Keybindings Reference

Default keyboard shortcuts and keybinding customization for Fresh

Fresh uses context-aware keybindings that adapt based on what part of the editor you’re using.

Viewing Keybindings

There are several ways to discover keybindings in Fresh:

Command Palette

Press Ctrl+P (or ⌘+P on macOS) to open the command palette. Type any command name to see its assigned keybinding.

Keyboard Shortcuts View

Open Help → Keyboard Shortcuts from the menu to view the complete list of all keybindings organized by category.

Keybinding Editor

Open Edit → Keybinding Editor to customize keybindings interactively.

Keybinding Maps

Fresh supports multiple keybinding maps (styles) that you can switch between:

• default - Fresh’s native keybindings (optimized for terminal use)
• emacs - Emacs-style keybindings
• vscode - VS Code-compatible shortcuts
• vim - Vim-style modal editing

Switch between maps using View → Keybinding Style or via configuration:

{
  "active_keybinding_map": "emacs"
}

Key Contexts

Keybindings are context-sensitive. The same key can perform different actions depending on where you are:

• Normal - Default editing context
• Prompt - When entering text in prompts (file open, search, etc.)
• Popup - When viewing popups (completions, hover info, etc.)
• FileExplorer - When the file explorer has focus
• Menu - When navigating the menu bar

Common Keybindings (Default Map)

This section shows common keybindings from the default map. For platform-specific variations and complete listings, use the in-app Help → Keyboard Shortcuts view.

File Operations

Keybinding	Action	Description
Ctrl+N	New	Create new buffer
Ctrl+O	Open	Open file
Ctrl+S	Save	Save current buffer
Ctrl+Shift+S	Save As	Save with new name
Ctrl+W	Close	Close current buffer
Ctrl+Q	Quit	Quit editor

Editing

Keybinding	Action	Description
Ctrl+Z	Undo	Undo last change
Ctrl+Y / Ctrl+Shift+Z	Redo	Redo last undone change
Ctrl+X	Cut	Cut selection
Ctrl+C	Copy	Copy selection
Ctrl+V	Paste	Paste from clipboard
Ctrl+A	Select All	Select entire buffer
Ctrl+D	Add Cursor	Add cursor at next match
Ctrl+/	Toggle Comment	Comment/uncomment lines

Navigation

Keybinding	Action	Description
Ctrl+P	Command Palette	Open command palette
Ctrl+Shift+O	Quick Open	Quick file open
Ctrl+G	Go to Line	Jump to specific line
Ctrl+]	Go to Definition	Jump to symbol definition
Ctrl+[	Go Back	Navigate backward
Alt+Left / Alt+Right	Navigate History	Move through navigation history

Search & Replace

Keybinding	Action	Description
Ctrl+F	Find	Open search
Ctrl+H	Replace	Open find & replace
F3 / Ctrl+F3	Find Next/Previous	Jump to next/previous match
Ctrl+Shift+F	Find in Selection	Search within selection

Multi-Cursor

Keybinding	Action	Description
Ctrl+D	Add Cursor Next Match	Add cursor at next occurrence
Ctrl+Shift+L	Add Cursor to Lines	Add cursor to all selected lines
Alt+Shift+Up	Add Cursor Above	Add cursor on line above
Alt+Shift+Down	Add Cursor Below	Add cursor on line below
Esc	Remove Secondary Cursors	Keep only primary cursor

Splits & Tabs

Keybinding	Action	Description
Ctrl+\	Split Horizontal	Split editor horizontally
Ctrl+Shift+\	Split Vertical	Split editor vertically
Ctrl+Tab	Next Buffer	Switch to next tab
Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Previous Buffer	Switch to previous tab
Ctrl+1..9	Switch to Tab	Switch to tab by number

View

Keybinding	Action	Description
Ctrl+B	Toggle File Explorer	Show/hide file sidebar
Ctrl+Shift+P	Command Palette	Open command palette
F1	Show Help	Open help menu

LSP (Language Server)

