IntelliJ IDEA Shortcut Guide and Customization

IntelliJ IDEA Shortcut Guide

IntelliJ IDEA heavily relies on keyboard shortcuts to enhance productivity, encouraging a keyboard‑first workflow. The article explains the importance of mastering shortcuts, advises users to create a personal shortcut list, and warns about conflicts with Chinese input methods that must be disabled.

Prerequisite

Because many users use Chinese input methods (e.g., Sogou Pinyin), these often clash with IntelliJ shortcuts; the article suggests disabling all input‑method shortcuts to avoid conflicts.

Ctrl Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Ctrl+F

Find text in the current file

(essential)

Ctrl+R

Replace text in the current file

(essential)

Ctrl+Z

Undo

(essential)

Ctrl+Y

Delete the line at the cursor or selected lines

(essential)

Ctrl+X

Cut the line or selected content

Ctrl+C

Copy the line or selected content

Ctrl+D

Duplicate the line and insert below

(essential)

Ctrl+W

Expand selection progressively

(essential)

Ctrl+E

Show recent files

(essential)

Ctrl+N

Find class by name

(essential)

Ctrl+G

Go to line number

Ctrl+J

Insert custom live template

(essential)

Ctrl+P

Show method parameter hints

(essential)

Ctrl+Q

Show documentation for symbol under cursor

Ctrl+U

Navigate to super method/interface

(essential)

Ctrl+B

Go to declaration (or Ctrl‑click)

(essential)

Ctrl+K

Commit changes to VCS (requires VCS integration)

Ctrl+T

Update project from VCS (requires VCS integration)

Ctrl+H

Show class hierarchy

Ctrl+O

Choose method to override

Ctrl+I

Choose method to implement

Ctrl++

Expand code block

Ctrl+-

Collapse code block

Ctrl+/

Toggle line comment

(essential)

Ctrl+[ / Ctrl+]

Navigate to matching brace

Ctrl+F1

Show error description at cursor

(essential)

Ctrl+F3

Find next occurrence of selected text

(essential)

Ctrl+F4

Close current editor tab

Ctrl+F8

Toggle breakpoint in Debug mode

Ctrl+F9

Make project

Ctrl+F11

Toggle bookmark

(essential)

Ctrl+F12

Show file structure popup

Ctrl+Tab

Switch editor windows (Delete while switching to close)

Ctrl+End / Ctrl+Home

Jump to file end / start

Ctrl+Space

Basic code completion (may need remapping)

Ctrl+Delete / Ctrl+Backspace

Delete word after/before cursor

(essential)

Ctrl+1‑9

Jump to numbered bookmark

(essential)

Ctrl+Left Click

Open file path from title bar

(essential)

Ctrl+Arrow Keys

Move cursor to word boundaries (left/right)

(essential)

Ctrl+Forward/Backward Arrow

Scroll forward/backward (mouse‑wheel equivalent)

(essential)

Alt Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Alt+`

Show VCS operations menu

(essential)

Alt+Q

Show class/context info tooltip

Alt+F1

Show target selection popup

(essential)

Alt+F2

Show browser target selection popup

Alt+F3

Find next occurrence of selected text

Alt+F7

Find usages of method/variable/class

Alt+F8

Evaluate expression in Debug mode

Alt+Home

Navigate to Navigation Bar

(essential)

Alt+Enter

Show intention actions for quick fixes

(essential)

Alt+Insert

Generate code (getters/setters, constructors, etc.)

(essential)

Alt+Arrow Keys

Switch sub‑views in tool windows (e.g., Debug Output)

(essential)

Alt+1‑9

Activate corresponding tool window tab

(essential)

Shift Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Shift+F1

Open external documentation if linked

Shift+F2

Navigate to previous highlighted error/warning

Shift+F3

Find previous match in search mode

Shift+F4

Open current file in a new window

Shift+F6

Rename file/folder

Shift+F7

Smart step into during debugging

Shift+F8

Step out in Debug (same as F9)

Shift+F9

Start Debug session

(essential)

Shift+F10

Run project

(essential)

Shift+F11

Show bookmarks popup

(essential)

Shift+Tab

Unindent

(essential)

Shift+Esc

Hide current or last active tool window

Shift+End / Shift+Home

Select to line end / start

Shift+Enter

Start a new line below current line

(essential)

Shift+Left Click

Close current file from its tab

(essential)

Shift+Mouse Wheel

Horizontal scroll in file

(essential)

