Terminal

Terminal keyboard map

Every terminal app shortcut, and how to rebind them in keybindings.json.

These tables come from the app's own keybinding definitions. CtrlY shows the same list in the app.

zidane

 ┌ New session ─────────── ▢ ─ ~/acme-api  0 user messages  0 turns  ctrl+shift+x session ┐ 
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 │  ┌─ keybindings ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 38 actions ┐  │ 
 │  │                                                                                  │  │ 
 │  │   Global                                                                      ▀  │  │ 
 │  │     ctrl+o        settings                                                       │  │ 
 │  │                   open settings                                                  │  │ 
 │  │     ctrl+shift+x  session                                                        │  │ 
 │  │                   open session details: stats, export, rename, delete            │  │ 
 │  │     ctrl+n        new session                                                    │  │ 
 │  │                   start a new session with the current model                     │  │ 
 │  │     ctrl+m        model                                                          │  │ 
 │  │                   open the model picker                                          │  │ 
 │  │     ctrl+l        options                                                        │  │ 
 │  │                                                                                  │  │ 
 │  │   ▶ Edit keybindings file  ›                                                     │  │ 
 │  │     ~/.zidane/keybindings.json. Restart to apply.                                │  │ 
 │  │                                                                                  │  │ 
 │  │  ↵ edit file  esc close                                                          │  │ 
 │  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │ 
 └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ 
 ┌──────────────────────── ↵ send  shift+↵ newline  ↑↓ history  ? search  ctrl+s messages ┐ 
 │ Ask zidane…                                                                            │ 
 └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ 
 shift+tab Build  ctrl+m/l Opus 5.5 +1 medium  ctrl+shift+x session  ctrl+o settings        
                                                                         ctx 0 / 1.00M (0%)

Global#

Keybindings, Global
Action	Keys	Description
Settings`openSettings`	Keysctrl O`ctrlO`	DescriptionOpen settings.
Session`openSessionDetails`	Keysctrl shift X`ctrlshiftX`	DescriptionOpen session details: stats, export, rename, delete.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
New session`newSession`	Keysctrl N`ctrlN`	DescriptionStart a new session with the current model.
Model`openModelPicker`	Keysctrl M`ctrlM`	DescriptionOpen the model picker.
Options`openEffortPicker`	Keysctrl L`ctrlL`	DescriptionOpen model options, like reasoning effort and fast mode.
Todos`openTodos`	Keysctrl T`ctrlT`	DescriptionOpen the run's todo list.
Panel`openArtifacts`	Keysctrl shift A`ctrlshiftA`	DescriptionShow or hide the side panel.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
Next panel`panelNext`	Keysctrl shift ]`ctrlshift]`	DescriptionOpen the next side-panel tab.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
Previous panel`panelPrev`	Keysctrl shift [`ctrlshift[`	DescriptionOpen the previous side-panel tab.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
Next space`nextSpace`	Keysctrl shift →`ctrlshift→`	DescriptionShow the next space (Spaces on); from a chat, the sessions list opens on it.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
Previous space`prevSpace`	Keysctrl shift ←`ctrlshift←`	DescriptionShow the previous space (Spaces on); from a chat, the sessions list opens on it.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
Context`openContextPanel`	Keysctrl shift G`ctrlshiftG`	DescriptionShow what fills the context window.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
Main session`openMainSession`	Keysctrl shift M`ctrlshiftM`	DescriptionOpen the Main session for this directory, or create it. Needs the "Main session" and "Use daemon runtime" settings.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
Usage`openUsagePanel`	Keysctrl P`ctrlP`	DescriptionOpen plan limits and credits for each provider.
Keybindings`openKeybindings`	Keysctrl Y`ctrlY`	DescriptionList every shortcut.
Palette`openPalette`	Keysctrl shift P`ctrlshiftP`	DescriptionSearch actions, commands, sessions and settings.Needs the kitty keyboard protocol: macOS Terminal.app drops shift, so rebind it there.
Cycle agent`cycleAgent`	Keysshift tab`shifttab`	DescriptionSwitch to the next agent profile.
Messages`enterSelectTurnMode`	Keysctrl S`ctrlS`	DescriptionSelect a previous message.
Cancel tool`cancelToolCall`	Keysctrl K`ctrlK`	DescriptionCancel one tool call and keep the run going.
Abort`abortRun`	Keysctrl esc`ctrlesc`	DescriptionStop the run and deny pending approvals. If your terminal cannot send ctrl+esc, rebind it.Some terminals cannot report ctrl+esc: rebind it there.
Retry`resumeRun`	Keysctrl R`ctrlR`	DescriptionPick up the run that stopped: retry, continue, or sign in again when a sign-in stopped it.
Cwd`changeCwd`	Keysctrl H`ctrlH`	DescriptionChange the working directory.
Paste clipboard`attachClipboardImage`	Keysctrl V`ctrlV`	DescriptionPaste text or an image from the system clipboard.
Edit in $EDITOR`openExternalEditor`	Keysctrl G`ctrlG`	DescriptionWrite the prompt in $EDITOR or $VISUAL. Needs the "Edit prompt in $EDITOR" setting.

