Vim Cheat Sheet

Complete Vim cheat sheet with modes, motions, commands, registers, macros, and configuration. For beginners to advanced. Free interactive Vim reference.

Modes

NormaliEnter Insert mode before cursor

NormalIEnter Insert mode at line start

NormalaEnter Insert mode after cursor

NormalAEnter Insert mode at line end

NormaloOpen new line below, Insert mode

NormalOOpen new line above, Insert mode

NormalvEnter Visual (character) mode

NormalVEnter Visual Line mode

NormalCtrl+vEnter Visual Block mode

Normal:Enter Command mode

NormalREnter Replace mode

InsertEsc / Ctrl+[Return to Normal mode

VisualEscReturn to Normal mode

Navigation

Normalh j k lMove left / down / up / right

Normalw / WNext word / WORD start

Normalb / BPrevious word / WORD start

Normale / EEnd of word / WORD

Normal0Go to beginning of line

Normal^Go to first non-whitespace of line

Normal$Go to end of line

NormalggGo to first line

NormalGGo to last line

NormalNNgg or :NNGo to line number NN

NormalCtrl+d / Ctrl+uScroll half-page down / up

NormalCtrl+f / Ctrl+bScroll full page down / up

Normal{ / }Jump paragraph backward / forward

Normal% Jump to matching bracket

Normalf{char} / F{char}Jump to next/prev char on line

Normalt{char} / T{char}Jump before next/prev char

Normal'' (two apostrophes)Jump back to last position

Normalzz / zt / zbCenter / top / bottom cursor line

Editing

NormalxDelete character under cursor

NormalXDelete character before cursor

NormalddDelete (cut) entire line

NormalDDelete from cursor to end of line

NormaldwDelete word

Normald$Delete to end of line

Normalyy / YYank (copy) entire line

NormalywYank word

Normalp / PPaste after / before cursor

NormaluUndo

NormalCtrl+rRedo

Normal.Repeat last change

NormalcwChange word (delete word, enter Insert)

Normalcc / CChange entire line / to end

Normalci"Change inside quotes

Normalca(Change around parentheses

Normal~Toggle case of character

Normal>> / <<Indent / dedent line

Visual> / <Indent / dedent selection

NormalJJoin current line with next

Normalr{char}Replace single char under cursor

Search & Replace

Normal/{pattern}Search forward

Normal?{pattern}Search backward

Normaln / NNext / previous match

Normal*Search for word under cursor (forward)

Normal#Search for word under cursor (backward)

Command:%s/old/new/gReplace all in file

Command:%s/old/new/gcReplace all with confirmation

Command:N,Ms/old/new/gReplace in lines N to M

Normal:nohClear search highlighting

File Operations

Command:wSave file

Command:w filenameSave as filename

Command:qQuit

Command:q!Quit without saving

Command:wq / :xSave and quit

CommandZZSave and quit (shortcut)

CommandZQQuit without saving (shortcut)

Command:e filenameOpen/edit a file

Command:r filenameRead file into buffer

Command:saveas new.txtSave as new filename

Multiple Files & Tabs

Command:sp [file]Horizontal split

Command:vsp [file]Vertical split

NormalCtrl+w h/j/k/lMove between splits

NormalCtrl+w =Equalize split sizes

NormalCtrl+w qClose current split

Command:tabnew [file]Open new tab

Normalgt / gTNext / previous tab

Command:bn / :bpNext / previous buffer

Command:lsList all open buffers

Command:b{N}Switch to buffer N

Macros & Registers

Normalq{a-z}Start recording macro into register

NormalqStop recording macro

Normal@{a-z}Play macro from register

Normal@@Replay last macro

NormalN@{reg}Replay macro N times

Normal"{reg}yYank into named register

Normal"{reg}pPaste from named register

Command:regView all registers

Useful Settings

Command:set numberShow line numbers

Command:set relativenumberRelative line numbers

Command:set hlsearchHighlight search results

Command:set ignorecaseCase-insensitive search

Command:set smartcaseSmart case search

Command:set tabstop=4Set tab width to 4

Command:set expandtabUse spaces instead of tabs

Command:set autoindentAuto indent new lines

Command:set syntax onEnable syntax highlighting

Command:set pasteEnter paste mode (disable auto-indent)

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Master Vim with an interactive cheat sheet covering all modes, commands, and shortcuts. Perfect for beginners learning the basics or advanced users looking up obscure features. Boost your text editing efficiency with this free, comprehensive reference.

How it works

1Browse through different Vim modes and features using the organized menu
2Find specific commands and motions with the built-in search functionality
3View detailed explanations and examples for each Vim command
4Practice commands in your own Vim editor using the reference guide

Who uses this tool

✓Developers switching from other editors to Vim for faster coding
✓System administrators managing servers and editing configuration files
✓Students learning text editing in programming courses
✓Writers and technical authors using Vim for distraction-free writing
✓DevOps engineers working in terminal-only environments

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I exit Vim?

:q to quit (if no unsaved changes), :q! to force quit discarding changes, :wq or :x to save and quit, ZZ shortcut for save and quit.

Is Vim Cheat Sheet free?

Yes, Vim Cheat Sheet on ToolPix is 100% free with no signup or installation required.

Is my data safe?

This is a static reference tool. No data is entered or transmitted.

What is the difference between Vim modes?

Normal mode: navigate and run commands. Insert mode (i): type text. Visual mode (v): select text. Command mode (:): run ex commands like :w, :q, :s.

How do I search and replace in Vim?

:%s/old/new/g replaces all occurrences in the file. :s/old/new/g replaces on the current line. Add c flag to confirm each: :%s/old/new/gc.

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