl+S on Windows, ⌘K ⌘S on Mac). See our VS Code shortcuts page for the baseline editor keys.

How do I open the Cursor AI chat or Agent panel?

Press Ctrl+I (Windows/Linux) or ⌘I (Mac) to toggle the side panel, and Ctrl+E / ⌘E to toggle the Agent layout. Use Ctrl+L / ⌘L to add selected code to a new chat. The Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) gives access to all chat and agent commands by name.

What is the shortcut for Cursor inline edit?

Open inline edit with Ctrl+K on Windows/Linux or ⌘K on macOS. Toggle input focus with Ctrl+Shift+K / ⌘⇧K. Submit with Enter; cancel with Ctrl+Shift+Backspace / ⌘⇧⌫. Press Alt+Enter or ⌥Return to ask a quick question instead of applying an edit.

How do I see every shortcut in Cursor?

Press Ctrl+R then Ctrl+S (⌘R then ⌘S on Mac) to open Cursor's own shortcut reference. You can also open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / ⌘⇧P) and search for Keyboard Shortcuts, or use the VS Code chord Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (⌘K ⌘S). Cursor publishes the current defaults at cursor.com/docs/reference/keyboard-shortcuts.

Why does Enter not send my message in Cursor chat?

In current Cursor builds Enter is bound to Nudge in the chat input, which steers the running agent rather than always starting a new send. Press Ctrl+Enter (⌘Return on Mac) to force send or queue the message, and Shift+Enter to add a new line without sending. Ctrl+Shift+Backspace or ⌘⇧⌫ cancels generation.

How do I switch AI models with the keyboard in Cursor?

Press Ctrl+/ (⌘/ on Mac) to loop through your enabled models, or Ctrl+Alt+/ (⌘⌥/) for the model toggle. Ctrl+. or ⌘. opens the mode menu, and Shift+Tab rotates between Agent modes without touching the mouse. See Cursor Agent mode shortcuts for the agent-only list.

How do I accept or reject Cursor's suggested changes with the keyboard?

When Cursor is offering edits, press Ctrl+Enter (⌘Return on Mac) to accept all changes and Ctrl+Backspace (⌘⌫) to reject all of them. For inline Tab completions, press Tab to accept the whole suggestion and Ctrl+→ (⌘→) to accept only the next word.

Why did Ctrl+Shift+L or Cmd+Shift+L stop working like VS Code?

Cursor may bind those chords to AI actions (for example adding selection to chat). You can restore VS Code behavior by editing keybindings or using a community keybinding pack. Check Cursor Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts and search for the conflicting command.

Why did a Cursor shortcut stop working after an update?

Cursor rebinds keys between releases when adding new AI features. Open Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts and search for the command name, then remap the key you want to keep if a conflict exists. Cursor Settings (Ctrl+Shift+J / ⌘⇧J) is also worth reviewing after an update for changed AI shortcuts. See Cursor's official keyboard docs for the current defaults.

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