Cursor AI Editor Shortcuts — Complete Guide
Complete Cursor AI editor keyboard shortcuts guide. AI chat, inline editing, code generation, and all VSCode-inherited shortcuts for Mac and Windows.
What Is Cursor?
Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built on top of Visual Studio Code. It inherits all of VSCode's features and shortcuts while adding powerful AI capabilities — inline code generation, natural language editing, codebase-aware chat, and more. Understanding both the AI-specific shortcuts and the inherited VSCode shortcuts is key to getting the most out of Cursor.
This guide covers all Cursor-specific shortcuts plus the most important inherited VSCode shortcuts, for both Mac and Windows/Linux.
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Cursor AI-Specific Shortcuts
These shortcuts are unique to Cursor and control its AI features.
AI Chat and Composer
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Open AI Chat (side panel) | Cmd + L | Ctrl + L |
| Open Composer (multi-file AI edit) | Cmd + I | Ctrl + I |
| Inline Edit (AI edit in place) | Cmd + K | Ctrl + K |
| Toggle AI Chat panel | Cmd + L | Ctrl + L |
| New chat conversation | Cmd + Shift + L | Ctrl + Shift + L |
| Add selection to chat context | Select code > Cmd + L | Select code > Ctrl + L |
| Add file to chat context | @filename in chat | @filename in chat |
| Reference documentation | @docs in chat | @docs in chat |
| Reference codebase | @codebase in chat | @codebase in chat |
Inline Editing (Cmd/Ctrl + K)
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Open inline edit prompt | Cmd + K | Ctrl + K |
| Accept AI suggestion | Cmd + Y or Tab | Ctrl + Y or Tab |
| Reject AI suggestion | Esc | Esc |
| Accept partial suggestion | Cmd + Right | Ctrl + Right |
Tab Completion (Copilot++)
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Accept full suggestion | Tab | Tab |
| Accept next word | Cmd + Right | Ctrl + Right |
| Dismiss suggestion | Esc | Esc |
| Trigger suggestion manually | Type or pause | Type or pause |
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Essential Inherited VSCode Shortcuts
Since Cursor is built on VSCode, all VSCode shortcuts work in Cursor. Here are the most important ones.
Command Palette and Quick Open
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Command Palette | Cmd + Shift + P | Ctrl + Shift + P |
| Quick Open file | Cmd + P | Ctrl + P |
| Go to Symbol | Cmd + Shift + O | Ctrl + Shift + O |
| Go to Line | Ctrl + G | Ctrl + G |
| Open Settings | Cmd + , | Ctrl + , |
Editing
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Cut line | Cmd + X | Ctrl + X |
| Copy line | Cmd + C | Ctrl + C |
| Move line up/down | Option + Up/Down | Alt + Up/Down |
| Duplicate line | Shift + Option + Up/Down | Shift + Alt + Up/Down |
| Delete line | Cmd + Shift + K | Ctrl + Shift + K |
| Toggle line comment | Cmd + / | Ctrl + / |
| Toggle block comment | Shift + Option + A | Shift + Alt + A |
| Format document | Shift + Option + F | Shift + Alt + F |
| Rename symbol | F2 | F2 |
| Quick Fix | Cmd + . | Ctrl + . |
Multi-Cursor
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Add cursor above/below | Cmd + Option + Up/Down | Ctrl + Alt + Up/Down |
| Add cursor at click | Option + Click | Alt + Click |
| Select current word | Cmd + D | Ctrl + D |
| Select all occurrences | Cmd + Shift + L | Ctrl + Shift + L |
Search
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Find in file | Cmd + F | Ctrl + F |
| Replace in file | Cmd + Option + F | Ctrl + H |
| Find in all files | Cmd + Shift + F | Ctrl + Shift + F |
| Replace in all files | Cmd + Shift + H | Ctrl + Shift + H |
Navigation
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Go to Definition | F12 | F12 |
| Peek Definition | Option + F12 | Alt + F12 |
| Go Back | Ctrl + - | Alt + Left |
| Go Forward | Ctrl + Shift + - | Alt + Right |
| Toggle Sidebar | Cmd + B | Ctrl + B |
| Toggle Terminal | Ctrl + | Ctrl + |
| Split Editor | Cmd + \ | Ctrl + \ |
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Cursor AI Workflow Patterns
Knowing the shortcuts is one thing — knowing how to combine them effectively is another. Here are common workflow patterns.
