Ghostty Terminal Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete Cheat Sheet (2026)
Every default Ghostty keyboard shortcut for splits, tabs, navigation, and config. macOS and Linux keybindings plus customization guide.
Last updated: March 3, 2026
Ghostty's essential shortcuts: Cmd+D (split right), Cmd+T (new tab), Cmd+W (close surface), and Cmd+Comma (open config) on macOS. On Linux, use Ctrl+Shift instead of Cmd. All keybindings are fully customizable through the config file at ~/.config/ghostty/config using the syntax keybind = trigger=action. This cheat sheet covers every default shortcut across macOS and Linux.
The terminal with 45K GitHub stars has no shortcuts page. Here’s the complete list.
Ghostty — the GPU-accelerated terminal emulator created by Mitchell Hashimoto (co-founder of HashiCorp, creator of Terraform and Vagrant) — hit 45K+ stars on GitHub and became one of the most talked-about developer tools of 2025. It shipped a 1.0 release with native tabs, splits, Quick Terminal, and platform-native UI on both macOS and Linux.
But there’s one problem developers keep hitting: the official docs don’t have a simple shortcuts reference page. The most-starred shortcut resource is a GitHub gist with 177 stars where users comment “why isn’t this in the official docs?”
Below is the complete, verified cheat sheet — organized by category with both macOS and Linux keybindings.
Window Management
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| New window | Cmd+N | Ctrl+Shift+N |
| Close window | Cmd+Shift+W | Alt+F4 |
| Close all windows | Cmd+Shift+Option+W | — |
| Toggle fullscreen | Cmd+Enter | Ctrl+Enter |
| Quit Ghostty | Cmd+Q | Ctrl+Shift+Q |
Tab Management
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| New tab | Cmd+T | Ctrl+Shift+T |
| Close tab/surface | Cmd+W | Ctrl+Shift+W |
| Previous tab | Cmd+Shift+[ | Ctrl+Shift+Tab or Ctrl+Page Up |
| Next tab | Cmd+Shift+] | Ctrl+Tab or Ctrl+Page Down |
| Go to tab 1–8 | Cmd+1 through Cmd+8 | Alt+1 through Alt+8 |
| Go to last tab | Cmd+9 | Alt+9 |
Pro tip: Tabs in Ghostty use the platform’s native tab bar — on macOS, they look and behave exactly like Safari or Finder tabs, including drag-to-reorder.
Split Management
Ghostty’s split system is one of its strongest features, rivaling tmux for everyday use without any configuration. If you’re comparing terminal split workflows, see our Windsurf IDE shortcuts guide for how AI editors handle a similar concept.
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| New split (right) | Cmd+D | Ctrl+Shift+O |
| New split (down) | Cmd+Shift+D | Ctrl+Shift+E |
| Close split | Cmd+W | Ctrl+Shift+W |
| Focus previous split | Cmd+[ | Ctrl+Super+[ |
| Focus next split | Cmd+] | Ctrl+Super+] |
| Focus split up | Cmd+Option+Up | Ctrl+Alt+Up |
| Focus split down | Cmd+Option+Down | Ctrl+Alt+Down |
| Focus split left | Cmd+Option+Left | Ctrl+Alt+Left |
| Focus split right | Cmd+Option+Right | Ctrl+Alt+Right |
| Toggle split zoom | Cmd+Shift+Enter | Ctrl+Shift+Enter |
| Resize split up | Cmd+Ctrl+Up | Ctrl+Super+Shift+Up |
| Resize split down | Cmd+Ctrl+Down | Ctrl+Super+Shift+Down |
| Resize split left | Cmd+Ctrl+Left | Ctrl+Super+Shift+Left |
| Resize split right | Cmd+Ctrl+Right | Ctrl+Super+Shift+Right |
| Equalize splits | Cmd+Ctrl+= | Ctrl+Super+Shift+= |
Toggle split zoom (Cmd+Shift+Enter) is especially useful — it temporarily maximizes the focused split to full-window size, then restores the layout when you press it again.
Copy and Paste
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | Cmd+C | Ctrl+Shift+C |
| Paste | Cmd+V | Ctrl+Shift+V |
| Paste from selection | — | Shift+Insert |
Scrolling and Navigation
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Scroll to top | Cmd+Home | Shift+Home |
| Scroll to bottom | Cmd+End | Shift+End |
| Scroll page up | Cmd+Page Up | Shift+Page Up |
| Scroll page down | Cmd+Page Down | Shift+Page Down |
| Jump to previous prompt | Cmd+Up | Ctrl+Shift+Page Up |
| Jump to next prompt | Cmd+Down | Ctrl+Shift+Page Down |
| Clear screen | Cmd+K | — |
Jump to prompt (Cmd+Up/Cmd+Down) lets you skip between shell prompts in your scrollback — similar to how you’d navigate between cells in a notebook. This requires shell integration to work correctly.
