Keybinding settings

Use keybinds.* to assign keys for navigation, text editing, command execution, returning from views, and other actions. The tables below list the available settings and embedded default bindings.

Configuration syntax

Each heading is a configuration section name. The Setting column lists keys within that section. Values can be a key string or an array of key strings.

[keybinds.view.browse.input]
# Change the keys for exiting from the input view
exit = ["q", "Esc"]

[keybinds.view.browse]
# Change the search history keys (defaults: Up / Down)
older_search_history = ["Ctrl+P"]
newer_search_history = ["Ctrl+N"]

An empty array [] disables the binding for that action. Omitted settings use their defaults. See the config command to save and apply changes. Updated bindings appear in vy’s :help and on-screen hints.

Join modifiers and key names with +, as in Ctrl+P. Shift+G represents G, ScrollUp / ScrollDown represent the mouse wheel, and LeftDown represents the left mouse button.

keybinds.component.* configures shared document and editor actions, while keybinds.view.* configures actions for individual views. For example, configure editor cursor movement in keybinds.component.text_editor and search history recall in keybinds.view.browse.

keybinds.component.document

Configure keys for document and list navigation, scrolling, and display toggles. toggle, expand_all, and collapse_all apply to views that support tree expansion and folding.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`up`	`["k", "Up", "ScrollUp"]`	Move to the previous item / display line
`down`	`["j", "Down", "ScrollDown"]`	Move to the next item / display line
`page_up`	`["PageUp", "Ctrl+B"]`	Move up one page
`page_down`	`["PageDown", "Ctrl+F"]`	Move down one page
`half_page_up`	`["Ctrl+U"]`	Move up half a page
`half_page_down`	`["Ctrl+D"]`	Move down half a page
`move_to_head`	`["g", "Home"]`	Move to the beginning
`move_to_tail`	`["Shift+G", "End"]`	Move to the end
`toggle`	`["Space", "Enter", "LeftDown"]`	Expand or collapse a node; mouse clicks act on the clicked item
`expand_all`	`["e"]`	Expand everything
`collapse_all`	`["Shift+E"]`	Collapse everything
`toggle_overflow_mode`	`["z"]`	Toggle wrapping / truncation
`toggle_line_numbers`	`["Alt+N"]`	Toggle line numbers

keybinds.component.text_editor

Configure keys for cursor movement, line breaks, and deletion in editors.

Word boundaries use jaq delimiters (., |, (, ), [, ]). Search history up/down bindings take priority over editor up/down movement.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`insert_newline`	`["Shift+Enter"]`	Insert a newline
`backward`	`["Left", "Ctrl+B"]`	Move the cursor left
`forward`	`["Right", "Ctrl+F"]`	Move the cursor right
`move_up`	`["Up"]`	Move the cursor up a line
`move_down`	`["Down"]`	Move the cursor down a line
`move_to_line_head`	`["Home", "Ctrl+A"]`	Move to the beginning of the line
`move_to_line_tail`	`["End", "Ctrl+E"]`	Move to the end of the line
`move_to_head`	`["Ctrl+Home"]`	Move to the beginning
`move_to_tail`	`["Ctrl+End"]`	Move to the end
`move_to_previous_nearest`	`["Alt+B", "Ctrl+Left"]`	Move to the previous word boundary
`move_to_next_nearest`	`["Alt+F", "Ctrl+Right"]`	Move to the next word boundary
`erase`	`["Backspace", "Ctrl+H"]`	Delete the previous character
`erase_forward`	`["Delete", "Ctrl+D"]`	Delete the character at the cursor
`erase_all`	`["Ctrl+U"]`	Delete all input
`erase_to_previous_nearest`	`["Ctrl+W", "Alt+Backspace"]`	Delete to the previous word boundary
`erase_to_next_nearest`	`["Alt+D", "Ctrl+Delete"]`	Delete to the next word boundary

keybinds.view.browse

Configure keys for command entry, search, and tree navigation in the input, focus, and jaq views. toggle_focus and toggle_side_by_side apply to focus. Configure jaq pane controls in keybinds.view.jaq.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`toggle_focus`	`["Tab"]`	Switch the active pane
`toggle_side_by_side`	`["s"]`	Toggle side-by-side input and results
`open_command_editor`	`[":", "Shift+:"]`	Open the regular command editor
`close_command_editor`	`["Esc", "Ctrl+C"]`	Close the regular command editor
`submit_command`	`["Enter"]`	Execute the command
`complete_command`	`["Tab"]`	Complete commands and arguments
`open_search_editor`	`["/"]`	Open the regular expression search editor
`close_search_editor`	`["Esc", "Ctrl+C"]`	Close the search editor
`submit_search`	`["Enter"]`	Run the search
`older_search_history`	`["Up"]`	Recall an older search expression
`newer_search_history`	`["Down"]`	Return to a newer search expression / draft
`next_search`	`["n"]`	Move to the next match
`previous_search`	`["Shift+N"]`	Move to the previous match
`collapse_or_move_to_parent`	`["h", "Left"]`	Collapse or move to the parent
`move_to_parent`	`["Shift+H"]`	Move to the parent
`expand_or_move_to_first_child`	`["l", "Right"]`	Expand or move to the first child
`move_to_next_sibling`	`["Shift+J"]`	Move to the next sibling
`move_to_previous_sibling`	`["Shift+K"]`	Move to the previous sibling

keybinds.view.browse.input

Configure keys for exiting vy from the input view.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`exit`	`["Esc", "Ctrl+C"]`	Exit vy

keybinds.view.browse.focus

Configure keys for returning from focus to the calling view.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`back`	`["Esc"]`	Return to the calling view

keybinds.view.preview

Configure keys for returning from the preview and copying selected text.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`back`	`["Esc"]`	Return to the calling view
`copy_selection`	`["y"]`	Copy the selected preview text

keybinds.view.help

Configure keys for returning from help to the calling view.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`back`	`["Esc"]`	Return to the calling view

keybinds.view.hstr

Configure keys for returning from history, switching between the editor and list, and selecting history entries.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`back`	`["Esc"]`	Return to the calling view
`toggle_focus`	`["Tab"]`	Switch between the history filter editor and results
`recall_selection`	`["Enter", "LeftDown"]`	Recall the selected history entry into the command editor

keybinds.view.flatten

Configure keys for editing and running grep expressions in flatten, canceling execution, and selecting results.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`back`	`["Esc"]`	Return to the calling view
`cancel_execution`	`["Ctrl+C"]`	Request cancellation of the running operation
`execute_query`	`["Enter"]`	Run the entered expression
`open_query_editor`	`[":", "Shift+:"]`	Open the editor for the current expression
`close_query_editor`	`["Esc"]`	Close the expression editor
`goto_selection`	`["Enter", "LeftDown"]`	Move to the selected result node

keybinds.view.jaq

Configure keys for returning from jaq, canceling a running query, and controlling the side-by-side panes.

Setting	Default binding	Action
`back`	`["Esc"]`	Return to the calling view
`cancel_execution`	`["Ctrl+C"]`	Request cancellation of the running operation
`toggle_focus`	`["Tab"]`	Switch the active pane
`toggle_side_by_side`	`["s"]`	Toggle side-by-side input and results

Opening, submitting, and closing the expression editor use open_command_editor, submit_command, and close_command_editor from keybinds.view.browse.