Vim Cheatsheet

Master the keyboard-driven editor. A survival kit and reference guide for the most essential Vim commands.

Stuck? Here is how to exit:

PressEscthen type:wqto save & quit, or:q!to force quit.

Survival (Essential)

Navigation

Editing

Insert Mode

Visual Mode

Search

# Vim Cheatsheet: Commands for Survival & Efficiency

Vim is a powerful, modal text editor known for its efficiency and keyboard-centric workflow. While the learning curve can be steep, mastering a few core commands can drastically improve your productivity.

This Vim Cheatsheet is organized to guide you from basic survival (saving and quitting) to advanced editing and navigation. Use the search bar to quickly find the key bindings you need.

Understanding Vim Modes

Normal Mode

The default mode for navigation and manipulation. Hitting Esc always brings you here.

Insert Mode

For typing text. Enter with i, a, or o.

Visual Mode

For selecting text blocks. Enter with v or V.

Command Mode

For editor commands like saving/quitting. Enter with :.