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#terminal · 30 Mar 2024 · 1 min read

Terminal Shortcuts: Navigation

Move faster through the command line without reaching for the arrow keys.

Knowing how to move efficiently in the terminal is one of those skills that pays off every single day. These shortcuts let you navigate lines and words without lifting your hands off the keyboard.

Move by character

Ctrl+A
Jump to the beginning of the line
Ctrl+E
Jump to the end of the line
Ctrl+F
Move one character forward
Ctrl+B
Move one character backward

Move by word

Alt+F/Esc+F
Move one word forward
Alt+B/Esc+B
Move one word backward

Jump to a specific character

Ctrl+]+X
Move forward to the next occurrence of character X
Alt+Ctrl+]+X
Move backward to the previous occurrence of character X

Toggle between positions

Ctrl+XX
First press: jump to the beginning of the line. Next presses: toggle back to the last cursor position.