IntelliJ Productivity Shortcuts That Will Change Your Workflow

Hey, I recently delved into keyboard shortcuts, and honestly? Total game-changer. If you're coding with IntelliJ and not using these shortcuts, you're missing out on serious time savings. I wanted to share the ones that genuinely made a difference in my daily workflow — the kind of stuff that makes you go, "How did I not know this before?!" These are now part of my muscle memory, and they helped me code faster, debug better, and stay in flow way longer.

	Action
Double Shift	🔍 Search Everywhere – search files, classes, settings
Ctrl + E (Cmd + E)	📁 Recent Files – reopen files you've worked on
Ctrl + Shift + A	⚡ Find Action – locate actions and discover shortcuts
Ctrl + N (Cmd + O)	Go to Class
Ctrl + Shift + N	Go to File
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N	Go to Symbol

💡 Code Assistance

Shortcut	Action
Alt + Enter	💡 Quick Fix / Intent Actions
Ctrl + Space	Code Completion
Ctrl + Shift + Space	Smart Completion
Ctrl + P	🧠 Show Parameter Info
Ctrl + Q (F1 on Mac)	📖 Quick Documentation

🛠 Code Editing & Refactoring

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl + /	💬 Comment Line
Ctrl + Shift + /	💬 Comment Block
Ctrl + Alt + L	🧹 Reformat Code
Ctrl + Alt + O	🧼 Optimise Imports
Ctrl + D	Duplicate Line
Ctrl + Y	Delete Line
Ctrl + Shift + ↑ / ↓	📦 Move Statement Up/Down

▶️ Running & Debugging

Shortcut	Action
Shift + F10	▶️ Run
Shift + F9	🐞 Debug
Ctrl + F8	🎯 Toggle Breakpoint
Ctrl + Shift + F10	Run Context Configuration
F8	Step Over
F7	Step Into
Shift + F8	Step Out

🧾 IntelliJ Plugin Power-Ups

These plugins took my setup from good to great. If you're serious about flow and efficiency, check these out:

🔌 Recommended IntelliJ Plugins

Plugin	Description
Key Promoter X	Teaches you shortcuts by showing hints when you use the mouse.
Rainbow Brackets	Colourful brackets for better nested code readability.
JUnit Generator	Instantly generate test methods for Java classes.
.env Files Support	Adds syntax highlighting and autocompletion for `.env` files.
HTTP Client	Test APIs directly from IntelliJ (no Postman needed).
SonarLint	Inline bug and code quality detection using SonarQube rules.

If you're using IntelliJ and still clicking through menus, it's time to level up. These shortcuts, plugins, and habits didn’t just help me code faster — they made coding feel smooth, fun, and focused.