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CLI Keybinds

Reference on GitHub ↗
Everyday use

CLI Keybinds

Every keyboard shortcut in the CLI chat is rebindable. Run /keybinds to open an interactive editor where you can reassign, unbind, or reset any action — changes persist to cli-prefs.json and apply immediately, no restart needed.

The editor

/keybinds opens a centered overlay listing every rebindable action with its current chord. Navigate with arrow keys:

KeyEffect
Move through actions
EnterCapture the next keypress as the new binding
xUnbind the selected action
rReset to the default chord
EscClose the editor

To bind a leader sequence, press Enter on an action, then press the leader chord first (default Ctrl+X), then the second key. The editor shows a two-step prompt: "press the leader first for a leader sequence".

Available actions

ActionDefaultWhat it does
leaderctrl+xPrefix for leader sequences
quitctrl+c,ctrl+zInterrupt or quit
mode_toggleshift+tab,ctrl+tabSwitch plan/code mode
reasoning_cyclectrl+rCycle reasoning effort
stashctrl+sStash current input
subagent_cyclectrl+oCycle sub-agent panel
subagent_backgroundctrl+bBackground a sub-agent
telemetry_togglectrl+pShow/hide the telemetry rail
queue_removeleader xRemove last queued message
helpleader hShow help overlay
theme_pickerleader tOpen theme picker
model_pickerleader mOpen model picker
sessions_pickerleader lOpen sessions picker

Chord syntax

Bindings use a small spec grammar:

  • Direct chord — modifiers plus a base key: ctrl+r, alt+enter, f2, shift+tab. Available modifiers: ctrl, shift, alt, super.
  • Alternatives — comma-separated chords that all trigger the action: ctrl+c,ctrl+z.
  • Leader sequence — the word leader followed by a key: leader t. Press the leader chord, release, then press the key.
  • Unbind — the literal none disables the action entirely.

A chord can only belong to one action. If you bind the same chord to two actions, the editor warns and the earlier action in the list wins.

Persistence

Overrides are stored in cli-prefs.json (same file as theme and statusline preferences) under the keybinds key:

{
  "keybinds": {
    "quit": "ctrl+q",
    "model_picker": "ctrl+k"
  }
}

Only genuine customizations are stored — rebinding an action back to its default removes the override. Delete the file or the keybinds key to reset everything at once.

  • CLI — the full terminal chat surface
  • Web UI — the browser equivalent (keybinds are CLI-only)

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