Command Palette or keyboard shortcut: which should you use?

01Find unfamiliar actions by name

VS Code provides a Command Palette and a configurable shortcut system. The palette helps you find a command without remembering its assigned keys.

Read the action name and its context before selecting it. Learning a key combination before learning the action gives you two unfamiliar things to remember. Some commands change files, run tools or alter settings, so discovery should come before execution.

02Learn shortcuts for repeated actions

1. Notice a command you repeatedly look up during normal work. Check its current binding in the editor instead of copying keys from a different platform or someone else’s setup.
2. Use the shortcut deliberately when that need comes up again. A navigation command you use often may be worth learning; an occasional settings command can stay searchable. You do not need to memorize the whole published shortcut list.

03Use the editor’s current configuration

Extensions and user keymaps can add or replace bindings. The current shortcut editor tells you what is assigned and which context applies.

A menu reference may not include every internal palette command. Use the palette to find actions and the shortcut editor to inspect bindings. The useful result is choosing the intended action reliably, rather than remembering the largest number of key combinations.