Keyboard shortcuts

Use these keys to send and steer messages, switch modes, answer approvals, and review edits without leaving the keyboard. The VS Code extension and the terminal UI each have their own set.

VS Code extension

Chat input

Key	Action
`Enter`	Send the message. While Embedder is working, the message steers the current turn.
`Alt+Enter` (`Option+Enter` on macOS)	While Embedder is working, queue the message to run after the turn.
`Shift+Enter`	Insert a new line.
`Escape`	Stop the current turn and the chat’s background tasks.
`Shift+Tab`	Cycle through the available modes. Unavailable while Embedder is working or waiting for your approval.
`Up` / `Down`	Recall your earlier prompts in this chat.
`/`	Open the command menu. See Slash commands.
`@`	Mention a file or folder. When the project has a schematic, you can also mention a component, net, sheet, or other schematic item.
`!`	On an empty input, switch to shell mode. A BASH badge appears, and what you type runs as a shell command.
`~`	On an empty input, switch to serial-send mode. A SERIAL badge appears, and what you type goes to the connected serial port.

To leave shell or serial-send mode, press Escape (this also clears what you typed), or press Backspace on an empty input. See Sessions and context for how steering and the queue work.

Key	Action
`Up` / `Down`	Move through the list.
`Enter`	Run the highlighted command, or insert the highlighted mention.
`Tab`	Complete the highlighted command so you can add arguments. In the mention list, open the highlighted folder or insert the highlighted file.
`Escape`	Close the list.

Approval requests

These keys work while an approval card is showing, unless you’re typing in another text field:

Key	Action
`Y`	Allow once.
`A`	Allow always. When it isn’t available, the option stays greyed out with the reason.
`N`	Decline. On most cards, this opens a field where you tell Embedder, or the subagent that asked, what to do instead. Type your instructions, then press `Enter`. On a card without the field, `N` rejects the request.
`1`, `2`, `3`	Choose the option with that number.
`Up` / `Down`, then `Enter`	Move to an option and choose it.
`Cmd+Enter` on macOS, `Ctrl+Enter` on Windows and Linux	Allow once.
`Escape`	Reject the request. When the card has an instructions field, the first `Escape` moves to the field and the second rejects.

Typing any other character starts your instructions in the field. See Tool approvals for what each choice does.

Edit review

These keys work in the editor while the focused file has pending Embedder edits:

Action	Windows and Linux	macOS
Accept all changes in file	`Ctrl+Enter`	`Cmd+Enter`
Reject all changes in file	`Ctrl+Shift+Backspace`	`Cmd+Shift+Backspace`
Next change	`Alt+F5`	`Option+F5`
Previous change	`Alt+Shift+F5`	`Option+Shift+F5`

When you open a proposed edit from an approval card, the review tab has its own keys:

Action	Windows and Linux	macOS
Accept the current change	`Alt+Y`	`Option+Y`
Reject the current change	`Alt+N`	`Option+N`
Previous or next change	`Alt+Up` / `Alt+Down`	`Option+Up` / `Option+Down`
Accept all	`Ctrl+Enter`	`Cmd+Enter`

See VS Code extension for the full review workflow.

Command Palette

Open the Command Palette with Cmd+Shift+P on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows and Linux, then type Embedder to find the extension’s commands. For example:

Embedder: New Embedder Chat in Editor
Embedder: Toggle Embedder Monitor
Embedder: Stop Generation
Embedder: Switch Model

Apart from edit review, Embedder’s commands have no default keys. To add one, run Preferences: Open Keyboard Shortcuts, search for Embedder, and assign a key to the command.

Terminal UI

Use these keys in the interactive terminal UI that opens when you run embedder. On macOS, Ctrl is the Control key, not Cmd, and Alt is the Option key. If Alt shortcuts do nothing, set your terminal to send Option as Meta.

Session controls

Key	Action
`Shift+Tab`	Cycle through the available modes: Act, Plan, Migration when the project supports it, then Debug.
`Escape` or `Ctrl+C` while Embedder is working	Stop the turn. If a message is held until the turn ends, the first press removes the last held message instead.
`Ctrl+C` while idle	Clear the input. On an empty input, press it twice within 3 seconds to exit.
`Ctrl+R`	Clear the conversation, like `/clear`.
`Ctrl+Alt+B`	Open the model picker.
`Ctrl+Z`	Undo the last message. Press it again right away to open the rewind picker.
`Alt+Z`	Undo a rewind or an undo. Works until you send your next message.
Ctrl+`	Show or hide the serial sidebar. The sidebar opens on its own when the terminal is wider than 120 columns.
`Ctrl+T`	Show or hide the background task tray.
`Ctrl+Q`	While messages are waiting to run, open Pending Messages to edit or delete them, hold a steering message until the turn ends, or steer a held message now.
`Alt+T`	Open a new chat tab.
`Alt+W`	Close the active chat tab.
`Alt+N` / `Alt+P`	Switch to the next or previous chat tab.
`Alt+M`	Open the Monitor in your browser.
`Alt+S` / `Alt+K`	When you’ve picked another project elsewhere, an idle chat offers New chat on that project (`Alt+S`) or keep this chat on its current project (`Alt+K`).
`Ctrl+O`	Expand or collapse long messages and tool output in the conversation.
`PageUp` / `PageDown`	Scroll the conversation.

