Gemini CLI reference - Keyboard shortcuts
Gemini CLI keyboard shortcuts
Gemini CLI documents 15 keyboard shortcuts, including basic.quit, basic.exit and history.search.start. These work inside the Gemini CLI terminal UI. Each row gives the docs' description, accepted values and an example where one is documented.
Last verified 1 official pageFull Gemini CLI reference
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
basic.quit | Cancel the current request or quit the CLI when input is empty. default keys: Ctrl+C Docs: basic.quit |
basic.exit | Exit the CLI when the input buffer is empty. default keys: Ctrl+D Docs: basic.exit |
history.search.start | Start reverse search through history. default keys: Ctrl+R Docs: history.search.start |
input.newline | Insert a newline without submitting. default keys: Ctrl+Enter, Cmd/Win+Enter, Alt+Enter, Shift+Enter, Ctrl+J Docs: input.newline |
input.queueMessage | Queue the current prompt to run after the current task finishes. default keys: Tab Docs: input.queueMessage |
input.openExternalEditor | Open the current prompt or the plan in an external editor. default keys: Ctrl+G, Ctrl+Shift+G Docs: input.openExternalEditor |
app.showErrorDetails | Toggle the debug console for detailed error information. default keys: F12 Docs: app.showErrorDetails |
app.showFullTodos | Toggle the full TODO list. default keys: Ctrl+T Docs: app.showFullTodos |
app.toggleYolo | Toggle YOLO (auto-approval) mode for tool calls. default keys: Ctrl+Y Docs: app.toggleYolo |
app.cycleApprovalMode | Cycle approval modes: default, auto_edit, plan (plan skipped when the agent is busy). default keys: Shift+Tab Docs: app.cycleApprovalMode |
app.clearScreen | Clear the terminal screen and redraw the UI (keeps conversation context). default keys: Ctrl+L Docs: app.clearScreen |
app.toggleMarkdown | Toggle Markdown rendering. default keys: Alt+M Docs: app.toggleMarkdown |
background.toggle | Toggle current background shell visibility. default keys: Ctrl+B Docs: background.toggle |
Esc Esc | Pressed twice quickly: clear the input if not empty, otherwise browse and rewind previous interactions. Docs: Esc Esc |
? on an empty prompt | Toggle the shortcuts panel above the input. Docs: ? on an empty prompt |
The rest of the Gemini CLI reference
FAQ
How many keyboard shortcuts does Gemini CLI have?
The official Gemini CLI docs list 15 keyboard shortcuts, including basic.quit, basic.exit and history.search.start. All of them are in the table above, in the docs' order.
What does basic.quit do in Gemini CLI?
Cancel the current request or quit the CLI when input is empty. Values: default keys: Ctrl+C.
Where are Gemini CLI keyboard shortcuts documented?
On 1 official docs page at github.com, last read on October 17, 2026. Every row in the table links the exact section it came from.
More on Gemini CLI
Sources
Last verified . Names and examples are copied verbatim from the official page below, and every row above links the exact section it came from.
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