Chords with CtrlShift need a terminal that reports the kitty keyboard protocol, such as kitty, WezTerm or Ghostty. On macOS, Terminal.app drops Shift, so CtrlShiftX arrives as CtrlX. In Terminal.app, rebind these actions to chords without Shift.

Sessions list#

Keybindings, Sessions
Action	Keys	Description
Next space`cycleSpaceInList`	Keysshift tab`shifttab`	DescriptionShow the next space in the sessions list (wraps), also while typing a search. Needs 2 or more spaces. In a chat, shift+tab still cycles agents.

These keys act only in the sessions list, so ShiftTab still cycles agents in a chat. ← → and a click on the space name in the title also switch spaces: sessions and forks.

Message queue#

Keybindings, Message queue
Action	Keys	Description
Select queue`enterQueueSelection`	KeysUnbound	DescriptionSelect the queued messages (or press ↑ on an empty prompt).
Push`pushQueuedMessage`	Keysctrl enter`ctrlenter`	DescriptionSend the selected queued message into the running turn.
Drop`dropQueuedMessage`	Keysbackspace`backspace`	DescriptionRemove the selected queued message.

↑ on an empty prompt enters the queue without a binding.

Messages and session details#

Keys inside an open message (fork, delete, copy, edit) and session details (export, compact, favorite and more) are on sessions and forks. They rebind in the same file.

Fixed keys#

Key	Where	Does
`Esc`	Chat	Go to the sessions list
`Esc`	Popups, modals, search, queue	Close or leave
`Esc`	File-edit approval	Deny
`Enter`	Prompt	Send
`ShiftEnter`	Prompt	New line
`Tab`	Completion popup	Pick
`?`	Empty prompt	Search the conversation
`!`	Empty prompt	Shell mode
`CtrlC`	Anywhere	Copy the selection of the prompt or an input, else quit (Settings › UI › Ctrl+C behavior)
`CtrlX`	Prompt or input with a selection	Cut
`←` `→`	Settings	Switch tab
`CtrlB` `CtrlF`	Settings › Keybindings and Logs	Scroll half a page up or down
`Home` `End`	Settings › Keybindings and Logs	Jump to the top or bottom
`Space`	Setup wizard	Pick the row, or turn it on or off
`Enter`	Setup wizard	Continue
`S`	Setup wizard	Skip the step, if it can be skipped
`Esc`	Setup wizard	Go back one step, or close a re-run on its first step

Settings tabs also have their own Ctrl keys, such as CtrlD to clear an extension secret: Settings, MCP, skills and extensions, remote hosts.

Rebind a key#

Shortcuts live in keybindings.json in your config folder (files and folders).

Open Settings › Keybindings and press Enter. If the file does not exist, zidane creates it with every action and its default. The file opens in $VISUAL or $EDITOR. If neither is set, the system opener opens it (open on macOS, xdg-open on Linux).
Change the values and save the file.
Restart the app. zidane reads the file only at start.

keybindings.json

{
  // Terminal.app drops shift: give the session modal a plain chord.
  "openSessionDetails": "ctrl+e",
  // Two chords for one action.
  "abortRun": "ctrl+escape | ctrl+q",
  // An array also lists several chords.
  "openUsagePanel": ["ctrl+p", "alt+u"]
}

Example	Rule
`ctrl+shift+p`	Modifiers: `ctrl`, `shift`, `alt` (or `option`), `meta` (or `cmd`)
`"ctrl+w \| cmd+w"`	Several chords. An array (`["ctrl+w", "cmd+w"]`) also works.
`Shift+Ctrl+P`	Case and modifier order do not matter
`ctrl-p`	`-` also separates the parts
`esc`, `enter`	Key names: `escape` (`esc`), `return` (`enter`), `space`, `backspace`, `up`, `pgup`, `[`

The file allows // and /* */ comments. If zidane cannot parse an entry, the action keeps its default. An empty value ("") also keeps the default, so it does not unbind a built-in action. If the whole file does not parse, every action keeps its default.

Extension shortcuts use the same file, keyed by their id. Settings › Keybindings lists each id. An extension shortcut cannot take Esc, CtrlEsc, CtrlC or a single letter without Ctrl, Alt or Cmd.

Bindings are the same on macOS and Linux, because the terminal reports the keys. Most terminals cannot send Cmd. The desktop app has its own Cmd map and reloads it without a restart: desktop keyboard.