Keymap

  • Mappings marked (LSP) require an active language server for the file.
  • Mappings marked (TS) require a tree-sitter grammar for the filetype.

Normal mode

Movement

NOTE: Unlike vim, f, F, t and T are not confined to the current line.

KeyDescriptionCommand
h, LeftMove leftmove_char_left
j, DownMove downmove_line_down
k, UpMove upmove_line_up
l, RightMove rightmove_char_right
wMove next word startmove_next_word_start
bMove previous word startmove_prev_word_start
eMove next word endmove_next_word_end
WMove next WORD startmove_next_long_word_start
BMove previous WORD startmove_prev_long_word_start
EMove next WORD endmove_next_long_word_end
tFind 'till next charfind_till_char
fFind next charfind_next_char
TFind 'till previous chartill_prev_char
FFind previous charfind_prev_char
GGo to line number <n>goto_line
Alt-.Repeat last motion (f, t or m)repeat_last_motion
HomeMove to the start of the linegoto_line_start
EndMove to the end of the linegoto_line_end
Ctrl-b, PageUpMove page uppage_up
Ctrl-f, PageDownMove page downpage_down
Ctrl-uMove half page uphalf_page_up
Ctrl-dMove half page downhalf_page_down
Ctrl-iJump forward on the jumplistjump_forward
Ctrl-oJump backward on the jumplistjump_backward
Ctrl-sSave the current selection to the jumplistsave_selection

Changes

KeyDescriptionCommand
rReplace with a characterreplace
RReplace with yanked textreplace_with_yanked
~Switch case of the selected textswitch_case
`Set the selected text to lower caseswitch_to_lowercase
Alt-`Set the selected text to upper caseswitch_to_uppercase
iInsert before selectioninsert_mode
aInsert after selection (append)append_mode
IInsert at the start of the lineprepend_to_line
AInsert at the end of the lineappend_to_line
oOpen new line below selectionopen_below
OOpen new line above selectionopen_above
.Repeat last changeN/A
uUndo changeundo
URedo changeredo
Alt-uMove backward in historyearlier
Alt-UMove forward in historylater
yYank selectionyank
pPaste after selectionpaste_after
PPaste before selectionpaste_before
" <reg>Select a register to yank to or paste fromselect_register
>Indent selectionindent
<Unindent selectionunindent
=Format selection (currently nonfunctional/disabled) (LSP)format_selections
dDelete selectiondelete_selection
Alt-dDelete selection, without yankingdelete_selection_noyank
cChange selection (delete and enter insert mode)change_selection
Alt-cChange selection (delete and enter insert mode, without yanking)change_selection_noyank
Ctrl-aIncrement object (number) under cursorincrement
Ctrl-xDecrement object (number) under cursordecrement
QStart/stop macro recording to the selected register (experimental)record_macro
qPlay back a recorded macro from the selected register (experimental)replay_macro

Shell

KeyDescriptionCommand
``Pipe each selection through shell command, replacing with output
`Alt-`Pipe each selection into shell command, ignoring output
!Run shell command, inserting output before each selectionshell_insert_output
Alt-!Run shell command, appending output after each selectionshell_append_output
$Pipe each selection into shell command, keep selections where command returned 0shell_keep_pipe

Selection manipulation

KeyDescriptionCommand
sSelect all regex matches inside selectionsselect_regex
SSplit selection into subselections on regex matchessplit_selection
Alt-sSplit selection on newlinessplit_selection_on_newline
&Align selection in columnsalign_selections
_Trim whitespace from the selectiontrim_selections
;Collapse selection onto a single cursorcollapse_selection
Alt-;Flip selection cursor and anchorflip_selections
Alt-:Ensures the selection is in forward directionensure_selections_forward
,Keep only the primary selectionkeep_primary_selection
Alt-,Remove the primary selectionremove_primary_selection
CCopy selection onto the next line (Add cursor below)copy_selection_on_next_line
Alt-CCopy selection onto the previous line (Add cursor above)copy_selection_on_prev_line
(Rotate main selection backwardrotate_selections_backward
)Rotate main selection forwardrotate_selections_forward
Alt-(Rotate selection contents backwardrotate_selection_contents_backward
Alt-)Rotate selection contents forwardrotate_selection_contents_forward
%Select entire fileselect_all
xSelect current line, if already selected, extend to next lineextend_line
XExtend selection to line bounds (line-wise selection)extend_to_line_bounds
JJoin lines inside selectionjoin_selections
KKeep selections matching the regexkeep_selections
Alt-KRemove selections matching the regexremove_selections
Ctrl-cComment/uncomment the selectionstoggle_comments
Alt-k, Alt-upExpand selection to parent syntax node (TS)expand_selection
Alt-j, Alt-downShrink syntax tree object selection (TS)shrink_selection
Alt-h, Alt-leftSelect previous sibling node in syntax tree (TS)select_prev_sibling
Alt-l, Alt-rightSelect next sibling node in syntax tree (TS)select_next_sibling

Search commands all operate on the / register by default. Use "<char> to operate on a different one.

