Windows Terminal keyboard shortcuts
Windows Terminal is a workspace for several shells, so its important keys manage the container around the prompt. Open tabs, split panes, search scrollback, copy and paste, zoom, and reach the command palette.
Windows Terminal is a container for several shells, so its shortcuts manage the space around the prompt. Start with tabs and panes, then learn copy, search, zoom, and the command palette.
Tabs
Open, close, switch, rename, and move Windows Terminal tabs.
| Action | Windows |
|---|---|
| New tab with the default profile | CtrlShiftT |
| New tab with a profile from the dropdownDigits 1 through 9 open profiles 1 through 9. | CtrlShift1 |
| Next tab | CtrlTab |
| Previous tab | CtrlShiftTab |
| Duplicate the current tab's profile and directory | CtrlShiftD |
| Close the active pane, or the tab if there are no splits | CtrlShiftW |
| Open the new tab dropdown | CtrlShiftSpace |
| Switch to a specific tab by positionDefaults cover tabs 1 through 8 with Ctrl+Alt+1 through Ctrl+Alt+8. | CtrlAlt1 |
Panes
Split panes, move focus, resize the layout, and zoom the pane you are using.
| Action | Windows |
|---|---|
| Split the pane automatically, duplicating the profileAuto picks the direction with the most surface area. | AltShiftD |
| Duplicate the pane downward | AltShift- |
| Duplicate the pane to the right | AltShift+ |
| Move focus between panesAlso Alt+Right, Alt+Up, and Alt+Down. Ctrl+Alt+Left moves to the previously used pane. | AltLeft |
| Resize the active paneAlso Alt+Shift+Right, Alt+Shift+Up, and Alt+Shift+Down. | AltShiftLeft |
Copy and paste
Copy, paste, and select terminal text while preserving the command-line workflow.
| Action | Windows |
|---|---|
| Copy selected terminal contentWith no selection the chord passes through to the shell. Ctrl+Shift+C and Ctrl+Insert also copy. | CtrlC |
| Paste from the clipboardCtrl+Shift+V and Shift+Insert also paste. | CtrlV |
| Select all content in the text buffer | CtrlShiftA |
| Toggle mark mode for keyboard selections | CtrlShiftM |
View and zoom
Change font size, toggle fullscreen, and move through the terminal viewport.
| Action | Windows |
|---|---|
| Increase the text size | Ctrl+ |
| Decrease the text size | Ctrl- |
| Reset the text size to the default | Ctrl0 |
| Toggle full screenAlt+Enter is bound to the same action. | F11 |
Search and scrollback
Search terminal history and move through scrollback without losing the current prompt.
| Action | Windows |
|---|---|
| Search across the full scrollback bufferSupports case sensitivity and regex toggles. | CtrlShiftF |
| Scroll the screen upCtrl+Shift+Down scrolls down. | CtrlShiftUp |
| Scroll to the earliest history | CtrlShiftHome |
| Scroll to the latest history | CtrlShiftEnd |
Command palette and settings
Open the command palette, settings, and help when a binding is easier to discover than memorize.
| Action | Windows |
|---|---|
| Open the command palette | CtrlShiftP |
| Open the Settings UI | Ctrl, |
| Open the settings.json file | CtrlShift, |
| Summon the quake mode window snapped to the top of the monitorNo default key binding is documented; bind the quakeMode action yourself or launch wt -w _quake. | Not documented |
Make the useful keys stick
A good terminal layout gives every shell a place and every prompt a path back. Learn tabs and panes first, then keep search and command palette keys nearby when the layout needs to change.
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.