Split Editor Down

View

Splits the editor downward for a horizontal layout.

macOS

⌘K⌘\

Windows / Linux

CtrlK Ctrl\

Pro Tip

Great for comparing files vertically.

About This Shortcut

The Split Editor Down shortcut belongs to the View category of VS Code keyboard shortcuts. Splits the editor downward for a horizontal layout. Learning and using keyboard shortcuts dramatically improves your coding speed and reduces dependence on the mouse.

VS Code is the most popular code editor with over 70% market share among developers. Its extensive keyboard shortcut system enables experienced users to perform complex operations — from multi-cursor editing to Git operations — entirely from the keyboard. This shortcut is one of the essential shortcuts every developer should memorize for efficient coding workflows.

You can customize this keybinding by opening the Keyboard Shortcuts editor (⌘K ⌘S on macOS). Search for "Split Editor Down" to view, change, or add alternative keybindings. VS Code also supports keymap extensions that import shortcut schemes from other editors like Vim, Emacs, Sublime Text, and JetBrains.

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