KeyDescriptionCommand
/Search for regex patternsearch
?Search for previous patternrsearch
nSelect next search matchsearch_next
NSelect previous search matchsearch_prev
*Use current selection as the search patternsearch_selection

Minor modes

These sub-modes are accessible from normal mode and typically switch back to normal mode after a command.

KeyDescriptionCommand
vEnter select (extend) modeselect_mode
gEnter goto modeN/A
mEnter match modeN/A
:Enter command modecommand_mode
zEnter view modeN/A
ZEnter sticky view modeN/A
Ctrl-wEnter window modeN/A
SpaceEnter space modeN/A

View mode

View mode is intended for scrolling and manipulating the view without changing the selection. The "sticky" variant of this mode is persistent; use the Escape key to return to normal mode after usage (useful when you're simply looking over text and not actively editing it).

KeyDescriptionCommand
z, cVertically center the linealign_view_center
tAlign the line to the top of the screenalign_view_top
bAlign the line to the bottom of the screenalign_view_bottom
mAlign the line to the middle of the screen (horizontally)align_view_middle
j, downScroll the view downwardsscroll_down
k, upScroll the view upwardsscroll_up
Ctrl-f, PageDownMove page downpage_down
Ctrl-b, PageUpMove page uppage_up
Ctrl-dMove half page downhalf_page_down
Ctrl-uMove half page uphalf_page_up

Goto mode

Jumps to various locations.

KeyDescriptionCommand
gGo to line number <n> else start of filegoto_file_start
eGo to the end of the filegoto_last_line
fGo to files in the selectiongoto_file
hGo to the start of the linegoto_line_start
lGo to the end of the linegoto_line_end
sGo to first non-whitespace character of the linegoto_first_nonwhitespace
tGo to the top of the screengoto_window_top
cGo to the middle of the screengoto_window_center
bGo to the bottom of the screengoto_window_bottom
dGo to definition (LSP)goto_definition
yGo to type definition (LSP)goto_type_definition
rGo to references (LSP)goto_reference
iGo to implementation (LSP)goto_implementation
aGo to the last accessed/alternate filegoto_last_accessed_file
mGo to the last modified/alternate filegoto_last_modified_file
nGo to next buffergoto_next_buffer
pGo to previous buffergoto_previous_buffer
.Go to last modification in current filegoto_last_modification

Match mode

Enter this mode using m from normal mode. See the relavant section in Usage for an explanation about surround and textobject usage.

KeyDescriptionCommand
mGoto matching bracket (TS)match_brackets
s <char>Surround current selection with <char>surround_add
r <from><to>Replace surround character <from> with <to>surround_replace
d <char>Delete surround character <char>surround_delete
a <object>Select around textobjectselect_textobject_around
i <object>Select inside textobjectselect_textobject_inner

TODO: Mappings for selecting syntax nodes (a superset of [).

Window mode

This layer is similar to vim keybindings as kakoune does not support window.

KeyDescriptionCommand
w, Ctrl-wSwitch to next windowrotate_view
v, Ctrl-vVertical right splitvsplit
s, Ctrl-sHorizontal bottom splithsplit
fGo to files in the selection in horizontal splitsgoto_file
FGo to files in the selection in vertical splitsgoto_file
h, Ctrl-h, LeftMove to left splitjump_view_left
j, Ctrl-j, DownMove to split belowjump_view_down
k, Ctrl-k, UpMove to split abovejump_view_up
l, Ctrl-l, RightMove to right splitjump_view_right
q, Ctrl-qClose current windowwclose
o, Ctrl-oOnly keep the current window, closing all the otherswonly

Space mode

This layer is a kludge of mappings, mostly pickers.

KeyDescriptionCommand
fOpen file pickerfile_picker
bOpen buffer pickerbuffer_picker
kShow documentation for item under cursor in a popup (LSP)hover
sOpen document symbol picker (LSP)symbol_picker
SOpen workspace symbol picker (LSP)workspace_symbol_picker
rRename symbol (LSP)rename_symbol
aApply code action (LSP)code_action
'Open last fuzzy pickerlast_picker
wEnter window modeN/A
pPaste system clipboard after selectionspaste_clipboard_after
PPaste system clipboard before selectionspaste_clipboard_before
yJoin and yank selections to clipboardyank_joined_to_clipboard
YYank main selection to clipboardyank_main_selection_to_clipboard
RReplace selections by clipboard contentsreplace_selections_with_clipboard
/Global search in workspace folderglobal_search
?Open command palettecommand_palette

TIP: Global search displays results in a fuzzy picker, use space + ' to bring it back up after opening a file.

