Why Ghostty Shortcuts Matter (July 2026)

Ghostty is becoming a default terminal for Mac and Linux developers who want GPU-accelerated speed without sacrificing native OS feel. Searches for Ghostty keybinds and Ghostty split shortcuts are rising as more people leave iTerm2, Kitty, and Alacritty. Memorize three first: new tab (Cmd+T / Ctrl+Shift+T), split (Cmd+D / Ctrl+Shift+O), and copy (Cmd+C / Ctrl+Shift+C). Claude Code users get Shift+Enter newlines out of the box in Ghostty—one reason it shows up so often in AI coding setups. List your live bindings with ghostty +list-keybinds whenever you change config.

Essential — Start Here

New tab
CtrlShiftT
Close tab / surface
CtrlShiftW
New split (right)
CtrlShiftO
Copy selection
CtrlShiftC
Paste
CtrlShiftV
List all keybinds (CLI)
ghostty +list-keybinds

Window Management

New window
CtrlShiftN
Close window
AltF4
Toggle fullscreen
CtrlEnter
Quit Ghostty
CtrlShiftQ

Tab Management

New tab
CtrlShiftT
Close tab / surface
CtrlShiftW
Next tab
CtrlTab
Previous tab
CtrlShiftTab
Next tab (alternate)
CtrlShift→
Previous tab (alternate)
CtrlShift←
Go to tab 1–8
Alt1–8
Go to last tab
Alt9

Split Management

New split (right)
CtrlShiftO
New split (down)
CtrlShiftE
Focus previous / next split
CtrlSuper[/]
Focus split up / down
CtrlAlt↑/↓
Focus split left / right
CtrlAlt←/→
Toggle split zoom
CtrlShiftEnter
Resize split (arrows)
CtrlSuperShift↑↓←→
Equalize splits
CtrlSuperShift=

Copy, Paste & Scrollback

Copy
CtrlShiftC
Paste
CtrlShiftV
Paste from selection
ShiftInsert
Scroll to top / bottom
ShiftHome/End
Page up / page down
ShiftPage Up/Page Down
Jump to previous / next prompt
CtrlShiftPage Up/Page Down
Write scrollback to file (paste)
CtrlShiftJ
Write scrollback to file (open)
CtrlShiftAltJ

Font Size & Config

Increase font size
Ctrl+
Decrease font size
Ctrl-
Reset font size
Ctrl0
Open config
Ctrl,
Reload config
CtrlShift,
Toggle inspector
CtrlShiftI

Essential — Start Here

New tab
⌘T
Close tab / surface
⌘W
New split (right)
⌘D
Copy selection
⌘C
Paste
⌘V
Clear screen
⌘K
List all keybinds (CLI)
ghostty +list-keybinds

Window Management

New window
⌘N
Close window
⌘⇧W
Close all windows
⌘⇧⌥W
Toggle fullscreen
⌘Enter
Toggle fullscreen (alternate)
⌘CtrlF
Quit Ghostty
⌘Q

Tab Management

New tab
⌘T
Close tab / surface
⌘W
Previous tab
⌘⇧[
Next tab
⌘⇧]
Go to tab 1–8
⌘1–8
Go to last tab
⌘9

Split Management

New split (right)
⌘D
New split (down)
⌘⇧D
Focus previous / next split
⌘[/]
Focus split up / down
⌘⌥↑/↓
Focus split left / right
⌘⌥←/→
Toggle split zoom
⌘⇧Enter
Resize split (arrows)
⌘Ctrl↑↓←→
Equalize splits
⌘Ctrl=

Copy, Paste & Scrollback

Copy
⌘C
Paste
⌘V
Clear screen
⌘K
Scroll to top / bottom
⌘Home/End
Page up / page down
⌘Page Up/Page Down
Jump to previous / next prompt
⌘↑/↓
Write scrollback to file (paste)
⌘⇧J
Write scrollback to file (open)
⌘⇧⌥J

Font Size & Config

Increase font size
⌘+
Decrease font size
⌘-
Reset font size
⌘0
Open config
⌘,
Reload config
⌘⇧,
Toggle inspector
⌘⌥I

Also see: Warp • OpenCode • Claude Code • Zed • Raycast • VS Code • Cursor

Ghostty Shortcuts — Frequently Asked Questions

How do I list all Ghostty keyboard shortcuts?

Run ghostty +list-keybinds for your active bindings, or ghostty +list-keybinds --default for built-in defaults.

What is the shortcut to split Ghostty?

Mac: Cmd+D (right), Cmd+Shift+D (down). Linux: Ctrl+Shift+O / Ctrl+Shift+E.

Are Mac and Linux shortcuts the same?

No. Mac uses Cmd for most UI actions; Linux uses Ctrl+Shift. Use the platform tabs above for the correct bindings.

How do I customize Ghostty keybinds?

Add keybind = trigger=action lines to your Ghostty config, then reload with Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+,. See the official keybind docs.

Does Ghostty work well with Claude Code?

Yes—Shift+Enter for newlines works without setup. Pair with our Claude Code shortcuts guide.