Comprehensive iTerm2 shortcuts and workflows for enhanced terminal productivity on macOS.
Basic Navigation
Shortcut
Description
Cmd+T
New Tab
Cmd+W
Close Tab
Cmd+Shift+]
Next Tab
Cmd+Shift+[
Previous Tab
Cmd+1-9
Go to Tab 1-9
Cmd+D
Split Pane Vertically
Cmd+Shift+D
Split Pane Horizontally
Cmd+]
Next Pane
Cmd+[
Previous Pane
Cmd+Option+Arrow
Navigate Between Panes
Cmd+Shift+Enter
Maximize/Restore Pane
Window Management
Shortcut
Description
Cmd+N
New Window
Cmd+Shift+W
Close Window
Cmd+Option+H
Hide Other Windows
Cmd+M
Minimize Window
Cmd+Enter
Toggle Full Screen
Cmd+Shift+T
Reopen Last Closed Tab
Cmd+I
Open Window Info
Text Selection and Editing
Shortcut
Description
Double-click
Select Word
Triple-click
Select Line
Cmd+A
Select All
Cmd+C
Copy
Cmd+V
Paste
Cmd+Shift+V
Paste Special
Cmd+Option+V
Paste Selection
Cmd+F
Find
Cmd+G
Find Next
Cmd+Shift+G
Find Previous
Option+Click
Move Cursor to Click Position
Search and History
Shortcut
Description
Cmd+F
Open Search
Cmd+Option+F
Open Search with Selection
Cmd+R
Clear Screen
Cmd+K
Clear Screen and Scrollback
Cmd+Shift+H
Show Command History
Cmd+;
Show Autocomplete
Cmd+Shift+;
Show Command History
Profiles and Preferences
Shortcut
Description
Cmd+,
Open Preferences
Cmd+Option+,
Open Profile Preferences
Cmd+U
Use Transparency
Cmd+Option+B
Show Background Image
Advanced Features
Shortcut
Description
Cmd+Shift+A
Select Output of Last Command
Cmd+Option+A
Select All Output
Cmd+Shift+S
Save Selection
Cmd+Option+E
Expose All Tabs
Cmd+Option+I
Open Quickly
Cmd+Shift+O
Open Quickly with Selection
Marks and Annotations
Shortcut
Description
Cmd+Shift+M
Set Mark
Cmd+Shift+J
Jump to Mark
Cmd+Option+M
Show Marks
Cmd+Shift+A
Select to Mark
Hotkey Window
Shortcut
Description
Option+Space
Show/Hide Hotkey Window (configurable)
Cmd+Option+0
Toggle Hotkey Window
Terminal Commands Integration
Command
Description
imgcat image.png
Display image in terminal
it2dl filename
Download file from remote server
it2ul filename
Upload file to remote server
it2check
Check iTerm2 integration
Configuration Tips
Profile Setup
# Set up custom profile
# Go to Preferences > Profiles > General
# Configure colors, fonts, and behavior
# Import/Export profiles
# Preferences > Profiles > Other Actions > Import/Export
Shell Integration
# Install shell integration
curl -L https://iterm2.com/shell_integration/install_shell_integration_and_utilities.sh|bash
# Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile
source ~/.iterm2_shell_integration.zsh
Custom Key Bindings
# Configure in Preferences > Profiles > Keys
# Add custom key bindings for frequently used commands
# Example: Cmd+Shift+R for "clear && ls -la"
Productivity Workflows
Multi-Pane Development
# Split terminal for development workflow
# Pane 1: Code editor (vim/nano)
# Pane 2: File watcher/build process
# Pane 3: Git operations
# Pane 4: Server/application logs
Session Management
# Use tmux with iTerm2 for session persistence
tmux new-session -d -s development
tmux split-window -h
tmux split-window -v
tmux attach-session -t development
Quick Commands
# Set up aliases in ~/.zshrc
alias ll="ls -la"
alias gs="git status"
alias gp="git push"
alias gc="git commit -m"
alias ..="cd .."
alias ...="cd ../.."
Best Practices
Performance Optimization
Limit scrollback buffer size for better performance
Use GPU rendering when available
Disable unnecessary visual effects
Configure appropriate refresh rates
Security
Use secure shell (SSH) with key authentication
Configure session timeout for sensitive environments
Use separate profiles for different security contexts
Enable secure keyboard entry for password input
Customization
Create profiles for different development environments