Vim shortcuts
- 38 shortcuts
- 6 sections
- Development
- Also on: Linux
- Verified against official docs
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Three pairs make up the Entering Insert Mode section of the Vim list, and in each pair the second shortcut adds Shift to the letter of the first: Insert Before Cursor and Insert At Line Start, Append After Cursor and Append At Line End, Open Line Below and Open Line Above. Movement starts with Move Left, Move Down, Move Up and Move Right on four letters. Visual Mode uses one letter for Visual Character, Visual Line and Visual Block.
Start with these
- Insert Before Cursor
- Delete Line
- Undo
- Redo
- Search Forward
- Save And Quit
Tips for Vim
- Delete Line dd and Yank Line yy show one letter twice.
- In Save & Quit, Save :w, Quit :q, Save And Quit :wq and Force Quit :q! begin with a colon.
- In Search, Next Match N and Previous Match ⇧N use one letter, the second with Shift.
Movement11
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Move Left | |
| Move Down | |
| Move Up | |
| Move Right | |
| Next Word | |
| Previous Word | |
| End Of Word | |
| Beginning Of Line | |
| End Of Line | |
| Go To Top | |
| Go To Bottom |
Entering Insert Mode6
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Insert Before Cursor | |
| Insert At Line Start | |
| Append After Cursor | |
| Append At Line End | |
| Open Line Below | |
| Open Line Above |
Editing9
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Delete Line | |
| Yank Line | |
| Paste After | |
| Paste Before | |
| Delete Character | |
| Replace Character | |
| Undo | |
| Redo | |
| Repeat Last Command |
Search4
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Search Forward | |
| Search Backward | |
| Next Match | |
| Previous Match |
Save & Quit5
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Save | |
| Quit | |
| Save And Quit | |
| Force Quit | |
| Save And Exit |
Visual Mode3
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Visual Character | |
| Visual Line | |
| Visual Block |
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Related resources
More Development shortcuts
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many keyboard shortcuts does Vim have on macOS?
Vim has 38 keyboard shortcuts on macOS, organized into 6 sections: Movement, Entering Insert Mode, Editing, Search, and more. This page lists all of them with searchable, organized shortcut tables.
Which Vim shortcuts should I learn first?
Start with Insert Before Cursor (I), Delete Line (dd), Undo (U), Redo (⌃R), Search Forward (/), Save And Quit (:wq). The sections on this page list the rest.
Can I download Vim shortcuts as a PDF?
Yes. Click the download button at the top of this page to generate a printable PDF cheat sheet with all 38 Vim shortcuts. The PDF includes organized sections, keycap-style key labels, and space for your own notes.
Where is the official Vim keyboard shortcuts documentation?
The official Vim keyboard shortcuts documentation is available on their website. Every shortcut on this page is sourced from and verified against the official documentation to ensure accuracy.
Do these Vim shortcuts work on all Mac keyboards?
Yes. These shortcuts work on all Mac keyboards, including MacBook built-in keyboards and external Apple keyboards. The modifier keys are Command (⌘), Option (⌥), Control (⌃), and Shift (⇧). On keyboards without a Function row, some F-key shortcuts may require holding the Fn key.
Maintained by Vladik Didyk
Access Vim shortcuts from your menu bar
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