Cursor CLI Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts for the Cursor CLI (the cursor-agent terminal coding agent) on MacWindowsLinux. This is Cursor's terminal agent — for the editor, see Cursor keyboard shortcuts. Built from Cursor's official CLI docs.
Starting & Modes
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Install (Mac / Linux / WSL) | curl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bashcurl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bashcurl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bash |
| Install (Windows PowerShell) | irm 'https://cursor.com/install?win32=true' | iexirm 'https://cursor.com/install?win32=true' | iexirm 'https://cursor.com/install?win32=true' | iex |
| Start an interactive session | agentagentagent |
| Start with an initial prompt | agent "your prompt"agent "your prompt"agent "your prompt" |
| Rotate between modes (Agent / Plan / Ask) | ShiftTabShiftTabShiftTab |
| Run non-interactively (headless / print) | -p-p-p |
| Start in Plan mode | --mode=plan--mode=plan--mode=plan |
| Start in Ask mode (read-only) | --mode=ask--mode=ask--mode=ask |
| Run with a specific model | --model--model--model |
| Continue the previous session | --continue--continue--continue |
| Resume a specific conversation | --resume--resume--resume |
Interactive Controls
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Submit your prompt | EnterEnterEnter |
| New line without sending | ShiftEnterShiftEnterShiftEnter |
| New line (alternate / tmux) | CtrlJCtrlJCtrlJ |
| Exit the CLI (press twice) | CtrlDCtrlDCtrlD |
| Cycle back through message history | UpUpUp |
| Hand off to a Cloud Agent (prefix your message) | &&& |
Reviewing Changes
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open the review of the agent's changes | CtrlRCtrlRCtrlR |
| Add follow-up instructions (during review) | iii |
| Scroll through files (during review) | UpUpUp |
| Switch files (during review) | LeftLeftLeft |
Command Approval
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Approve a terminal command | yyy |
| Reject a terminal command | nnn |
Slash Commands
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Switch to Plan mode (design first, clarifying questions) | /plan/plan/plan |
| Switch to Ask mode (read-only exploration) | /ask/ask/ask |
| Summarize to free up context | /summarize/summarize/summarize |
| Summarize (alias) | /compress/compress/compress |
| Resume a previous conversation | /resume/resume/resume |
| Toggle sandbox / network access | /sandbox/sandbox/sandbox |
| Toggle Max Mode (on supported models) | /max-mode/max-mode/max-mode |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cursor CLI the same as the Cursor editor?
No. The Cursor CLI is cursor-agent, Cursor's coding agent that runs in your terminal — you launch it with the agent command. The Cursor editor is the AI code editor (a VS Code fork). They share the same underlying agent and your account, but they're different surfaces with different shortcuts, similar to how Claude Code (terminal) differs from the Claude app. For the editor's shortcuts, see our Cursor keyboard shortcuts page.
How do I exit the Cursor CLI?
Press Ctrl+D twice (a double-press) to exit the cursor-agent session. A single Ctrl+D won't quit — this prevents accidental exits while you're typing.
How do I add a new line in the Cursor CLI without sending?
Press Shift+Enter to insert a new line. Shift+Enter works in terminals like iTerm2, Ghostty, Kitty, Warp, and Zed; inside tmux, use Ctrl+J instead. Cmd+Enter also inserts a newline.
How do I review the agent's changes in the Cursor CLI?
Press Ctrl+R to open the review. While reviewing, use the Up/Down arrows to scroll through a file, Left/Right to switch between changed files, and press i to add follow-up instructions without leaving the review.
How do I switch between Agent, Plan, and Ask modes?
Press Shift+Tab to rotate between modes during a session. You can also type /plan or /ask, or launch the agent with the --mode=plan / --mode=ask flag (or --plan).
How do I approve or reject a command the agent wants to run?
When cursor-agent asks to run a terminal command, press y to approve it or n to reject it. You can also adjust command-execution and network behavior with the /sandbox slash command or the --sandbox flag.