Code Editors & IDEs

Emacs Keyboard Shortcuts

115 shortcuts to edit text with extensible tools faster — the complete Emacs keyboard shortcut reference

Emacs keyboard shortcuts

Emacs is a code editors & IDEs application developed by GNU Project. It lets users edit text with extensible tools with a professional-grade toolset.

Knowing the right keyboard shortcuts turns Emacs into a faster, more responsive tool. It is one of the simplest upgrades to any workflow.

With support for macOS, Windows, and Linux, Emacs reaches a wide range of users. This keyboard shortcuts guide covers the key combinations for each supported platform.

macOS Windows Linux
115 shortcuts 12 categories
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Leaving Emacs 1 shortcut

exit Emacs permanently
Ctrl +X +C Ctrl +X +C Ctrl +X +C

Files 6 shortcuts

read a file into Emacs
Ctrl +X +F Ctrl +X +F Ctrl +X +F
save a file back to disk / save all files
Ctrl +X +S Ctrl +X +S Ctrl +X +S
insert contents of another file into this buffer
Ctrl +X +I Ctrl +X +I Ctrl +X +I
replace this file with the file you really want
Ctrl +X +V Ctrl +X +V Ctrl +X +V
write buffer to a specified file
Ctrl +X +W Ctrl +X +W Ctrl +X +W
toggle read-only status of buffer
Ctrl +X +Q Ctrl +X +Q Ctrl +X +Q

Getting Help 7 shortcuts

The help system is simple. Type C-h (or F1 ) and follow the di-rections. If you are a first-time user, type C-h t for a tutorial .remove help window
Ctrl +H Ctrl +H Ctrl +H
remove help window
Ctrl +X +1 Ctrl +X +1 Ctrl +X +1
scroll help window
Ctrl +Opt +V Ctrl +Alt +V Ctrl +Alt +V
apropos: show commands matching a string
Ctrl +H +A Ctrl +H +A Ctrl +H +A
describe the function a key runs
Ctrl +H +K Ctrl +H +K Ctrl +H +K
describe a function
Ctrl +H +F Ctrl +H +F Ctrl +H +F
get mode-specific information
Ctrl +H +M Ctrl +H +M Ctrl +H +M

Error Recovery 5 shortcuts

abort partially typed or executing command
Ctrl +G Ctrl +G Ctrl +G
undo an unwanted change
Ctrl +X +U Ctrl +X +U Ctrl +X +U
undo an unwanted change
Ctrl +_ Ctrl +_ Ctrl +_
undo an unwanted change
Ctrl +/ Ctrl +/ Ctrl +/
redraw garbaged screen
Ctrl +L Ctrl +L Ctrl +L

Incremental Search 9 shortcuts

search forward
Ctrl +S Ctrl +S Ctrl +S
search backward
Ctrl +R Ctrl +R Ctrl +R
regular expression search
Ctrl +Opt +S Ctrl +Alt +S Ctrl +Alt +S
reverse regular expression search
Ctrl +Opt +R Ctrl +Alt +R Ctrl +Alt +R
select previous search string
Opt +P Alt +P Alt +P
select next search string
Opt +N Alt +N Alt +N
exit incremental search
Enter Enter Enter
undo effect of last character
Delete Delete Delete
abort current search
Ctrl +G Ctrl +G Ctrl +G

Motion 28 shortcuts

character
Ctrl +B Ctrl +B Ctrl +B
character
Ctrl +F Ctrl +F Ctrl +F
word
Opt +B Alt +B Alt +B
word
Opt +F Alt +F Alt +F
line
Ctrl +P Ctrl +P Ctrl +P
line
Ctrl +N Ctrl +N Ctrl +N
go to line beginning (or end)
Ctrl +A Ctrl +A Ctrl +A
go to line beginning (or end)
Ctrl +E Ctrl +E Ctrl +E
sentence
Opt +A Alt +A Alt +A
sentence
Opt +E Alt +E Alt +E
paragraph
Opt +{ Alt +{ Alt +{
paragraph
Opt +} Alt +} Alt +}
page
Ctrl +X +[ Ctrl +X +[ Ctrl +X +[
page
Ctrl +X +] Ctrl +X +] Ctrl +X +]
sexp
Ctrl +Opt +B Ctrl +Alt +B Ctrl +Alt +B
sexp
Ctrl +Opt +F Ctrl +Alt +F Ctrl +Alt +F
function
Ctrl +Opt +A Ctrl +Alt +A Ctrl +Alt +A
function
Ctrl +Opt +E Ctrl +Alt +E Ctrl +Alt +E
go to buffer beginning (or end)
Opt +< Alt +< Alt +<
go to buffer beginning (or end)
Opt +> Alt +> Alt +>
scroll to next screen
Ctrl +V Ctrl +V Ctrl +V
scroll to previous screen
Opt +V Alt +V Alt +V
scroll left
Ctrl +X +< Ctrl +X +< Ctrl +X +<
scroll right
Ctrl +X +> Ctrl +X +> Ctrl +X +>
scroll current line to center, top, bottom
Ctrl +L Ctrl +L Ctrl +L
goto line
Opt +G +G Alt +G +G Alt +G +G
goto char
Opt +G +C Alt +G +C Alt +G +C
back to indentation
Opt +M Alt +M Alt +M
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Killing and Deleting 13 shortcuts

