VS Code terminal copy and paste on Mac: Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V and interrupt
By Wondering Works, maker of Windsify · Updated
On a Mac, VS Code’s native terminal clipboard shortcuts are Command+C and Command+V. Windsify Pro adds Windows-style Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V: copy selected terminal text, interrupt when nothing is selected, and paste into the shell. From Windsify 1.4.13, supported profiles are configured automatically.
Copy, paste and interrupt without Windsify
Select terminal output with your mouse, then use Command+C to copy and Command+V to paste. With no selection, Ctrl+C normally interrupts the foreground command; the program or shell determines how it responds. VS Code documents different clipboard defaults for macOS and Windows in its terminal basics.
Connecting a Windows keyboard does not change those macOS defaults. With the usual modifier configuration, its Windows key acts as Command. A global Control/Command swap changes every use of those keys, including shell input; it does not add selection-aware terminal behavior.
VS Code shortcuts with Windsify Pro
The following applies when Pro or the Pro trial is active, Windows keyboard shortcuts are enabled, and automatic terminal setup has completed for your VS Code profile.
| You press | Result |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+C | With selected text: copy and clear the selection. Without selected text: send interrupt. |
| Ctrl+V · Ctrl+Shift+V | Paste using VS Code’s terminal paste command. |
| Ctrl+Shift+C · Ctrl+Insert | Copy the selected terminal text. No selection means no copy. |
| Shift+Insert | Paste into the terminal. |
| Other shell Control keys | Keep their native shell behavior. Their meaning depends on the shell or program. |
| Command+C · Command+V | Remain available as native clipboard shortcuts. |
Why clear the selection? After Ctrl+C copies selected output, the next Ctrl+C can interrupt a running command. You do not need to click elsewhere to dismiss that selection first.
In the main editor, ordinary Windows-style editing mappings remain available, including Ctrl+A to select all and Ctrl+C/V to copy and paste. Terminal customization applies to terminal focus; it does not turn off the editor’s mappings.
Automatic setup: open VS Code and start using it
- Install Windsify 1.4.13 or later and grant its Accessibility permission. Enable Windows keyboard shortcuts with Pro or an active Pro trial.
- Open stable desktop VS Code. In Windsify, leave Automatically configure VS Code terminal on and Use native keyboard shortcuts in VS Code off.
- Check Windsify’s setup status, then copy and paste in the terminal. A separate setup button or Developer: Reload Window is normally unnecessary.
Setup preserves existing rules and comments and backs up the shortcut file before changes. Turning automatic setup off removes Windsify’s unchanged bindings. VS Code itself evaluates whether terminal text is selected; Windsify does not read that text to choose between copy and interrupt.
Default and independent user profiles on the Mac’s internal disk are supported, including running instances with an absolute custom user-data directory. Profiles that inherit default shortcuts use that resource. This restriction concerns VS Code’s configuration location: your project files can still be on an external SSD.
Is this included in Free?
Automatic terminal setup and selection-aware Ctrl+C are Pro features. Free uses generic Windows mappings throughout editors and chat apps, including their embedded terminals. In a Free embedded terminal, Ctrl+C maps to copy instead of interrupt; it does not switch based on the selection. Recognized standalone terminal apps retain native Control shortcuts in both editions.
The download includes a 14-day Pro trial. After it ends, Free features remain available. Pro is US$19.99 one-time for up to 3 Macs, with all future updates included; see the current limited-time early-bird offer.
If copy or paste still does not work
- Check the focused pane and edition. An editor, chat composer and terminal have different jobs. A Free embedded terminal does not have Pro’s interrupt behavior.
- Read the setup status in Windsify. Invalid configuration, a modified Windsify block, symbolic-link profile directories, or inaccessible files can prevent setup. External and network profile locations are left unchanged.
- Review shortcut overrides. Extensions and workspace settings can affect delivery. In particular,
terminal.can route keys to the shell instead of VS Code’s commands. See VS Code’s explanation. Windsify reports known profile-level conflicts; it does not certify every workspace override.integrated. sendKeybindingsToShell - Use native Command+C/V as a comparison. A reload can help diagnose a stale VS Code window, but it is not a normal installation step. If needed, use Shortcut Help and review the report before sending it.
Does this also work in Codex and Claude terminals?
Pro supports explicit terminal clipboard shortcuts in recognized Codex and Claude terminals: Ctrl+Shift+C or Ctrl+Insert copies, while Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Shift+V or Shift+Insert pastes. Ctrl+C remains interrupt, including when text is selected. Selection-aware copy/interrupt is currently specific to the configured VS Code integration. In confirmed main views, ordinary Windows mappings remain available; if Pro cannot identify focus reliably, text shortcuts pass through unchanged. See Codex and Claude support.
What was checked?
For Windsify 1.4.13, automated native-keyboard tests used a dedicated VS Code 1.137.0 profile on macOS with extensions disabled. Checks covered automatic setup in an already-open window without reload, exact paste, selected copy followed by interrupt, editor copy/paste, and restoring the original shortcut file on opt-out. This does not establish compatibility with every extension, remote environment or future editor version.