Claude Code Interactive Mode

Claude Code's interactive mode provides rich keyboard shortcuts and operating methods, allowing you to efficiently interact with your AI assistant. This guide will detail all available interactive features.

📖 Official Documentation: Claude Code Interactive Mode | Complete Guide

Keyboard Shortcuts

General Controls

Shortcut	Description	Context
Ctrl+C	Cancel current input or generation	Standard interrupt
Ctrl+D	Exit Claude Code session	EOF signal
Ctrl+L	Clear terminal screen	Preserve conversation history
Up/Down arrows	Navigate command history	Recall previous inputs
Esc + Esc	Edit last message	Double escape to modify

Multi-line Input

When you need to input multi-line content, you can use the following methods:

Method	Shortcut	Context
Quick escape	\ + Enter	Works in all terminals
macOS default	Option+Enter	Default on macOS
Terminal setup	Shift+Enter	After /terminal-setup
Control sequence	Ctrl+J	Multi-line newline character
Paste mode	Direct paste	For code blocks, logs

Quick Commands

Shortcut	Description	Notes
Starting #	Memory shortcut - add to CLAUDE.md	Prompts file selection
Starting /	Slash commands	See Slash Commands

Vim Mode

Claude Code supports vim-style editing mode, providing familiar operations for vim users.

Enable Vim Mode

• Temporary enable: Use /vim command
• Permanent enable: Configure via /config

Mode Switching

Command	Action	From Mode
Esc	Enter NORMAL mode	INSERT
i	Insert before cursor	NORMAL
I	Insert at line beginning	NORMAL
a	Insert after cursor	NORMAL
A	Insert at line end	NORMAL
o	Open new line below	NORMAL
O	Open new line above	NORMAL

Navigation (NORMAL Mode)

Basic Movement

Command	Action
h/j/k/l	Move left/down/up/right
w	Next word
e	End of word
b	Previous word

Line Navigation

Command	Action
0	Line beginning
$	Line end
^	First non-whitespace character

Document Navigation

Command	Action
gg	Input beginning
G	Input end

Editing (NORMAL Mode)

Delete Operations

Command	Action
x	Delete character
dd	Delete line
D	Delete to line end
dw/de/db	Delete word/to end/backward

Change Operations

Command	Action
cc	Change line
C	Change to line end
cw/ce/cb	Change word/to end/backward
.	Repeat last change

Command History

Claude Code provides powerful command history functionality to help you quickly reuse previous commands:

History Management

• Storage method: History stored by working directory
• Clear method: Use /clear command to clear
• Navigation method: Use up/down arrow keys to navigate history
• Search feature: Ctrl+R reverse search history (if terminal supports)

Notes

• History expansion: ! commands are disabled by default to avoid accidental execution of history commands

Practical Tips

Efficient Input Tips

1. Code Block Input

   • Directly paste code blocks, Claude Code will automatically detect and preserve formatting
   • Use \ + Enter to quickly add new lines

2. Command Combinations

   • Combine slash commands with regular conversation
   • Use # prefixed messages to add to project memory

3. History Reuse

   • Use arrow keys to quickly find previous commands
   • Esc + Esc to edit last message instead of retyping

Workflow Optimization

1. Multi-line Editing

   # Use backslash continuation
   This is the first line \
   This is the second line \
   This is the third line

2. Quick Memory Addition

   # This information will be added to CLAUDE.md
   Remember: This project uses TypeScript + React

3. Command Chaining

   /model opus
   Please help me optimize this code's performance

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Multi-line input not working?

• Check if terminal supports corresponding shortcuts
• Try using /terminal-setup to configure Shift+Enter
• Use universal \ + Enter method

Vim mode won't enable?

• Confirm using /vim command
• Check configuration settings via /config
• Restart Claude Code session

History search not working?

• Confirm terminal supports Ctrl+R
• Check terminal's key binding settings
• Try using up/down arrow keys for manual navigation

Related Documentation

• Slash Commands - Specialized commands in interactive sessions
• CLI Reference - Command line flags and options
• Settings Configuration - Personalization configuration options
• Memory Management - Managing CLAUDE.md files

By mastering these interactive mode features, you'll be able to use Claude Code more efficiently and improve your development efficiency and experience.