character (delete, not kill)
Delete Delete Delete
character (delete, not kill)
Ctrl +D Ctrl +D Ctrl +D
word
Opt +Delete Alt +Delete Alt +Delete
word
Opt +D Alt +D Alt +D
line (to end of)
Ctrl +Opt +0 +K +K Ctrl +Alt +0 +K +K Ctrl +Alt +0 +K +K
sentence
Ctrl +X +Delete Ctrl +X +Delete Ctrl +X +Delete
sentence
Opt +K Alt +K Alt +K
sexp
Ctrl +Opt +- +K Ctrl +Alt +- +K Ctrl +Alt +- +K
kill region
Ctrl +W Ctrl +W Ctrl +W
copy region to kill ring
Opt +W Alt +W Alt +W
kill through next occurrence of char
Opt +Z +char Alt +Z +char Alt +Z +char
yank back last thing killed
Ctrl +Y Ctrl +Y Ctrl +Y
replace last yank with previous kill
Opt +Y Alt +Y Alt +Y

Marking 9 shortcuts

set mark here
Ctrl +@ Ctrl +@ Ctrl +@
set mark here
Ctrl +Space Ctrl +Space Ctrl +Space
exchange point and mark
Ctrl +X +X Ctrl +X +X Ctrl +X +X
set mark arg words away
Opt +@ Alt +@ Alt +@
mark paragraph
Opt +H Alt +H Alt +H
mark page
Ctrl +X +P Ctrl +X +P Ctrl +X +P
mark sexp
Ctrl +Opt +@ Ctrl +Alt +@ Ctrl +Alt +@
mark function
Ctrl +Opt +H Ctrl +Alt +H Ctrl +Alt +H
mark entire buffer
Ctrl +X +H Ctrl +X +H Ctrl +X +H

Query Replace 3 shortcuts

interactively replace a text string
Opt +% Alt +% Alt +%
using regular expressions
Opt +X +query-replace-regexp Alt +X +query-replace-regexp Alt +X +query-replace-regexp
enter recursive edit ( C-M-c to exit)
Ctrl +R Ctrl +R Ctrl +R

Multiple Windows 15 shortcuts

When two commands are shown, the second is a similar com-mand for a frame instead of a window. delete all other windows
Ctrl +X +1 Ctrl +X +1 Ctrl +X +1
split window, above and below
Ctrl +X +2 Ctrl +X +2 Ctrl +X +2
delete this window
Ctrl +X +0 Ctrl +X +0 Ctrl +X +0
split window, side by side
Ctrl +X +3 Ctrl +X +3 Ctrl +X +3
scroll other window
Ctrl +Opt +V Ctrl +Alt +V Ctrl +Alt +V
switch cursor to another window
Ctrl +X +O Ctrl +X +O Ctrl +X +O
select buffer in other window
Ctrl +X +4 +B Ctrl +X +4 +B Ctrl +X +4 +B
display buffer in other window
Ctrl +X +4 +O Ctrl +X +4 +O Ctrl +X +4 +O
find file in other window
Ctrl +X +4 +F Ctrl +X +4 +F Ctrl +X +4 +F
find file read-only in other window
Ctrl +X +4 +R Ctrl +X +4 +R Ctrl +X +4 +R
run Dired in other window
Ctrl +X +4 +D Ctrl +X +4 +D Ctrl +X +4 +D
find tag in other window
Ctrl +X +4 +. Ctrl +X +4 +. Ctrl +X +4 +.
grow window taller
Ctrl +X +^ Ctrl +X +^ Ctrl +X +^
shrink window narrower
Ctrl +X +{ Ctrl +X +{ Ctrl +X +{
grow window wider
Ctrl +X +} Ctrl +X +} Ctrl +X +}

Formatting 14 shortcuts

indent current line (mode-dependent)
Tab Tab Tab
indent region (mode-dependent)
Ctrl +Opt +\ Ctrl +Alt +\ Ctrl +Alt +\
indent sexp (mode-dependent)
Ctrl +Opt +Q Ctrl +Alt +Q Ctrl +Alt +Q
indent region rigidly arg columns
Ctrl +X +Tab Ctrl +X +Tab Ctrl +X +Tab
indent for comment
Opt +; Alt +; Alt +;
insert newline after point
Ctrl +O Ctrl +O Ctrl +O
move rest of line vertically down
Ctrl +Opt +O Ctrl +Alt +O Ctrl +Alt +O
delete blank lines around point
Ctrl +X +O Ctrl +X +O Ctrl +X +O
join line with previous (with arg, next)
Opt +^ Alt +^ Alt +^
delete all white space around point
Opt +\ Alt +\ Alt +\
put exactly one space at point
Opt +Space Alt +Space Alt +Space
fill paragraph
Opt +Q Alt +Q Alt +Q
set fill column to arg
Ctrl +X +F Ctrl +X +F Ctrl +X +F
set prefix each line starts with
Ctrl +X +. Ctrl +X +. Ctrl +X +.

Case Change 5 shortcuts

uppercase word
Opt +U Alt +U Alt +U
lowercase word
Opt +L Alt +L Alt +L
capitalize word
Opt +C Alt +C Alt +C
uppercase region
Ctrl +X +U Ctrl +X +U Ctrl +X +U
lowercase region
Ctrl +X +L Ctrl +X +L Ctrl +X +L
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