Chat input

Key	Action
`Enter`	Send the message, or choose the highlighted suggestion. While Embedder is working, the message steers the current turn.
`Ctrl+Enter`	Insert a new line.
`Up` / `Down`	Move through suggestions. With no list open, recall your earlier prompts.
`Tab`	Complete the highlighted command, or open the highlighted folder in file search.
`Escape`	Close the suggestion list, or leave shell or serial-send mode.
`/`	Show command suggestions.
`@`	Search for a file or folder to mention.
`Ctrl+V`	Attach an image from the clipboard.
`Alt+U`	Open Attach Files to pick files to attach.
`!`	On an empty input, switch to shell mode. The status bar shows `[BASH]`.
`~`	On an empty input, switch to serial-send mode. The status bar shows the connection, for example `[SERIAL COM3]` or `[RTT]`.

Serial-send mode needs a connected serial port. Without one, Embedder shows Connect a serial port to send messages. Press Backspace on an empty input to leave either mode.

Approval requests

Key	Action
`Y`	Allow once.
`A`	Allow always, when it’s available.
`N`	Do something else: decline and type what Embedder should do instead. On a subagent’s card, the option reads No, tell the subagent what to do instead. On a card with neither option, `N` rejects the request.
`Left` / `Right`, then `Enter`	Move to an option and choose it.
`Escape`	Reject the request.
`F`	Review a file change full screen.
`R`	Review a file change block by block, when the card shows review blocks.

Navigation keys move through pickers, lists, and panels, such as the ones /history, /project, and /theme open. Emacs keys are on by default. Run /keybindings to choose a scheme, or /vim or /emacs to switch directly. In Conversation History, which /history opens, press Alt+R to rename the highlighted conversation or Alt+D to delete it.

Action	Emacs	Vim
Next item	`Ctrl+N` or `Down`	`j` or `Down`
Previous item	`Ctrl+P` or `Up`	`k` or `Up`
Move forward	`Ctrl+F` or `Right`	`l` or `Right`
Move back	`Ctrl+B` or `Left`	`h` or `Left`
Cancel	`Ctrl+G` or `Escape`	`Escape`
Select	`Enter`	`Enter`
Toggle an item	`Space`	`Space`
Page down	`Ctrl+V` or `PageDown`	`Ctrl+D` or `PageDown`
Page up	`Alt+V` or `PageUp`	`Ctrl+U` or `PageUp`
First item	`Ctrl+A` or `Home`	`Home`
Last item	`Ctrl+E` or `End`	`Shift+G` or `End`
Move between controls	`Tab`	`Tab`

In Vim mode, the status bar shows -- INSERT -- while you type. Press Escape in the chat input or a search box to switch to -- COMMAND --, where the letter keys navigate. Press i to go back to typing. In Emacs mode, letter keys always type into a search box, so use the Ctrl keys or arrow keys to move. Running /vim or /emacs for the scheme that’s already on turns both schemes off. Only the arrow keys, PageUp, PageDown, Home, End, Enter, Space, Escape, and Tab then navigate. Embedder saves your scheme to ~/.embedder/keybindings.json. To rebind an action, add a customBindings entry that lists only the actions you change. Your keys replace that action’s default keys. For example, to move the undo-rewind action from Alt+Z to Ctrl+U in Emacs mode:

~/.embedder/keybindings.json

{
  "mode": "emacs",
  "customBindings": {
    "undoRewind": [{ "key": "u", "ctrl": true }]
  }
}

Each binding is an object with a key name, such as u, down, pagedown, return, escape, or space, plus optional ctrl, alt, shift, and meta flags set to true. You can rebind these actions:

Action	Default role
`next`, `prev`	Next or previous item
`forward`, `back`	Move forward or back
`cancel`, `select`, `toggle`	Cancel, select, or toggle an item
`pageDown`, `pageUp`	Move one page
`top`, `bottom`	First or last item
`tab`	Move between controls
`newTab`, `closeTab`	Open or close a chat tab
`nextTab`, `prevTab`	Switch to the next or previous chat tab
`openMonitor`	Open the Monitor in your browser
`projectSwitchAccept`, `projectSwitchKeep`	Start a new chat on the other project, or keep the chat on its project
`undoRewind`	Undo a rewind

Keep the mode field, set to emacs or vim. Restart the terminal UI after you edit the file. If the file isn’t valid, Embedder ignores it and uses the default keys. Custom bindings don’t apply while both schemes are off. See Use Embedder in the terminal for what the terminal UI can and can’t do.

Get started

Set up a project

Work with Embedder

Workflow guides

Monitor and debug

Code analysis

Automation

Settings and help

Reference

Keyboard shortcuts

VS Code extension

Chat input

Command menu and mention list

Approval requests

Edit review

Command Palette

Terminal UI

Session controls

Chat input

Approval requests

Navigation keys

Customize navigation keys