Copy Mode

Keyboard-driven text selection with Vim-style navigation for efficient terminal interaction

Copy mode allows you to select and copy text from your terminal using only the keyboard, with Vim-style navigation controls. This eliminates the need to reach for your mouse when selecting terminal output.

Activating Copy Mode

Action	Keybinding
Activate copy mode	Ctrl+Shift+X

When copy mode is active, the tab title is prefixed with “Copy Mode” and the terminal behavior changes to allow keyboard-driven cursor navigation.

Selection Modes

Copy mode supports three types of selection:

Mode	Keybinding	Description
Cell selection	v	Select individual characters
Line selection	Shift+V	Select entire lines
Rectangular selection	Ctrl+V	Select a rectangular block

Selection mode is off by default. Press v to toggle it on before selecting text.

Navigation

Basic Movement

Action	Keybindings
Move left	h, LeftArrow
Move down	j, DownArrow
Move up	k, UpArrow
Move right	l, RightArrow

Word Movement

Action	Keybindings
Forward one word	w, Alt+F, Alt+RightArrow, Tab
Backward one word	b, Alt+B, Alt+LeftArrow, Shift+Tab
Forward to word end	e

Line Movement

Action	Keybindings
Start of line	0, Home
End of line	$, End
Start of next line	Enter
Start of indented line	^, Alt+M

Viewport Movement

Action	Keybindings
Top of viewport	Shift+H
Middle of viewport	Shift+M
Bottom of viewport	Shift+L

Page Movement

Action	Keybindings
Up one screen	PageUp, Ctrl+B
Down one screen	PageDown, Ctrl+F
Up half screen	Ctrl+U
Down half screen	Ctrl+D

Scrollback Movement

Action	Keybindings
Top of scrollback	g (press twice)
Bottom of scrollback	Shift+G

Selection Actions

Copying Text

Action	Keybinding
Copy and exit	y
Copy (without exit)	Ctrl+Shift+C

Adjusting Selection

Action	Keybinding
Move to other end of selection	o
Move to other end horizontally	Shift+O

Shift+O is particularly useful in rectangular selection mode for adjusting the selection boundary.

Exiting Copy Mode

Action	Keybindings
Exit copy mode	Escape, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+G, q

Workflow Example

1. Activate copy mode

   Press Ctrl+Shift+X to enter copy mode.

2. Navigate to start position

   Use h, j, k, l or arrow keys to move the cursor to where you want to start selecting.

3. Start selection

   Press v for character selection, Shift+V for line selection, or Ctrl+V for rectangular selection.

4. Extend selection

   Move the cursor to the end of the text you want to select.

5. Copy and exit

   Press y to copy the selected text and exit copy mode, or Ctrl+Shift+C to copy without exiting.

Customizing Copy Mode

You can customize copy mode keybindings by overriding the copy_mode key table:

Custom Copy Mode Bindings

local wezterm = require 'wezterm'
local act = wezterm.action
local config = {}

-- Get default key tables
config.key_tables = wezterm.gui.default_key_tables()

-- Customize specific bindings in copy_mode
table.insert(config.key_tables.copy_mode, {
  key = 'c',
  mods = 'CTRL',
  action = act.CopyMode 'Close',
})

return config

View Default Copy Mode Bindings

To see all default copy mode keybindings:

View Copy Mode Keys

wezterm show-keys --lua --key-table copy_mode

Color Customization

Customize the appearance of selected text in copy mode:

Copy Mode Colors

local wezterm = require 'wezterm'
local config = {}

config.colors = {
  copy_mode_active_highlight_bg = { Color = '#000000' },
  copy_mode_active_highlight_fg = { Color = '#ffffff' },
  copy_mode_inactive_highlight_bg = { Color = '#52ad70' },
  copy_mode_inactive_highlight_fg = { Color = '#c0c0c0' },
}

return config

Advanced Usage

Quick Copy Git Commit Hash

Using Copy Mode

-- 1. Run git log
-- 2. Ctrl+Shift+X to enter copy mode  
-- 3. Navigate to the commit hash
-- 4. Press 'w' repeatedly to select the hash (moves word by word)
-- 5. Press 'v' to start selection
-- 6. Press 'e' to extend to end of word
-- 7. Press 'y' to copy

Selecting Command Output

Example Workflow

-- 1. Run a command that produces output
-- 2. Ctrl+Shift+X to enter copy mode
-- 3. 'gg' to go to top of scrollback
-- 4. Search forward for command prompt or output start
-- 5. 'V' for line selection mode
-- 6. 'j' or '}' to select lines
-- 7. 'y' to copy

Integration with Quick Select

While copy mode provides fine-grained control, Quick Select mode is better for quickly selecting common patterns like:

• URLs
• File paths
• Git hashes
• IP addresses

Use copy mode when you need:

• Precise character-level selection
• Multi-line selections
• Rectangular selections
• Vim-style navigation

Comparison to Other Tools

Feature	Copy Mode	tmux copy-mode	screen copy mode
Vim-style navigation	✓	✓	✓
Rectangular selection	✓	✓	✓
Integrated search	✓ (via Ctrl+Shift+F)	✓	✓
Works with mouse	✓	✓	✓
No external multiplexer	✓	✗	✗

Tips and Tricks

1. Combine with search: Use Ctrl+Shift+F to search, then Ctrl+Shift+X to enter copy mode at the found location

2. Use markers: Navigate to specific points quickly with Shift+H (top), Shift+M (middle), Shift+L (bottom)

3. Rectangular mode for columns: Use Ctrl+V to select columnar data from command output

4. Fast line grabbing: Shift+V then j/k for quick line-based selections

5. Practice Vim motions: Copy mode is a great way to learn or practice Vim navigation if you’re new to it