Keybindings

Leader Key: Space

Multiple Ways to Navigate

Neovim offers several complementary navigation approaches. Use the right tool for the task:

Vim motions (hjkl, w/b, {}/(), gg/G): Fast character and line movement
LSP jumps (grd, grr, gri): Code exploration (go to definition, find references)
Neo-tree (<leader>n): Browse project structure visually
Telescope (<leader>sf, <leader>sg): Fuzzy find files and search text
Jump back (Ctrl-t, Ctrl-o): Return to previous positions
Window splits (Ctrl-w s/v): View multiple files simultaneously

Common Workflows:

Exploring new code: grd → read definition → Ctrl-t to return → grr to see all usages
Finding a file: <leader>sf (Telescope) or <leader>n (Neo-tree)
Searching across project: <leader>sg (live grep) or <leader>sw (search word under cursor)
Navigating a file: gg/G (top/bottom), {/} (paragraphs), Ctrl-d/Ctrl-u (scroll), relative numbers (5j)

tmux

Prefix Key: Ctrl+A (press before all tmux commands)

Window Management

Keybinding	Action
`Ctrl`+`A` `C`	Create new window
`Ctrl`+`A` `N`	Next window
`Ctrl`+`A` `P`	Previous window
`Ctrl`+`A` `1` to `Ctrl`+`A` `9`	Switch to window 1-9

Pane Management

Keybinding	Action
`Ctrl`+`A` `\`	Horizontal split (creates side-by-side panes)
`Ctrl`+`A` `-`	Vertical split (creates top/bottom panes)
`Ctrl`+`A` `H`	Navigate to left pane
`Ctrl`+`A` `J`	Navigate to pane below
`Ctrl`+`A` `K`	Navigate to pane above
`Ctrl`+`A` `L`	Navigate to right pane
`Ctrl`+`A` `Shift`+`H`	Resize pane left (5 cells)
`Ctrl`+`A` `Shift`+`J`	Resize pane down (5 cells)
`Ctrl`+`A` `Shift`+`K`	Resize pane up (5 cells)
`Ctrl`+`A` `Shift`+`L`	Resize pane right (5 cells)
`Ctrl`+`A` `M`	Maximize/zoom current pane (toggle)

Vim-Tmux-Navigator Integration

When using Neovim inside tmux with the vim-tmux-navigator plugin, you can navigate seamlessly between Neovim windows and tmux panes using Ctrl+H, Ctrl+J, Ctrl+K, Ctrl+L without the prefix key.

Copy Mode

Keybinding	Action
`Ctrl`+`A` `[`	Enter copy/scrollback mode (`Q` to exit)
`V`	Start visual selection (in copy mode)
`Y`	Yank/copy selection (in copy mode)

Vi-Style Copy Mode

Copy mode uses vi keybindings. Enter copy mode with Ctrl+A [, use V to start selecting, navigate with H+J+K+L, and press Y to copy. The tmux-yank plugin integrates with system clipboard.

Session Management

Keybinding	Action
`Ctrl`+`A` `D`	Detach from session
`Ctrl`+`A` `R`	Reload tmux config

Session Persistence

Sessions are auto-saved every 1 minute and automatically restored after system reboots thanks to tmux-resurrect and tmux-continuum plugins.

Plugin Management

Keybinding	Action
`Ctrl`+`A` `Shift`+`I`	Install new plugins
`Ctrl`+`A` `Shift`+`U`	Update all plugins
`Ctrl`+`A` `Alt`+`U`	Uninstall plugins not in config

Key	Mode	Action
`Esc`	Normal	Clear search highlights
`Space`+`Q`	Normal	Open diagnostic quickfix list

Vim Motions with Relative Line Numbers

Efficient Navigation with Relative Line Numbers

Relative line numbers are enabled, making it easy to jump to any visible line by combining a number with a motion command.

Basic Line Jumps

Keys	Vim	Action
`5`+`J`	`5j`	Jump down 5 lines
`1`+`0`+`K`	`10k`	Jump up 10 lines
`3`+`J`	`3j`	Jump down 3 lines

How it works: Look at the relative number next to the target line, then type that number + J (down) or K (up).

With Operators

Combine relative line numbers with vim operators for powerful editing:

Keys	Vim	Action
`D`+`8`+`J`	`d8j`	Delete from current line down 8 lines
`Y`+`5`+`K`	`y5k`	Yank (copy) from current line up 5 lines
`>`+`3`+`J`	`>3j`	Indent current line and 3 lines below
`C`+`4`+`K`	`c4k`	Change from current line up 4 lines

Visual Selection

Keys	Vim	Action
`Shift`+`V`+`7`+`J`	`V7j`	Visually select down 7 lines
`Shift`+`V`+`3`+`K`	`V3k`	Visually select up 3 lines

Line Number Display

The current line shows the absolute line number (yellow), while lines above and below show relative distance. You can still jump to absolute line numbers with :42 (jumps to line 42).

