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Zed Editor Guide

A comprehensive guide to keyboard shortcuts and best practices for efficient coding with Zed editor.

Why Zed?

Zed is a high-performance code editor built in Rust, designed for speed and minimalism. Key advantages:

• Lightning fast - Uses Vulkan/Metal for GPU-accelerated rendering
• Low memory footprint - Much lighter than VS Code
• Built-in AI assistance - Native Claude integration
• Multiplayer collaboration - Real-time code sharing
• Modern defaults - Sensible out-of-the-box configuration

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Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Note: Shortcuts shown for Linux/Windows. On macOS, replace Ctrl with Cmd and Alt with Option.

Core Commands

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Shift+P	Command Palette (access any command)
Ctrl+,	Open Settings
Ctrl+Shift+X	Extensions Store
Ctrl+Q	Quit Zed

File Operations

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+N	New file
Ctrl+Shift+N	New window
Ctrl+O	Open folder
Ctrl+S	Save
Ctrl+Shift+S	Save As
Ctrl+Alt+S	Save All
Ctrl+W	Close tab
Ctrl+Shift+W	Close window

Navigation

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+P / Ctrl+E	Quick file open (fuzzy finder)
Ctrl+G	Go to line/column
Ctrl+Shift+O	Go to symbol in file
F12	Go to definition
Ctrl+F12	Go to type definition
Alt+Shift+F12	Find all references
Ctrl+Alt+-	Navigate back
Ctrl+Alt+Right/Left	Navigate between tabs
F8 / Shift+F8	Next/Previous problem

Search

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+F	Find in file
Ctrl+H	Find and replace
Ctrl+Shift+F	Find in project (global search)
Ctrl+Shift+H	Replace in project

Editing

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Z	Undo
Ctrl+Shift+Z	Redo
Ctrl+X	Cut line (no selection) / Cut selection
Ctrl+C	Copy line (no selection) / Copy selection
Ctrl+V	Paste
Ctrl+/	Toggle line comment
Ctrl+Shift+D	Duplicate line/selection
Alt+Up/Down	Move line up/down
Ctrl+Shift+K	Delete line
Ctrl+Enter	Insert line below
Ctrl+Shift+Enter	Insert line above

Multi-Cursor & Selection

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+A	Select all
Alt+Shift+Up/Down	Add cursor above/below
Ctrl+D	Select word / Select next occurrence
Ctrl+Shift+L	Select all occurrences
Alt+Shift+Right/Left	Expand/Shrink selection
Ctrl+L	Select entire line

Panels & Layout

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+B	Toggle left dock (file explorer)
Ctrl+Alt+B	Toggle right dock
Ctrl+J	Toggle bottom dock (terminal)
Ctrl+Alt+Y	Close all docks
Ctrl+Shift+E	Project panel
Ctrl+Shift+B	Outline panel
Ctrl+\`	Terminal panel
Ctrl+Shift+M	Diagnostics panel

Split Panes

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+K then Up	Split up
Ctrl+K then Down	Split down
Ctrl+K then Left	Split left
Ctrl+K then Right	Split right
Ctrl+1/2/3...	Focus pane by number

Terminal

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+\`	Toggle terminal
Ctrl+Shift+\`	New terminal instance

Git Integration

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Shift+G	Toggle Git panel
Ctrl+G Ctrl+G	Git fetch
Ctrl+G Down	Git pull
Ctrl+G Up	Git push
Ctrl+G D	Git diff

AI Assistant

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Shift+?	Open AI Assistant panel
Ctrl+Alt+N	New text thread
Ctrl+Alt+T	New chat thread
Ctrl+I	Agent profile menu
Ctrl+Alt+/	Model selection
Ctrl+Enter	Send prompt / Inline AI
Ctrl+Shift+Enter	Suggest edits

Code Folding

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Shift+[	Fold code block
Ctrl+Shift+]	Unfold code block
Ctrl+K Ctrl+0	Fold all
Ctrl+K Ctrl+J	Unfold all

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Vim Mode Shortcuts

Enable Vim mode in settings ("vim_mode": true) for these additional shortcuts:

Navigation (Vim)

Shortcut	Action
h/j/k/l	Left/Down/Up/Right
w/b	Word forward/backward
e	End of word
0 / $	Start/End of line
gg / G	Start/End of file
Ctrl+D/U	Half page down/up
:n (e.g., :10)	Go to line n

Editing (Vim)

Shortcut	Action
i / a	Insert before/after cursor
I / A	Insert at start/end of line
o / O	New line below/above
u	Undo
Ctrl+R	Redo
dd	Delete line
yy	Yank (copy) line
p / P	Paste after/before
cc	Change line
ciw	Change inner word

Code Intelligence (Vim)

Shortcut	Action
gd	Go to definition
gh	Hover (show definition)
g] / g[	Next/Previous diagnostic
za	Toggle code fold
zR / zM	Open/Close all folds
cd	Rename symbol

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Best Practices for Efficient Coding

1. Master the Command Palette

The Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) is your gateway to everything:

• Search for any action without memorizing shortcuts
• Discover new features
• Execute commands by typing partial matches

Tip: Start typing any action name - Zed uses fuzzy matching.

