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[Claude Code #15] Special inputs and shortcuts, from ! shell mode to Vim

A roundup of Claude Code’s special inputs and shortcuts: ! shell mode, @ file mentions, Esc Esc rewind, Ctrl+O transcripts, multiline input, /btw side questions, and Vim mode.

4 min read
Cover image for [Claude Code #15] Special inputs and shortcuts, from ! shell mode to Vim

Even with the same tool, perceived productivity can differ by several times between fast and slow typists. Claude Code has plenty of special inputs and shortcuts that create that gap.

This edition focuses on the ones you’ll use every day. Press ? in an empty input field to open the full shortcut help; you can find the rest there.

If Claude Code Part 14 was automation outside the session, this time it’s the handwork inside the session.

! Shell mode: run commands directly without going through AI

Start input with ! to run a shell command directly without going through Claude.

! npm test
! git status

According to Official interactive mode documentation, the command and its output are added directly to the conversation context, and Claude automatically responds to the result. With ! npm test on one line, you even get an explanation of the failure. Disable automatic responses with respondToBashCommands.

After entering part of a command, press Tab to autocomplete from the previous ! command history.

@ mentions: insert files directly

According to Official workflows documentation, enter @경로 in the prompt to include the entire file in the conversation. You don’t have to wait for Claude to find and read it.

@src/utils/auth.js  explain the logic

Type @ to open the path suggestion menu. Mentioning a directory includes its file list.

8 shortcuts your fingers should remember

  • Esc: interrupt a response. Press twice in an empty input field to open the /rewind menu
  • Shift+Tab: cycle permission modes (default → acceptEdits → plan)
  • Ctrl+O: transcript viewer; expand tool-call details
  • Ctrl+B: move a running task to the background (twice in tmux)
  • Ctrl+T: toggle Claude’s task checklist (the background task list is /tasks)
  • Ctrl+R: reverse-search input history
  • Ctrl+G: continue writing the current prompt in the default text editor
  • Ctrl+V: paste a clipboard image (Cmd+V in iTerm2, Alt+V on Windows·WSL)
Diagram of special-input branches in Claude Code’s empty input field (!·@·/·?·Esc Esc·Shift+Tab)
The first character in an empty input field determines the mode

When you can’t enter a new line

Because Enter sends immediately, entering multiple lines can feel awkward. Here are three common methods.

  • \ then Enter: works in every terminal
  • Shift+Enter: supported by default in iTerm2·Ghostty·Kitty·Windows Terminal and others
  • Ctrl+J: works anywhere without configuration

For long code or logs, just paste them. Multiline pastes are handled automatically.

/btw: ask side questions without breaking your flow

During a task, you may suddenly wonder, “What was the name of that configuration file again?”

Ask with /btw to get an answer without adding it to the conversation history. Claude answers based on the conversation so far, while the question and answer appear and disappear only as an overlay.

The key is keeping the main task’s context clean. You can ask even while Claude is working.

There’s a Vim mode too

If you miss Vim’s terminal feel, enable it in the Editor mode of /config.

Press Esc to enter NORMAL mode, then familiar operations such as h/j/k/l movement, dd deletion, and editing text objects like ciw are available.

Illustration of a pianist robot playing a keyboard-combination score with the words MUSCLE MEMORY
Your fingers remember shortcuts before the sheet music

Summary

Start by making just three habits. Execute commands directly with !, mention files with @, and rewind with Esc twice in an empty input field.

For the rest, press ? in an empty input field and look them up when needed.

The next edition covers small but convenient features such as /copy, /export, and /statusline.

Sources and verification criteria

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Claude Code series