iTerm2 keyboard shortcuts for Mac
55 shortcuts · Updated
These are the default iTerm2 keyboard shortcuts on macOS, curated from the official iTerm2 documentation. The ones worth learning first are the split-pane pair - Cmd D splits vertically, Cmd Shift D horizontally - plus marks, paste history, and Open Quickly. The standard shell line-editing keys work in it too, so those are included at the end.
Nothing matches - try fewer letters, or an action word like "close" or "split".
Or stop looking them up. Super Shortcuts puts the iTerm2 commands you actually use one hyper key away: hold it, see every command for the app you're in, release a key to run it. No memorizing - the cheat sheet is the shortcut.
Get Super ShortcutsSplit panes9
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command D⌘D | Split the pane vertically (side by side) |
| Command Shift D⌘⇧D | Split the pane horizontally (one above the other) |
| Command Option Left Arrow⌘⌥← | Focus the pane to the left |
| Command Option Right Arrow⌘⌥→ | Focus the pane to the right |
| Command Option Up Arrow⌘⌥↑ | Focus the pane above |
| Command Option Down Arrow⌘⌥↓ | Focus the pane below |
| Command ]⌘] | Focus the next pane in order of use |
| Command [⌘[ | Focus the previous pane |
| Command Shift Return⌘⇧↩ | Maximize the current pane (press again to restore) |
Tabs & windows9
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command T⌘T | New tab |
| Command N⌘N | New window |
| Command W⌘W | Close the current session |
| Command Z⌘Z | Undo closing a session (within a few seconds) |
| Command }⌘} | Go to the next tab |
| Command {⌘{ | Go to the previous tab |
| Command 1⌘1 | Go to tab 1 (Cmd 2 through 9 for the others) |
| Command Option 1⌘⌥1 | Go to window 1 (works with other numbers too) |
| Command Return⌘↩ | Toggle full screen |
Search & navigation7
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command F⌘F | Find in the current session |
| Command G⌘G | Find the next match |
| Command Shift G⌘⇧G | Find the previous match |
| Tab⇥ | Extend the find match right by one word (while searching) |
| Shift Tab⇧⇥ | Extend the find match left by one word (while searching) |
| Command Shift O⌘⇧O | Open Quickly - search sessions by name, host, directory, or command |
| Command /⌘/ | Find the cursor (highlights its position) |
Marks & history9
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command Shift M⌘⇧M | Mark the current location in the session |
| Command Shift J⌘⇧J | Jump back to the mark |
| Command Shift Up Arrow⌘⇧↑ | Jump to the previous mark |
| Command Shift Down Arrow⌘⇧↓ | Jump to the next mark |
| Command ;⌘; | Open the autocomplete window |
| Command Shift ;⌘⇧; | Open the command history popup (with shell integration) |
| Command Option /⌘⌥/ | Open the recent directories popup (with shell integration) |
| Command Shift H⌘⇧H | Open the paste history |
| Command Option B⌘⌥B | Instant replay - step back through what was on screen (Esc to exit) |
Session & display8
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command K⌘K | Clear the scrollback buffer |
| Command I⌘I | Edit the current session's settings |
| Command U⌘U | Toggle window transparency |
| Command Shift E⌘⇧E | Show timestamps for each line |
| Command =⌘= | Make the text bigger |
| Command -⌘- | Make the text smaller |
| Command 0⌘0 | Restore the default text size |
| Command ,⌘, | Open Settings |
Command-line editing (shell defaults)10
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Control A⌃A | Move to the beginning of the line |
| Control E⌃E | Move to the end of the line |
| Control U⌃U | Delete from the cursor to the start of the line |
| Control K⌃K | Delete from the cursor to the end of the line |
| Control W⌃W | Delete the word before the cursor |
| Control Y⌃Y | Paste back the last text you deleted |
| Control R⌃R | Search your shell history as you type |
| Control L⌃L | Clear the screen |
| Control C⌃C | Cancel the current command |
| Control D⌃D | Exit the shell (on an empty line) |
Mouse3
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command Click⌘Click | Open the URL or file under the pointer |
| Shift Click⇧Click | Extend the current selection |
| Command Option Drag⌘⌥Drag | Make a rectangular selection |
Curated from the official iTerm2 official documentation. Defaults only - shortcuts you've remapped will differ.
Frequently asked questions
How do I customize keyboard shortcuts in iTerm2?
Open Settings with ⌘, and go to Keys → Key Bindings for global shortcuts, or Profiles → Keys for per-profile ones. You can remap almost anything, including sending escape sequences or running actions on a keypress.
Which iTerm2 shortcuts should I learn first?
The split-pane pair: ⌘D splits vertically and ⌘⇧D horizontally, with ⌘⌥ plus an arrow key to move between panes. After that, ⌘⇧H (paste history) and ⌘⇧O (Open Quickly) are the biggest daily time-savers.
What are marks in iTerm2 and how do I use them?
A mark is a saved location in your scrollback. Press ⌘⇧M to set one and ⌘⇧J to jump back to it. With shell integration installed, iTerm2 marks every prompt automatically, and ⌘⇧↑ / ⌘⇧↓ hop between commands.