Font Size
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Increase font size | Cmd+= or Cmd++ | Ctrl+= or Ctrl++ |
| Decrease font size | Cmd+- | Ctrl+- |
| Reset font size | Cmd+0 | Ctrl+0 |
Configuration and Inspector
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Open config file | Cmd+, | Ctrl+, |
| Reload config | Cmd+Shift+, | Ctrl+Shift+, |
| Toggle terminal inspector | Cmd+Option+I | Ctrl+Shift+I |
Reload config (Cmd+Shift+,) applies changes instantly without restarting Ghostty — you can tweak themes, fonts, and keybindings and see them take effect immediately.
Scrollback Export
| Action | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Write scrollback to file (paste) | Cmd+Shift+J | Ctrl+Shift+J |
| Write scrollback to file (open) | Cmd+Shift+Option+J | Ctrl+Shift+Alt+J |
This exports your terminal’s scrollback buffer to a file — useful for saving long build logs, error traces, or command output for later reference.
Quick Terminal (macOS Only)
Quick Terminal is Ghostty’s drop-down terminal that appears from the top of your screen — similar to iTerm2’s hotkey window or Guake on Linux.
To enable it, add this to your config file:
keybind = global:cmd+grave_accent=toggle_quick_terminalThis binds Cmd+` (backtick/tilde key) to toggle the Quick Terminal globally, even when Ghostty isn’t focused. You’ll need to grant Ghostty accessibility permissions in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
Customizing Your Keybindings
Ghostty’s keybinding system is one of the most flexible among terminal emulators. Edit your config file at ~/.config/ghostty/config to add or override any keybinding.
Basic syntax:
keybind = trigger=actionExamples:
# Remap copy/paste
keybind = ctrl+c=copy_to_clipboard
keybind = ctrl+v=paste_from_clipboard
# Add a search workaround (no built-in search yet)
keybind = ctrl+f=write_scrollback_file:open
# Make a global hotkey
keybind = global:ctrl+grave_accent=toggle_quick_terminal
# Unbind a default shortcut
keybind = cmd+t=unbindModifier keys:
ctrl(alias:control)shiftalt(alias:opt,option)super(alias:cmd,command)
Trigger prefixes for advanced behavior:
global:— Works even when Ghostty isn’t focused (macOS only, requires accessibility permissions)unconsumed:— Sends the keypress to the running program in addition to triggering the actionperformable:— Only triggers if the action can actually be performed (e.g., copy only when text is selected)all:— Applies to all terminal surfaces, not just the focused one
List all default keybindings from the command line:
ghostty +list-keybinds --defaultView full config with documentation:
ghostty +show-config --default --docsKnown Limitations
- No built-in search — This is the most-requested feature (GitHub issue #189). Workaround: bind
write_scrollback_file:opento a key and search the exported file. - No Windows support — Ghostty currently runs on macOS and Linux only.
- The fn/globe key cannot be used as a modifier — this is a limitation of the underlying OS and GUI toolkits.
Methodology
All shortcuts in this cheat sheet were verified against the official Ghostty keybinding documentation, the action reference, and cross-referenced with the community shortcuts gist (177 stars). Ghostty is free and open-source under the MIT license — download it from ghostty.org or view the source on GitHub.
For related guides: Windsurf IDE Keyboard Shortcuts (AI coding editor shortcuts), How to build an AI content workflow (productivity automation), and ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini (AI tools comparison).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important Ghostty keyboard shortcuts?
The essential Ghostty shortcuts are Cmd+D (new split right), Cmd+Shift+D (new split down), Cmd+T (new tab), Cmd+W (close tab or split), and Cmd+Comma (open config). On Linux, replace Cmd with Ctrl+Shift for most actions. You can also toggle fullscreen with Cmd+Enter and access Quick Terminal with a global keybind.
Where is the Ghostty config file located?
The Ghostty configuration file is located at ~/.config/ghostty/config on both macOS and Linux. It is a plain text file with key-value pairs — no JSON, YAML, or TOML syntax required. If the file does not exist, Ghostty uses sensible defaults. You can open it directly from Ghostty with Cmd+Comma (macOS) or Ctrl+Comma (Linux).
How do I customize keyboard shortcuts in Ghostty?
Add custom keybindings to your config file using the syntax keybind = trigger=action. For example, keybind = ctrl+shift+r=reload_config. Triggers support modifiers (ctrl, shift, alt, super/cmd) and you can run ghostty +list-keybinds --default to see all available default bindings. You can also use ghostty +list-actions to see every available action.
Does Ghostty have a built-in search function?
As of early 2026, Ghostty does not have built-in terminal search. This is a known limitation tracked in GitHub issue #189. A common workaround is to add keybind = ctrl+f=write_scrollback_file:open to your config, which saves terminal output to a file you can search with your system's text editor. Many users also use tmux search as an alternative.
Is Ghostty free and how does it compare to iTerm2?
Ghostty is completely free and open-source under the MIT license with 45K+ GitHub stars. Unlike iTerm2 (macOS only), Ghostty runs on both macOS and Linux with GPU-accelerated rendering and platform-native UI. Created by Mitchell Hashimoto (co-founder of HashiCorp, creator of Terraform), Ghostty offers similar split and tab features to iTerm2 but with significantly faster rendering performance.