PowerShell

PowerShell’s interactive editor is provided by PSReadLine, a module that ships with PowerShell 5.1+ and pwsh (PowerShell 7+). PSReadLine defaults to an emacs-style keymap on Linux / macOS and to a Windows-style keymap on Windows; both share the same underlying widgets.

Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler lists every binding; Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler sets one; Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Emacs (or -EditMode Vi / -EditMode Windows) switches the keymap. Persist customizations in $PROFILE.

For PowerShell scripting (pipeline objects, Get- / Set- / New- cmdlets, profile loading), see the language pages.

Cursor Movement

Key	Action
Ctrl-a / Home	move to start of line
Ctrl-e / End	move to end of line
Ctrl-b / Left	move back one character
Ctrl-f / Right	move forward one character
Alt-b / Ctrl-Left	move back one word
Alt-f / Ctrl-Right	move forward one word

Editing

Key	Action
Ctrl-d / Delete	delete character under cursor
Ctrl-h / Backspace	delete character before cursor
Alt-d	delete word forward
Ctrl-w	delete word backward
Alt-Backspace	delete word backward (alphanumeric-aware)
Ctrl-k	kill to end of line
Ctrl-u	kill whole line
Ctrl-y	yank (paste) last killed text
Alt-y	cycle through previous yanks after Ctrl-y
Ctrl-t	transpose character with previous
Alt-t	transpose word with previous
Alt-u	uppercase word from cursor
Alt-l	lowercase word from cursor
Alt-c	capitalize word from cursor
Ctrl-_	undo last edit
Ctrl-y (Windows mode)	redo

History

PSReadLine supports prefix search (Up / Down) plus an Fzf-style incremental search (Ctrl-r). The session history is in $PROFILE-controlled paths; Get-History is the cmdlet form.

Key	Action
Up / Ctrl-p	previous history (prefix-search-backward)
Down / Ctrl-n	next history (prefix-search-forward)
Ctrl-r	reverse incremental search
Ctrl-s	forward incremental search
Alt-.	insert last argument of previous command
Get-History	print history
Invoke-History <id>	re-run history entry
Clear-History	clear current-session history

Process Control

Key	Action
Ctrl-c	cancel current line / send Ctrl-C to running command
Ctrl-d	send EOF; exit on empty line
Ctrl-l	clear screen (keeps current line)
Ctrl-Break	hard interrupt (Windows; closes pipeline)
Ctrl-Pause	same as Ctrl-Break on some terminals

Completion

Tab cycles through inline completions; Ctrl-Space opens the menu pager (PSReadLine MenuComplete). Inside the pager use arrows + Enter.

Key	Action
Tab	complete / cycle next match
Shift-Tab	cycle previous match
Ctrl-Space	open menu completion pager (MenuComplete)
Esc	close completion pager
Enter	accept selection
Alt-=	complete and display all matches
Ctrl-@	same as Ctrl-Space on terminals that map it

PSReadLine Specials

PSReadLine-only widgets and bindings.

Key	Action
Alt-h	show help for command at cursor (ShowCommandHelp)
Alt-?	show parameter help (WhatIsKey describes a binding)
F1	context-sensitive help for token at cursor
F2	toggle between HistoryAndPlugin and History prediction sources
F8 / Shift-F8	search-by-prefix backward / forward through history
Alt-a	select whole argument under cursor (SelectCommandArgument)
Alt-Shift-c	copy selected text
Ctrl-Shift-v	paste from clipboard

Vi Mode

Enable with Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Vi. Standard Vim keymap inside the line editor.

Key	Action
Esc	enter command mode
i / a / I / A	insert / append at cursor / line start / line end
0 / ^ / $	move to start / first non-blank / end of line
w / b / e	word forward / back / end
f<c> / F<c>	find next / previous character
x	delete character under cursor
dw / d$ / dd	delete word / to end / whole line
cw / c$ / cc	change word / to end / whole line
yw / y$ / yy	yank word / to end / whole line
p / P	paste after / before
u	undo
Ctrl-r	redo
v	open current line in $env:EDITOR
k / j	previous / next history (command mode)
/<pat>	history search backward

Config and Discovery

Command	Action
Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler	list every binding
Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Bound	list only bound keys
Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Unbound	list unbound widgets
Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Chord 'Ctrl+x' -Function KillRegion	bind a chord to a widget
Remove-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Chord 'Ctrl+x'	remove a binding
Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Emacs	switch to emacs keymap
Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Vi	switch to vi keymap
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionSource HistoryAndPlugin	inline suggestions from history + plugins
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionViewStyle ListView	list-style suggestion view
Get-PSReadLineOption	print every PSReadLine option
$PROFILE	path to current-user profile (persist customizations here)
Update-Help	download help so Alt-h / F1 work