Keyboard Shortcuts & Vim Mode

The interactive REPL has a set of keybindings for editing prompts, interrupting the agent, and navigating history — plus an optional Vim editing mode for the input box.

Why it matters

Claude Code is a terminal tool you live in for hours; fluent keybindings are the difference between fighting the prompt box and flowing. Knowing how to stop a runaway turn, edit a prior message, or cycle permission modes without reaching for the mouse is core ergonomics — and Vim users get familiar modal editing for multi-line prompts.

How it works

Core shortcuts (REPL input and agent control):

Key	Action
Enter	submit prompt
\ + Enter / Option+Enter	newline (multi-line prompt)
Esc	interrupt the running agent turn
Esc Esc	edit/rewind a previous message
Ctrl+C	clear input line (twice quickly = quit)
Ctrl+D	exit the session (EOF)
Ctrl+L	clear the terminal screen
Shift+Tab	cycle permission mode (plan / accept-edits / default)
Up / Down	walk prompt history

• Shift+Tab rotates through permission-modes live — into plan-mode, auto-accept-edits, and back — without restarting.
• Esc once stops the agent (vs Ctrl+C which only touches the input line); Esc twice opens history to edit and re-run an earlier turn.
• Vim mode is opt-in via /vim (or the editorMode setting). It adds NORMAL/INSERT modes to the input box: Esc → NORMAL, then h j k l, w b, dd, cw, 0/$, i/a/o work as expected; i (or typing) returns to INSERT.

Example

> implement the whole migration in one shot   # too broad
  …agent starts editing 8 files…
> Esc                                          # stop it
> Esc Esc                                       # rewind to that prompt
> /vim                                          # enable modal editing
  (NORMAL)  cw  → change "whole migration" to "users table only"  → Esc
> [submit the narrowed prompt]

Esc halts the over-eager run, Esc Esc recovers the message, and Vim’s cw rewrites it in place.

Pitfalls

• Ctrl+C to stop the agent. It clears the input line, not the running turn — use Esc; a reflexive double-Ctrl+C quits the whole session.
• Lost multi-line prompts. Hitting Enter mid-thought submits early; use \+Enter / Option+Enter for newlines.
• Vim mode surprise. With /vim on, plain keystrokes in NORMAL mode are commands, not text — forgetting to enter INSERT (i) makes the prompt box “eat” your typing.
• Terminal key capture. Some terminals/multiplexers (tmux, iTerm) intercept Esc/Shift+Tab; rebind at the terminal or expect delayed Esc.

See also

• managing-context-clear-compact
• built-in-slash-commands
• permission-modes