PhpStorm offers a completion popup for subcommands and arguments. You can invoke it manually with Ctrl + Space .
PhpStorm includes a powerful built-in terminal that eliminates this friction. By mastering the top PhpStorm terminal shortcuts, you can keep your hands on the keyboard, maintain your focus, and accelerate your development workflow.
Instead of typing php artisan make:controller in the terminal, you can type "make controller" in Search Everywhere and PhpStorm will run the Artisan command for you. This bridges the gap between GUI actions and CLI commands.
Shift + PageUp / Shift + PageDown (On shorter Mac keyboards, use Shift + Fn + Up Arrow / Down Arrow ). Advanced Tweak: Resolving Shortcut Conflicts phpstorm terminal shortcut top
| Shortcut | Action | |----------|--------| | Alt + Shift + F12 | Open terminal in a separate window (floating) | | Ctrl + Shift + ] / [ | Navigate between split terminal windows (if split is active) | | Double Shift → type "Terminal" | Search and reopen a closed terminal tab by name |
A smaller but handy tip: press to move keyboard focus from the terminal back to the active editor.
Before we dive into the shortcuts, let’s quickly address why you should care. Many developers still use iTerm2 (macOS), Windows Terminal, or Konsole (Linux) alongside PhpStorm. That is a mistake. Here is why: PhpStorm offers a completion popup for subcommands and
Pro-tip: If you use this frequently, go to Settings > Keymap, search for "Split Vertically" under the Terminal section, and assign your own custom key combination. Text Editing and Clipboard Shortcuts Inside the Terminal
Instead of clicking the tabs, use Alt+Right to move forward and Alt+Left to move backward.
Select (or Move Tool Window ) and choose Top . By mastering the top PhpStorm terminal shortcuts, you
Ctrl + Shift + W (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ W (macOS). 3. Advanced Productivity Features
To get the most out of the terminal in PhpStorm, follow these best practices:
Alt+F4 closes the entire IDE window. It is a painful mistake. If you fat-finger this, PhpStorm will prompt you to save your work, but it is still disruptive.
PHPStorm automatically inherits your system's default shell (Bash, Zsh, or PowerShell). Your existing custom shell aliases will work perfectly inside the PHPStorm terminal.
The single most important shortcut to remember is the key combination that opens and closes the Terminal tool window. This is your primary gateway to the command line, allowing you to summon the terminal instantly or tuck it away without taking your hands off the keyboard.