Practice Vim Motions

Run :VimBeGood to practice vim motions, including relative line number jumps, with interactive exercises.

Window Management

Standard Vim window commands (Normal mode):

Key	Action
`Ctrl`+`W` `H`	Move to left window
`Ctrl`+`W` `L`	Move to right window
`Ctrl`+`W` `J`	Move to lower window
`Ctrl`+`W` `K`	Move to upper window
`Ctrl`+`W` `W`	Cycle through windows

Alternative navigation (vim-tmux-navigator):

Key	Action
`Ctrl`+`H`	Move to left window (or tmux pane)
`Ctrl`+`L`	Move to right window (or tmux pane)
`Ctrl`+`J`	Move to lower window (or tmux pane)
`Ctrl`+`K`	Move to upper window (or tmux pane)

Seamless Vim-Tmux Navigation

The vim-tmux-navigator plugin allows Ctrl-h/j/k/l to navigate both Neovim windows and tmux panes seamlessly. If you're in Neovim and press Ctrl-h, it will move to the left window. If there's no window to the left in Neovim, it will move to the left tmux pane instead.

Window Splits

Key	Action
`Ctrl`+`W` `S`	Split window horizontally (new window below)
`Ctrl`+`W` `V`	Split window vertically (new window to right)
`Ctrl`+`W` `C`	Close current window
`Ctrl`+`W` `O`	Close all windows except current
`Ctrl`+`W` `=`	Make all windows equal size
`Ctrl`+`W` `+`	Increase window height
`Ctrl`+`W` `-`	Decrease window height
`Ctrl`+`W` `>`	Increase window width
`Ctrl`+`W` `<`	Decrease window width

Terminal mode (Claude Code, integrated terminals):

Key	Action
`Esc` `Esc`	Exit terminal mode
`Ctrl`+`W`	Exit terminal mode and start window command

Terminal Mode Navigation

In terminal mode, Ctrl+W exits terminal and starts a window command sequence, so Ctrl+W H will exit terminal and move left.

Claude CLI Keybinding Conflict

In standalone claude CLI (not claudecode.nvim), Ctrl+W is bound to clear screen. This conflicts with the Neovim terminal binding. When using Claude CLI in a Neovim terminal, the Neovim binding takes precedence. Use /clear command instead to clear the Claude CLI screen.

Basic Vim Motions

Essential Movement Commands

These basic motions are the foundation of efficient Vim navigation. Combine them with counts (e.g., 3w to move forward 3 words) for faster movement.

Horizontal Movement

Keys	Vim	Action
`H`	`h`	Move left one character
`L`	`l`	Move right one character
`W`	`w`	Move forward to start of next word
`B`	`b`	Move backward to start of previous word
`E`	`e`	Move forward to end of word
`0`	`0`	Move to start of line
++dollar++	`$`	Move to end of line
`Shift`+`6`	`^`	Move to first non-blank character of line

Vertical Movement

Keys	Vim	Action
`J`	`j`	Move down one line
`K`	`k`	Move up one line
`G`+`G`	`gg`	Jump to first line of file
`Shift`+`G`	`G`	Jump to last line of file
`Shift`+`5`	`%`	Jump to matching bracket/parenthesis
`Shift`+`7`	`{`	Jump to previous paragraph/block
`Shift`+`0`	`}`	Jump to next paragraph/block

Keys	Vim	Action
`Ctrl`+`D`	`Ctrl-d`	Scroll down half page
`Ctrl`+`U`	`Ctrl-u`	Scroll up half page
`Ctrl`+`F`	`Ctrl-f`	Scroll down full page
`Ctrl`+`B`	`Ctrl-b`	Scroll up full page
`Shift`+`H`	`H`	Move to top of screen
`Shift`+`M`	`M`	Move to middle of screen
`Shift`+`L`	`L`	Move to bottom of screen
`Z`+`Z`	`zz`	Center screen on cursor

LSP Keybindings

Code Exploration Workflow

The LSP keybindings enable powerful code exploration, especially in Go projects. Use grd to jump to definitions (even across module boundaries), grr to find all references, and Ctrl-t or Ctrl-o to jump back. This workflow makes exploring large codebases intuitive and fast.

Jump to Symbol

Keys	Vim	Action
`G`+`R`+`D`	`grd`	Go to definition
`G`+`R`+`Shift`+`D`	`grD`	Go to declaration
`G`+`R`+`I`	`gri`	Go to implementation
`G`+`R`+`T`	`grt`	Go to type definition
`G`+`R`+`R`	`grr`	Go to references (find all usages)

Navigate Back

Keys	Vim	Action
`Ctrl`+`T`	`Ctrl-t`	Jump back from definition (tag stack)
`Ctrl`+`O`	`Ctrl-o`	Jump to older cursor position
`Ctrl`+`I`	`Ctrl-i`	Jump to newer cursor position

Understanding Jump Back Navigation

Ctrl-t: Specifically pops the tag stack (jumps back from grd, gri, etc.)
Ctrl-o: Goes to the previous position in the jump list (broader than just definition jumps)
Ctrl-i: Goes forward in the jump list (opposite of Ctrl-o)

Example workflow: Press grd to jump to a function definition, explore the code, then press Ctrl-t to return to where you were.

