Ghostty keyboard shortcuts
Ghostty's useful defaults are about arranging terminal work. Split the surface, move between tabs, copy and paste, change the view, and reload configuration while keeping the shell session alive.
Ghostty shortcuts make the terminal feel like a workspace instead of a single stream of text. Learn panes and tabs first, then add search, paste, and configuration controls as your sessions multiply.
Splits
Splits are Ghostty's headline feature: the macOS bindings use Cmd while Linux uses Ctrl+Shift or Ctrl+Alt for the same actions.
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| New split to the right | CmdD | CtrlShiftO |
| New split below | CmdShiftD | CtrlShiftE |
| Move focus between splits[ goes to the previous split; Option+Cmd+Arrow (Linux: Ctrl+Alt+Arrow) moves by direction. | Cmd] | CtrlSuper] |
| Zoom the focused split to fill the window | CmdShiftEnter | CtrlShiftEnter |
| Resize the focused splitWorks with Down, Left, and Right too. | CmdCtrlUp | CtrlSuperShiftUp |
| Equalize all splits | CmdCtrl= | CtrlSuperShift= |
| Close the focused split or tab | CmdW | CtrlShiftW |
Tabs and windows
Open, close, and move between terminal tabs or windows without interrupting a running shell.
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| New tab | CmdT | CtrlShiftT |
| New window | CmdN | CtrlShiftN |
| Next tabOn Linux Ctrl+PageDown also works; Cmd+Shift+[ (Linux: Ctrl+Shift+Tab) goes back. | CmdShift] | CtrlTab |
| Jump to a tab by numberDigits 1 through 8 pick tabs by position; 9 jumps to the last tab. | Cmd1 | Alt1 |
Clipboard and view
Copy and paste safely, change font size, toggle fullscreen, and clear or redraw the terminal view.
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Copy the selection | CmdC | CtrlShiftC |
| Paste from the clipboard | CmdV | CtrlShiftV |
| Increase font size- decreases and 0 resets on both platforms. | Cmd+ | Ctrl+ |
| Toggle full screen | CmdEnter | F11 |
Config and inspector
Reload configuration and open the inspectors that explain what Ghostty is doing in the current window.
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Open the config file | Cmd, | Ctrl, |
| Reload the config without restarting | CmdShift, | CtrlShift, |
| Toggle the terminal inspector | CmdOptionI | CtrlShiftI |
Make the useful keys stick
A terminal workspace should make the next command easier to reach, not make you remember where it went. Learn the pane and tab controls that match your setup, then keep this list nearby for the rest.
You do not need this whole page in your head. Pick two shortcuts that remove a repeated hand movement, use them until they feel ordinary, and come back for the next pair.