Ctrl + Alt Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Ctrl+Alt+L

Reformat code (file or whole project)

(essential)

Ctrl+Alt+O

Optimize imports (file or whole project)

(essential)

Ctrl+Alt+I

Auto‑indent selected code

Ctrl+Alt+T

Surround selected code with a template

(essential)

Ctrl+Alt+J

Add selected code to a live template

Ctrl+Alt+H

Show call hierarchy

Ctrl+Alt+B

Navigate to implementation, skipping interfaces

Ctrl+Alt+C/F/V/Y/S

Various refactoring shortcuts (extract constant/field/variable, sync/refresh, open settings)

(essential)

Ctrl+Alt+F7

Find usages of a symbol

Ctrl+Alt+F11

Toggle full‑screen mode

Ctrl+Alt+Enter

Insert a new line above the current line

(essential)

Ctrl+Alt+Home

Show related files popup

Ctrl+Alt+Space

Class name completion

Ctrl+Alt+Arrow Keys

Navigate back/forward in editor history

(essential)

Ctrl+Alt+[ / ]

Switch between open project windows

Ctrl + Shift Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Ctrl+Shift+F / R

Find/Replace in whole project or directory

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+J

Join lines

Ctrl+Shift+Z

Redo

Ctrl+Shift+W

Expand selection backward

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+N

Open file/folder by name (append '/' for folder)

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+U

Toggle case of selected text

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+T

Create or locate unit test for current class

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+C

Copy file path to clipboard

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+V

Show clipboard history

Ctrl+Shift+E

Show recently edited files

Ctrl+Shift+H

Show method hierarchy

Ctrl+Shift+B

Navigate to type declaration

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+I

Quick definition view

Ctrl+Shift+A

Find actions/settings

Ctrl+Shift+/

Block comment

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+[ / ]

Select to matching bracket

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift++ / -

Expand/Collapse all code

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+F7 / F8

Highlight usages / set conditional breakpoint

Ctrl+Shift+F9

Compile selected scope

Ctrl+Shift+F12

Maximize editor window

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+Space

Smart code completion

Ctrl+Shift+Enter

Auto‑insert semicolon

Ctrl+Shift+Backspace

Navigate to last edit location

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+1‑9

Add numeric bookmarks

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+Click

Navigate to class member from usage

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+Arrow Keys

Select word/phrase while moving cursor

(essential)

Alt + Shift Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Alt+Shift+N

Select/add task

(essential)

Alt+Shift+F

Add to favorites

Alt+Shift+C

Show recent changes list

Alt+Shift+I

Show current project file

Alt+Shift+F7

Step into during debugging

Alt+Shift+F9 / F10

Show Debug/Run menu

Alt+Shift+Double Click

Multi‑select words/sentences

(essential)

Alt+Shift+Arrow Keys

Move current line up/down

(essential)

Ctrl + Shift + Alt Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

Ctrl+Shift+Alt+V

Paste without formatting

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+Alt+N

Navigate to specified variable/method

Ctrl+Shift+Alt+S

Open project settings

(essential)

Ctrl+Shift+Alt+C

Copy reference information

Other Shortcuts

Shortcut

Description

F2

Go to next highlighted error/warning

(essential)

F3

Find next match in search mode

F4

Edit source

(essential)

F7 / F8

Step into / over in Debug mode

F9

Resume program execution in Debug

F11

Add bookmark

(essential)

F12

Return to previous tool window

(essential)

Tab

Indent

(essential)

Esc

Return focus from tool window to editor

(essential)

Double‑press Shift

Open "Search Everywhere" popup

Shortcut Modification

To modify shortcuts, open Ctrl+Alt+S → Keymap . The IDE provides two ways to search for shortcuts: by typing the description or by pressing the shortcut itself. New shortcuts can be added, copied, or removed; the default keymap is immutable, so create a copy before editing.

IntelliJ IDEA allows assigning multiple shortcuts to a single action (e.g., Backspace and Shift+Backspace ). Use "Add Keyboard Shortcut" for pure key combos or "Add Mouse Shortcut" for combos like Ctrl+Left Click . Use "Remove Shortcut" to delete unwanted defaults.

The IDE also includes preset keymaps for other popular IDEs, but using the native IntelliJ keymap is recommended for consistency.

Conclusion

If you haven't started using IntelliJ IDEA, you can activate it via the provided link and begin exploring these shortcuts to boost your development efficiency.