Pattern 1: Quick Question About Code
- Select the code you have a question about.
- Press
Cmd + Lto add it to the AI Chat. - Type your question and press Enter.
Pattern 2: Inline Code Edit
- Select the code you want to modify (or place your cursor where you want new code).
- Press
Cmd + Kto open the inline edit prompt. - Describe what you want in natural language.
- Review the diff and press
Tabto accept orEscto reject.
Pattern 3: Multi-File Refactor with Composer
- Press
Cmd + Ito open the Composer. - Describe the change you want across multiple files.
- Use
@filenameto reference specific files. - Review each file's changes and accept or reject individually.
Pattern 4: Codebase-Aware Chat
- Press
Cmd + Lto open chat. - Type
@codebasefollowed by your question. - Cursor will search your entire codebase for relevant context before answering.
Pattern 5: Documentation-Aware Chat
- Press
Cmd + Lto open chat. - Type
@docsand select a documentation source. - Ask your question — Cursor will use the official docs as context.
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Cursor Settings Worth Knowing
Access settings with Cmd + , and search for these:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
cursor.ai.model | Choose which AI model to use |
cursor.ai.enableTab | Enable/disable Copilot++ tab completion |
cursor.ai.enableInlineEdit | Enable/disable Cmd+K inline editing |
cursor.privacy.mode | Control what code is sent to AI |
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Cursor vs. VSCode: Key Differences
| Feature | VSCode | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| AI Chat | Extension required (Copilot) | Built-in (Cmd + L) |
| Inline AI Edit | Limited | Full support (Cmd + K) |
| Multi-file AI Edit | Not available | Composer (Cmd + I) |
| Codebase Search (AI) | Not available | @codebase |
| Tab Completion | Copilot extension | Built-in Copilot++ |
| Base Shortcuts | All VSCode shortcuts | All VSCode shortcuts |
| Extensions | Full marketplace | Full compatibility |
| Price | Free | Free tier + Pro plan |
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Top 10 Cursor Shortcuts for Daily Use
- Cmd/Ctrl + L — Open AI Chat. Your conversational AI assistant.
- Cmd/Ctrl + K — Inline edit. Describe changes in natural language.
- Cmd/Ctrl + I — Composer. Multi-file AI editing.
- Tab — Accept AI suggestion. The most frequently used AI shortcut.
- Cmd/Ctrl + P — Quick Open. Navigate files instantly.
- Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P — Command Palette. Access every command.
- Cmd/Ctrl + D — Select next occurrence. Multi-cursor editing.
- Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + K — Delete line.
- Cmd/Ctrl + / — Toggle comment.
- F12 — Go to Definition.
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Tips for Mastering Cursor
- Learn the 3 AI shortcuts first:
Cmd + L(chat),Cmd + K(inline edit),Cmd + I(composer). These are what make Cursor unique. - Use @-mentions in chat to give the AI precise context:
@filename,@codebase,@docs. - Review AI diffs carefully. Always read what the AI suggests before accepting.
- Build muscle memory with Keyhab. Practice both the Cursor-specific and inherited VSCode shortcuts with spaced repetition drills.
- Customize keybindings if the defaults conflict with your workflow. Open keybindings with
Cmd + K, Cmd + S.
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Conclusion
Cursor combines the power of VSCode's editing capabilities with cutting-edge AI features. The three core AI shortcuts — Chat (Cmd + L), Inline Edit (Cmd + K), and Composer (Cmd + I) — are the foundation of the Cursor workflow. Layer in the essential VSCode shortcuts for navigation, editing, and multi-cursor, and you have an incredibly efficient development environment. Practice consistently, and these shortcuts will become second nature within weeks.