Symbol Search

Keys	Vim	Action
`G`+`Shift`+`O`	`gO`	Open document symbols (outline of current file)
`G`+`Shift`+`W`	`gW`	Open workspace symbols (search across project)

Code Actions

Keys	Vim	Action
`G`+`R`+`N`	`grn`	Rename symbol across workspace
`G`+`R`+`A`	`gra`	Code action (fix imports, quick fixes)
`Space`+`T`+`H`	`<leader>th`	Toggle inlay hints

Go Module Imports

In Go projects, imports like github.com/user/repo/package are resolved to local files in your go/pkg/mod directory or project workspace. LSP (gopls) handles this resolution automatically, allowing you to jump to definitions in external packages with grd.

Neo-tree File Browser

Neo-tree Overview

Neo-tree is a file explorer plugin that provides a tree view of your project structure. Toggle it with <leader>n (Space+n by default).

Key	Action
`Space`+`N`	Toggle Neo-tree file browser

Inside Neo-tree window:

Key	Action
`Enter`	Open file or expand/collapse directory
`Tab`	Preview file (without opening)
`Esc`	Close Neo-tree
`A`	Add file or directory (ends with `/` for directory)
`D`	Delete file or directory
`R`	Rename file or directory
`C`	Copy file or directory
`X`	Cut file or directory
`P`	Paste file or directory
`Y`	Copy filename to clipboard
`Shift`+`Y`	Copy relative path to clipboard
`G`+`Y`	Copy absolute path to clipboard
`Shift`+`H`	Toggle hidden files
`Shift`+`R`	Refresh tree
`Z`	Collapse all nodes (close all directories)
`Shift`+`O`	Expand all nodes (open all directories)
`?`	Show help

Quick File Navigation

Use Neo-tree (<leader>n) for browsing project structure and Telescope (<leader>sf) for fuzzy finding files by name.

Directory Expansion Shortcuts

Use O (Shift+o, capital O for "Open all") to expand all directories for a complete project overview, or z to collapse everything when you want to focus on a specific area. These shortcuts are especially useful in large projects to quickly see the full structure or reset your view.

Telescope (Fuzzy Finder)

Telescope Overview

Telescope is a fuzzy finder that lets you quickly search files, text, buffers, and more. All searches support fuzzy matching and preview.

Key	Action
`Space`+`S`+`F`	Search files (fuzzy find by filename)
`Space`+`S`+`G`	Live grep (search file contents)
`Space`+`S`+`W`	Search current word under cursor
`Space`+`Space`	Find open buffers
`Space`+`S`+`R`	Search recent files
`Space`+`/`	Fuzzy find in current buffer
`Space`+`S`+`/`	Live grep in open files only
`Space`+`S`+`N`	Search Neovim config files
`Space`+`S`+`D`	Search diagnostics (errors/warnings)
`Space`+`S`+`H`	Search help documentation
`Space`+`S`+`K`	Search keymaps
`Space`+`S`+`S`	Search Telescope builtins
`Space`+`S`+`.`	Resume last search

Inside Telescope window:

Key	Action
`Ctrl`+`N` / `Ctrl`+`J`	Move to next result
`Ctrl`+`P` / `Ctrl`+`K`	Move to previous result
`Enter`	Open selected file
`Ctrl`+`X`	Open in horizontal split
`Ctrl`+`V`	Open in vertical split
`Ctrl`+`T`	Open in new tab
`Esc`	Close Telescope

Claude Code Integration

Key	Action
`Space`+`A`+`C`	Toggle Claude Code terminal
`Space`+`A`+`F`	Focus Claude Code terminal

Commands:

:ClaudeCode - Toggle Claude Code terminal
:ClaudeCodeFocus - Focus Claude Code terminal

Formatting

Key	Action
`Space`+`F`	Format current buffer

Auto-Format on Save

Auto-formats on save for all configured file types (Go, TypeScript, React, Lua)

Keybindings

Quick Navigation Guide

tmux

Window Management

Pane Management

Copy Mode

Session Management

Plugin Management

General Navigation

Vim Motions with Relative Line Numbers

Basic Line Jumps

With Operators

Visual Selection

Window Management

Window Navigation

Window Splits

Terminal Mode Navigation

Basic Vim Motions

Horizontal Movement

Vertical Movement

Screen Navigation

LSP Keybindings

Jump to Symbol

Navigate Back

Symbol Search

Code Actions

File Navigation

Neo-tree File Browser

Telescope (Fuzzy Finder)

Claude Code Integration

Formatting