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 โ 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.
๐ General Navigation & Search
Action | |
Double Shift | ๐ Search Everywhere โ search files, classes, settings |
Ctrl + E (Cmd + E) | ๐ Recent Files โ reopen files you've worked on |
Ctrl + Shift + A | โก Find Action โ 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 |
๐ก Code Assistance
Shortcut | Action |
Alt + Enter | ๐ก Quick Fix / Intent Actions |
Ctrl + Space | Code Completion |
Ctrl + Shift + Space | Smart Completion |
Ctrl + P | ๐ง Show Parameter Info |
Ctrl + Q (F1 on Mac) | ๐ Quick Documentation |
๐ Code Editing & Refactoring
Shortcut | Action |
Ctrl + / | ๐ฌ Comment Line |
Ctrl + Shift + / | ๐ฌ Comment Block |
Ctrl + Alt + L | ๐งน Reformat Code |
Ctrl + Alt + O | ๐งผ Optimise Imports |
Ctrl + D | Duplicate Line |
Ctrl + Y | Delete Line |
Ctrl + Shift + โ / โ | ๐ฆ Move Statement Up/Down |
โถ๏ธ Running & Debugging
Shortcut | Action |
Shift + F10 | โถ๏ธ Run |
Shift + F9 | ๐ Debug |
Ctrl + F8 | ๐ฏ Toggle Breakpoint |
Ctrl + Shift + F10 | Run Context Configuration |
F8 | Step Over |
F7 | Step Into |
Shift + F8 | Step Out |
๐งพ IntelliJ Plugin Power-Ups
These plugins took my setup from good to great. If you're serious about flow and efficiency, check these out:
๐ 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 didnโt just help me code faster โ they made coding feel smooth, fun, and focused.
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Git Push My Sanity
Git Push My Sanity
Hey, Iโm Shrestha. Yeah, I know you canโt pronounce it, just call me Shrey ๐ I blog about my messy tech journey, rookie screw ups, and all the times my brain throws a merge conflict. Basically, everything I break (and sometimes fix) from โShit, what did I do?โ to โDamn, Iโm a genius!โ