VS Code Multi-Cursor Mastery: Edit 50 Lines in Seconds

One of VS Code's most powerful features is multi-cursor editing—the ability to place cursors at multiple locations and type everywhere at once. What takes minutes with find-and-replace can take seconds with multi-cursor, and unlike regex, you can see exactly what you're changing in real time.

Once you master this, you'll never go back to editing one line at a time. Here's everything you need to know about multi-cursor editing in VS Code.

Basic Multi-Cursor Shortcuts

Adding Cursors Manually

Action	Windows/Linux	Mac
Add cursor at click position	`Alt + Click`	`Option + Click`
Add cursor above	`Ctrl + Alt + Up`	`Cmd + Option + Up`
Add cursor below	`Ctrl + Alt + Down`	`Cmd + Option + Down`
Undo last cursor	`Ctrl + U`	`Cmd + U`
Exit multi-cursor mode	`Escape`	`Escape`

Selecting Occurrences (The Power Move)

This is the most commonly used multi-cursor technique:

Action	Windows/Linux	Mac
Select next occurrence	`Ctrl + D`	`Cmd + D`
Skip occurrence	`Ctrl + K, Ctrl + D`	`Cmd + K, Cmd + D`
Select ALL occurrences	`Ctrl + Shift + L`	`Cmd + Shift + L`

Using Ctrl+D Workflow

Select a word or variable name. Press Ctrl+D repeatedly to add the next occurrence to your selection. Each press adds another cursor. When you have all the ones you want, just start typing—all cursors type together.
Select All at Once

If you want to rename a variable everywhere in a file, select it and press Ctrl+Shift+L. Instant cursors at every occurrence. Type the new name, and you're done.

💡 Pro Tip: Case Sensitivity

Ctrl+D respects case by default. If you want case-insensitive matching, press Ctrl+F to open find, toggle case sensitivity off (Alt+C), then use Ctrl+Shift+L to select all matches.

Column/Box Selection

Perfect for editing aligned data like CSV, JSON, or formatted code:

Windows/Linux: Shift + Alt + Drag
Mac: Shift + Option + Drag

This creates a rectangular selection, placing cursors at the start of each line in the selection. Great for:

Adding prefixes to multiple lines
Removing columns of data
Editing aligned object keys

Practical Examples

Example 1: Rename a Variable

// Before
const userName = "John";
console.log(userName);
return userName.toUpperCase();

// Select 'userName', press Ctrl+Shift+L, type 'displayName'
// After
const displayName = "John";
console.log(displayName);
return displayName.toUpperCase();

Example 2: Add Quotes to Multiple Lines

// Before
apple
banana
cherry

// Put cursor at start of "apple", Ctrl+Alt+Down twice
// Type quote, End key, type quote
// After
"apple"
"banana"
"cherry"

Example 3: Convert Object Keys

// Before
{
  first_name: "John",
  last_name: "Doe",
  phone_number: "555-1234"
}

// Select first '_', Ctrl+D to get all underscores
// Delete underscore, type nothing (or capitalize next letter)
// After (with some adjustment)
{
  firstName: "John",
  lastName: "Doe",
  phoneNumber: "555-1234"
}

Advanced Techniques

Add Cursors to Line Ends

Select multiple lines
Press Shift + Alt + I (Windows) or Shift + Option + I (Mac)
Cursors appear at the end of every selected line

Combine with Find & Replace

Use regex find to locate patterns
Press Ctrl+Shift+L to select all matches
Make complex edits that regex alone can't handle

⚠️ When NOT to Use Multi-Cursor

For simple text replacements across many files, use global find-and-replace instead. Multi-cursor is best for complex edits within a single file where you need visual feedback.

Conclusion

Multi-cursor editing is one of those features that feels like cheating once you master it. Start with Ctrl+D for selecting occurrences—it's the most versatile and commonly used technique. Then gradually add Alt+Click and column selection to your toolkit.

The time you invest in learning these shortcuts will pay back thousands of times over in your coding career.

VS Code Multi-Cursor Mastery: Refactor 50 Lines in Seconds