Vim Cheat Sheet

A reference for the Vim editor, modes, moving around, editing, search and replace, and saving or quitting, including the escape hatch for when you are stuck.

Vim is modal: keys do different things depending on the mode. Press Esc to return to Normal mode, where these commands work. The golden rule if you are stuck: press Esc, then type :q! and Enter to quit without saving.

Modes

KeyEnters
EscNormal mode (navigate, run commands)
i / aInsert before / after the cursor
o / OOpen a new line below / above
v / VVisual (character / line) selection
Ctrl+vVisual block selection
:Command-line mode

Moving around

KeyMoves to
h j k lLeft, down, up, right
w / bNext / previous word
0 / $Start / end of line
gg / GFirst / last line of the file
:NGo to line number N
Ctrl+d / Ctrl+uHalf page down / up

Editing

KeyAction
xDelete the character under the cursor
dd / yyDelete (cut) / yank (copy) the line
dw / cwDelete / change to end of word
p / PPaste after / before the cursor
uUndo (Ctrl+r to redo)
.Repeat the last change
N + commandRepeat N times (e.g. 3dd deletes 3 lines)

Search & replace

CommandAction
/textSearch forward (?text backward)
n / NNext / previous match
:%s/old/new/gReplace all occurrences in the file
:%s/old/new/gcReplace all, confirming each one

Saving & quitting

CommandAction
:wSave (write) the file
:wq or ZZSave and quit
:qQuit (fails if there are unsaved changes)
:q!Quit and discard all changes
:wqaSave and quit all open windows

Vim's power is in combining a count, an operator, and a motion, for example d (delete) + 2 + w deletes two words. Run vimtutor in a terminal for a hands-on 30-minute lesson.

What this does

A Vim cheat sheet covers modes, moving around, editing, search and replace, and saving or quitting — including how to exit when you are stuck.

How to use it

  1. Browse by task.
  2. Find the keystrokes you need.
  3. Copy any command with one tap.
  4. Practise in your own file.

Example

Press Esc, then :wq to save and quit.

Sources & methodology

Last updated .

Frequently asked questions

How do I exit Vim?

Press Esc, then type :q! and Enter to quit without saving, or :wq to save and quit. ZZ also saves and quits.

Why does typing not insert text?

Vim starts in Normal mode, where keys run commands. Press i to enter Insert mode and type, then press Esc to return to Normal mode.

How can I learn Vim properly?

Run vimtutor in a terminal, it is a built-in, hands-on lesson that takes about 30 minutes and covers the fundamentals.