2. Use Fuzzy File Navigation

Press Ctrl+P to open files instantly:

• Type partial file names: usrcnt matches UserController
• Include path segments: src/comp/btn finds src/components/Button.tsx
• Use recent files list for quick switching

3. Leverage Symbol Navigation

Navigate code structures efficiently:

• Ctrl+Shift+O - Jump to functions, classes, methods in current file
• F12 - Go to definition under cursor
• Alt+Shift+F12 - Find all references (great for refactoring)

4. Multi-Cursor Editing

Edit multiple locations simultaneously:

1. Ctrl+D - Select word, press again to select next occurrence
2. Ctrl+Shift+L - Select ALL occurrences at once
3. Alt+Shift+Up/Down - Add cursors vertically

Use case: Rename a variable in multiple places instantly.

5. Effective Panel Management

Keep your workspace clean:

• Ctrl+B - Toggle file explorer only when needed
• Ctrl+J - Toggle terminal
• Ctrl+Alt+Y - Close all panels for full-screen editing
• Use split panes (Ctrl+K + direction) for side-by-side editing

6. Git Workflow Integration

Use built-in Git features:

• Ctrl+Shift+G - Open Git panel
• Stage, commit, push without leaving editor
• Use AI to generate commit messages (Alt+Tab in Git panel)

7. AI-Assisted Development

Maximize AI productivity:

• Ctrl+Shift+? - Open AI assistant for questions
• Ctrl+Enter - Inline AI for quick completions
• Create custom prompts for repetitive tasks (save prompts for reuse)
• Use context tabs to maintain conversation history

8. Code Folding for Overview

When working with large files:

• Ctrl+K Ctrl+0 - Fold all to see structure
• Unfold sections as needed
• Ctrl+Shift+B - Use Outline panel for navigation

9. Task Automation

Define custom tasks in .zed/tasks.json:

[
  {
    "label": "Run Tests",
    "command": "npm test",
    "args": [],
    "use_new_terminal": true
  }
]

Run with Ctrl+Shift+R to execute tasks without typing commands.

10. Customize Your Setup

Edit settings (Ctrl+,) for your workflow:

{
  "theme": "One Dark",
  "vim_mode": true,
  "relative_line_numbers": true,
  "tab_size": 2,
  "format_on_save": "on",
  "autosave": "on_focus_change",
  "soft_wrap": "editor_width"
}

11. Use Project-Specific Settings

Create .zed/settings.json in your project root for:

• Language-specific formatting
• Custom tab sizes per project
• Project-specific tasks

12. Keyboard-Driven Workflow

Minimize mouse usage:

1. Open files with Ctrl+P
2. Navigate with Ctrl+G (go to line) and symbol search
3. Use Vim mode for in-file navigation
4. Split panes instead of switching windows

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Recommended Configuration

settings.json

Access via Ctrl+Alt+, or Command Palette > “Open Settings (JSON)”:

{
  "theme": "One Dark",
  "buffer_font_family": "JetBrains Mono",
  "buffer_font_size": 14,
  "ui_font_size": 14,

  "vim_mode": true,
  "relative_line_numbers": true,

  "tab_size": 2,
  "soft_wrap": "editor_width",
  "show_whitespaces": "boundary",

  "autosave": {
    "after_delay": {
      "milliseconds": 1000
    }
  },

  "format_on_save": "on",

  "terminal": {
    "font_family": "JetBrains Mono",
    "font_size": 13
  },

  "git": {
    "inline_blame": {
      "enabled": true
    }
  },

  "assistant": {
    "default_model": {
      "provider": "anthropic",
      "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"
    }
  }
}

keymap.json

Customize shortcuts via Ctrl+Shift+P > “Open Keymap”:

[
  {
    "context": "Editor",
    "bindings": {
      "ctrl-shift-d": "editor::DuplicateLine",
      "ctrl-shift-k": "editor::DeleteLine"
    }
  }
]

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Quick Reference Card

Most Used Shortcuts

| Action | Shortcut | |——–|———-| | Command Palette | Ctrl+Shift+P | | Quick Open File | Ctrl+P | | Find in Project | Ctrl+Shift+F | | Go to Definition | F12 | | Toggle Terminal | Ctrl+\ | | Toggle Comment | Ctrl+/ | | Select Next Occurrence | Ctrl+D | | Move Line | Alt+Up/Down | | Duplicate Line | Ctrl+Shift+D | | Save | Ctrl+S` |

Navigation Flow

Ctrl+P          -> Open file
Ctrl+Shift+O    -> Jump to symbol
Ctrl+G          -> Go to line
F12             -> Go to definition
Ctrl+Alt+-      -> Go back

Editing Flow

Ctrl+D          -> Select word
Ctrl+D (repeat) -> Select next occurrences
Edit all        -> Type once, update everywhere
Ctrl+Shift+Z    -> Redo if needed

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Resources

• Official Zed Documentation
• Key Bindings Reference
• Vim Mode Documentation
• Tasks Documentation

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Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Shortcuts not working?

• Check for conflicts in keymap.json
• Verify context (some shortcuts only work in specific panels)
• Ensure no system shortcuts override Zed

Vim mode issues?

• Confirm "vim_mode": true in settings
• Some shortcuts differ from traditional Vim
• Use : in Vim mode for command entry

Performance issues?

• Zed is already optimized; if slow, check extensions
• Disable unused language servers
• Check system GPU driver compatibility

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Last updated: November 2025