10 VS Code Shortcuts Every Developer Should Know (But Most Don't)

Stop reaching for the mouse. These keyboard shortcuts will 10x your coding speed.

I've been using VS Code for 5+ years, and I still discover new shortcuts that blow my mind. Here are the 10 most impactful shortcuts that separate power users from everyone else.

1. Multi-Cursor Magic: Ctrl + D

Select the next occurrence of the current word. Keep pressing to select more.

// Want to rename all 'count' to 'total'? // Place cursor on 'count' → Ctrl+D repeatedly → type 'total'

Enter fullscreen mode

Exit fullscreen mode

Pro tip: Ctrl + Shift + L selects ALL occurrences at once.

2. Move Lines Like a Boss: Alt + ↑/↓

Move the current line (or selected block) up or down. No cutting and pasting.

# Cursor on line 2, press Alt+↑ x = 10 # ← was line 2, now line 1 def hello (): # ← was line 1, now line 2 pass

Enter fullscreen mode

Exit fullscreen mode

3. Duplicate Line: Shift + Alt + ↓

Instantly duplicate the current line below.…