Keyboard Shortcuts

Caret's keyboard shortcuts let you access AI assistance without taking your hands off the keyboard. Speed up your workflow by using hotkeys for common Caret actions.

Default Keyboard Shortcuts

Caret comes with the following built-in keyboard shortcuts to streamline your workflow:

Action	Windows/Linux	macOS	Condition	Description
Add to Caret	Ctrl+'	Cmd+'	When text is selected	Adds selected code to Caret chat
Focus Chat Input	Ctrl+'	Cmd+'	When no text is selected	Focuses the Caret chat input field
Generate Commit Message	(unset)	(unset)	When Git is the SCM provider	Available through the Source Control view

Available Commands for Custom Shortcuts

While Caret has only a few default keyboard shortcuts, you can assign your own shortcuts to any of these commands:

Command ID	Description
caret.openInNewTab	Opens Caret in a new editor tab
caret.addToChat	Adds selected code to Caret chat
caret.addTerminalOutputToChat	Adds terminal output to Caret
caret.focusChatInput	Focuses the Caret chat input field
caret.generateGitCommitMessage	Generates a commit message for staged changes
caret.explainCode	Explains selected code
caret.improveCode	Suggests improvements for selected code
caret.fixWithCline	Fixes code with errors
claude-dev.SidebarProvider.focus	Opens and focuses the Caret sidebar

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

You can customize Caret's keyboard shortcuts to match your preferences:

1. Open the Keyboard Shortcuts editor in VSCode:

   • Press Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+K Cmd+S (macOS)
   • Or go to File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts

2. Search for "Caret" to see all available commands

3. Click on the pencil icon next to any command to change its shortcut

4. Press the keys you want to assign to that command

5. Press Enter to save the new shortcut

Suggested Custom Shortcuts

Here are some suggested shortcuts you might find useful:

Action	Suggested Shortcut	Command ID	Description
Open Caret Sidebar	Ctrl+Shift+C / Cmd+Shift+C	claude-dev.SidebarProvider.focus	Opens the Caret sidebar panel
New Task	Alt+N	caret.plusButtonClicked	Starts a new Caret task
Add Terminal to Caret	Alt+T	caret.addTerminalOutputToChat	Adds terminal output to Caret
Clear Current Task	Alt+C	(Requires custom keybinding to UI action)	Clears the current task

Keyboard-Only Workflow

With the right shortcuts, you can use Caret without ever touching the mouse:

1. Select code with keyboard navigation (Shift+Arrow keys)
2. Send to Caret with Ctrl+' / Cmd+'
3. Type your question and press Enter
4. Review the response and apply suggestions

Editor Integration Shortcuts

Caret's keyboard shortcuts integrate seamlessly with VSCode's built-in shortcuts:

• Use VSCode's selection shortcuts (Ctrl+L / Cmd+L to select line, etc.) before sending code to Caret
• Combine with VSCode's split editor shortcuts to view code and Caret side by side
• Use VSCode's terminal focus shortcut (Ctrl+` / Cmd+`) before capturing terminal output

Tips for Effective Use

• Learn the default shortcut first: The Ctrl+' / Cmd+' shortcut is versatile - it adds selected code to chat when text is selected, or focuses the chat input when nothing is selected
• Create muscle memory: Use keyboard shortcuts consistently to build habits
• Customize for your workflow: Assign shortcuts to commands you use frequently
• Consider ergonomics: Choose shortcuts that are comfortable for your keyboard layout

Keyboard shortcuts may seem like a small optimization, but they can significantly speed up your workflow when using Caret regularly. By keeping your hands on the keyboard, you maintain your coding flow while still getting AI assistance exactly when you need it.

How to Find All Available Commands

To see all Caret commands that can be assigned shortcuts:

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Type "Caret" to filter the list
3. Browse the available commands

This helps you discover features you might not have known about and assign shortcuts to the ones you use most frequently.