Displays documentation for item under cursor.

KeyDescription
Ctrl-uScroll up
Ctrl-dScroll down

Unimpaired

Mappings in the style of vim-unimpaired.

KeyDescriptionCommand
[dGo to previous diagnostic (LSP)goto_prev_diag
]dGo to next diagnostic (LSP)goto_next_diag
[DGo to first diagnostic in document (LSP)goto_first_diag
]DGo to last diagnostic in document (LSP)goto_last_diag
]fGo to next function (TS)goto_next_function
[fGo to previous function (TS)goto_prev_function
]cGo to next class (TS)goto_next_class
[cGo to previous class (TS)goto_prev_class
]aGo to next argument/parameter (TS)goto_next_parameter
[aGo to previous argument/parameter (TS)goto_prev_parameter
]oGo to next comment (TS)goto_next_comment
[oGo to previous comment (TS)goto_prev_comment
[spaceAdd newline aboveadd_newline_above
]spaceAdd newline belowadd_newline_below

Insert Mode

We support many readline/emacs style bindings in insert mode for convenience. These can be helpful for making simple modifications without escaping to normal mode, but beware that you will not have an undo-able "save point" until you return to normal mode.

KeyDescriptionCommand
EscapeSwitch to normal modenormal_mode
Ctrl-xAutocompletecompletion
Ctrl-rInsert a register contentinsert_register
Ctrl-w, Alt-BackspaceDelete previous worddelete_word_backward
Alt-dDelete next worddelete_word_forward
Alt-b, Alt-LeftBackward a wordmove_prev_word_end
Ctrl-b, LeftBackward a charmove_char_left
Alt-f, Alt-RightForward a wordmove_next_word_start
Ctrl-f, RightForward a charmove_char_right
Ctrl-e, EndMove to line endgoto_line_end_newline
Ctrl-a, HomeMove to line startgoto_line_start
Ctrl-uDelete to start of linekill_to_line_start
Ctrl-kDelete to end of linekill_to_line_end
Ctrl-j, EnterInsert new lineinsert_newline
Backspace, Ctrl-hDelete previous chardelete_char_backward
Delete, Ctrl-dDelete previous chardelete_char_forward
Ctrl-p, UpMove to previous linemove_line_up
Ctrl-n, DownMove to next linemove_line_down
PageUpMove one page uppage_up
PageDownMove one page downpage_down
Alt->Go to end of buffergoto_file_end
Alt-<Go to start of buffergoto_file_start

Select / extend mode

This mode echoes Normal mode, but changes any movements to extend selections rather than replace them. Goto motions are also changed to extend, so that vgl for example extends the selection to the end of the line.

Search is also affected. By default, n and N will remove the current selection and select the next instance of the search term. Toggling this mode before pressing n or N makes it possible to keep the current selection. Toggling it on and off during your iterative searching allows you to selectively add search terms to your selections.

Picker

Keys to use within picker. Remapping currently not supported.

KeyDescription
Up, Ctrl-k, Ctrl-pPrevious entry
PageUp, Ctrl-bPage up
Down, Ctrl-j, Ctrl-nNext entry
PageDown, Ctrl-fPage down
HomeGo to first entry
EndGo to last entry
Ctrl-spaceFilter options
EnterOpen selected
Ctrl-sOpen horizontally
Ctrl-vOpen vertically
Escape, Ctrl-cClose picker

Prompt

Keys to use within prompt, Remapping currently not supported.

KeyDescription
Escape, Ctrl-cClose prompt
Alt-b, Alt-LeftBackward a word
Ctrl-b, LeftBackward a char
Alt-f, Alt-RightForward a word
Ctrl-f, RightForward a char
Ctrl-e, EndMove prompt end
Ctrl-a, HomeMove prompt start
Ctrl-wDelete previous word
Alt-dDelete next word
Ctrl-uDelete to start of line
Ctrl-kDelete to end of line
backspace, Ctrl-hDelete previous char
delete, Ctrl-dDelete next char
Ctrl-sInsert a word under doc cursor, may be changed to Ctrl-r Ctrl-w later
Ctrl-p, UpSelect previous history
Ctrl-n, DownSelect next history
TabSelect next completion item
BackTabSelect previous completion item
EnterOpen selected