The PhpStorm terminal emulator (based on the OS’s default shell) can be operated almost entirely without a mouse. The top shortcuts fall into three categories: activation/focus, window management, and internal shell operations. The single most important shortcut is Alt+F12 (Windows/Linux) / Option+F12 (macOS), which opens, focuses, or hides the terminal tool window.
| Action | Windows / Linux | macOS | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Scroll to Top | Ctrl + Home | Cmd + Up | | Scroll to Bottom | Ctrl + End | Cmd + Down | | Page Up | Shift + Page Up | Shift + Page Up | | Find Text | Ctrl + F | Cmd + F | | Close Terminal | Ctrl + Shift + W | Cmd + Shift + W | phpstorm terminal shortcut top
Fix: The shortcuts like Ctrl+R only work when the terminal pane is active. If you press Ctrl+R and nothing happens, you are still in the editor. Tap Alt+F12 first to focus the terminal. The PhpStorm terminal emulator (based on the OS’s
Fix: 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. | Action | Windows / Linux | macOS
Now that you have the king of shortcuts, let’s build your arsenal. These are the complementary commands every senior developer uses daily.
This is where PHPStorm separates itself from a basic terminal.