Vim Cheat Sheet

A compact Vim command reference for movement, editing, searching, replacing, files, splits, and macros.

Last updated: May 28, 2026

Modes

Command	Action	Example
i	Insert before cursor	iHello
a	Insert after cursor	a!
Esc	Return to normal mode	Esc
v	Visual select characters	v2w
V	Visual select lines	Vj
:	Command-line mode	:wq

Movement

Command	Action	Example
h j k l	Move left, down, up, right	5j
w / b	Move word forward/backward	3w
0 / $	Start/end of line	$
gg / G	Start/end of file	gg
Ctrl+d / Ctrl+u	Half-page down/up	Ctrl+d
%	Jump matching bracket	%
f<char>	Move to char on line	f,

Editing

Command	Action	Example
x	Delete character	x
dd	Delete line	3dd
yy	Yank line	2yy
p / P	Paste after/before cursor	p
u	Undo	u
Ctrl+r	Redo	Ctrl+r
r<char>	Replace one character	ra
ciw	Change inner word	ciwnew
di"	Delete inside quotes	di"

Search & Replace

Command	Action	Example
/text	Search forward	/TODO
?text	Search backward	?import
n / N	Next/previous match	n
:s/a/b/	Replace first match on line	:s/foo/bar/
:s/a/b/g	Replace all matches on line	:s/foo/bar/g
:%s/a/b/g	Replace all in file	:%s/foo/bar/g
:%s/a/b/gc	Replace all with confirmation	:%s/foo/bar/gc

Files & Windows

Command	Action	Example
:w	Write file	:w
:q	Quit window	:q
:wq	Write and quit	:wq
:q!	Quit without saving	:q!
:e file	Edit file	:e src/app.ts
:split / :vsplit	Horizontal/vertical split	:vsplit README.md
Ctrl+w h/j/k/l	Move between splits	Ctrl+w l

Useful Combos

Command	Action	Example
gg=G	Format/indent entire file	gg=G
:%y+	Copy whole file to system clipboard	:%y+
:set number	Show line numbers	:set number
:set paste	Avoid auto-indent while pasting	:set paste
.	Repeat last change	.
qa ... q / @a	Record and run macro a	qaI// Escjq @a

Client-Side Processing

Input Data Stays on Device

Instant Local Execution

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What is Vim Cheat Sheet?

This Vim cheat sheet collects practical commands used in everyday editing. It focuses on normal mode movement, text objects, edit commands, search and replace, file commands, split navigation, and useful combinations that make Vim efficient.

How to Use Vim Cheat Sheet

Scan the sections or use browser search to find a command. The first column shows the key sequence, the second explains the action, and the third gives a short example.