Keybinding	Action	Description
Ctrl+Space	Trigger Completion	Show code completions
Alt+K	Hover Info	Show symbol documentation
F2	Rename Symbol	Rename symbol across workspace
Shift+F12	Find References	Find all references
Ctrl+.	Code Actions	Show available code actions

File Explorer (when focused)

Keybinding	Action	Description
Up/Down	Navigate	Move selection
Enter	Open	Open file/expand directory
Space	Expand/Collapse	Toggle directory
n	New File	Create new file
N	New Directory	Create new directory
d	Delete	Delete selected item
r	Rename	Rename selected item
h	Toggle Hidden	Show/hide hidden files
Esc	Focus Editor	Return focus to editor

Customizing Keybindings

Using the Keybinding Editor

The easiest way to customize keybindings:

1. Open Edit → Keybinding Editor
2. Search for the action you want to rebind
3. Click on the keybinding or “Add Binding”
4. Press the desired key combination
5. Save changes

Manual Configuration

Edit ~/.config/fresh/config.json:

{
  "keybindings": [
    {
      "key": "F5",
      "modifiers": [],
      "action": "format_buffer"
    },
    {
      "key": "s",
      "modifiers": ["ctrl", "shift"],
      "action": "save_as"
    },
    {
      "key": "tab",
      "modifiers": ["ctrl"],
      "action": "next_buffer",
      "when": "normal"
    }
  ]
}

Keybinding Schema

key · string · required

The key to bind. Examples: "a", "enter", "f1", "space", "tab", "escape"

modifiers · string[] · required

Modifier keys. Can include: "ctrl", "shift", "alt", "super" (or "cmd" on macOS)

action · string · required

The action to execute. See available actions below.

when · string

Context condition. Values: "normal", "prompt", "popup", "file_explorer", "menu"

If omitted, defaults to "normal".

args · object

Additional arguments for actions that require parameters.

Creating Custom Keybinding Maps

You can create your own keybinding map:

{
  "keybinding_maps": {
    "my-custom-map": [
      {
        "key": "s",
        "modifiers": ["ctrl"],
        "action": "save"
      },
      {
        "key": "o",
        "modifiers": ["ctrl"],
        "action": "open"
      }
    ]
  },
  "active_keybinding_map": "my-custom-map"
}

Available Actions

To see all available actions, open the Keybinding Editor and browse the action dropdown, or use the Command Palette (Ctrl+P).

Some commonly used actions:

• save, save_as, open, new, close, quit
• undo, redo, copy, cut, paste
• search, replace, find_next, find_previous
• goto_line, lsp_goto_definition, lsp_references
• add_cursor_above, add_cursor_below, add_cursor_next_match
• toggle_comment, format_buffer, delete_line
• split_horizontal, split_vertical, next_split, prev_split
• toggle_file_explorer, toggle_line_numbers, toggle_line_wrap

Debugging Keybindings

If a keybinding isn’t working as expected:

Debug Keyboard Events

Use Help → Debug Keyboard Events to see exactly what key codes your terminal sends to Fresh. This helps diagnose:

• Missing modifier keys
• Terminal or OS intercepting keys
• Incorrect escape sequences

Press any key to see its code, modifiers, and event type. Press c to clear history, q or Esc to close.

Input Calibration

Some terminals send non-standard escape sequences. Use View → Calibrate Input to teach Fresh your terminal’s specific key mappings.

Platform Differences

macOS

• Cmd (⌘) is used instead of Ctrl for many system-wide shortcuts
• The default macOS keymap automatically adjusts for platform conventions
• Native menu bar integration provides standard macOS shortcuts

Windows

• Alt key behavior may differ in Windows Terminal vs other terminals
• Some Ctrl+Shift combinations may be intercepted by the OS

Linux

• Terminal emulator differences are most prominent on Linux
• Use input calibration if your terminal sends unusual sequences
• GPM (console mouse) is supported on the Linux console

See Also

• Troubleshooting - Debug keyboard issues
• CLI Commands - Command-line options