How to Use Zellij: Shortcuts, Clipboard, and Sessions

Most default Zellij operations follow a two-step pattern: enter a mode, then press an action key. This guide follows the official default keybindings checked on August 29, 2026. A different keybinding preset or a customized config.kdl can change the actual keys.

Default shortcut reference

Mode	Enter with	Common actions
Pane	Ctrl+p	n new pane, d split down, r split right, x close, f fullscreen, c rename
Tab	Ctrl+t	n new tab, x close, r rename, h/l previous or next
Resize	Ctrl+n	arrows or h/j/k/l resize by direction, +/- grow or shrink
Scroll	Ctrl+s	j/k scroll, PageUp/PageDown page, e edit scrollback, c copy the last command output
Session	Ctrl+o	d detach, w open session manager

In most modes, Esc or Enter returns to Normal mode. Pane rename is Ctrl+p → c; r creates a pane to the right.

Direct actions without entering a mode

The default configuration also provides several direct actions:

• Alt + arrow, or Alt+h/j/k/l: move focus.
• Alt+n: create a pane.
• Alt+=/Alt++ and Alt+-: grow or shrink the focused pane.
• Ctrl+p → f: toggle pane fullscreen.

If these combinations conflict with a shell, desktop environment, or terminal, use the mode-based bindings or customize them with the official keybinding guide.

Clipboard behavior: separate Zellij from the host terminal

The Zellij options reference documents copy_on_select as true by default. Releasing a mouse selection asks Zellij to copy it; without a configured copy_command, Zellij uses OSC 52 to write to the system clipboard.

Common cases:

• Mouse selection already copied: paste with the host terminal shortcut, commonly Ctrl+Shift+V.
• Bypassing Zellij mouse handling: many terminals let you hold Shift while selecting, but this is host-terminal behavior and is not universal.
• OSC 52 does not reach the clipboard: set copy_command, such as wl-copy on Wayland or pbcopy on macOS.
• Pressing c in Scroll mode: the current default is CopyLastCommandOutput, not an arbitrary keyboard selection mode.

Example for Linux on Wayland:

copy_command "wl-copy"
copy_on_select true

For X11, use a command such as xclip -selection clipboard. Install the corresponding utility first.

Detach, attach, and Session Manager

To leave temporarily while keeping processes running:

1. Press Ctrl+o for Session mode.
2. Press d to detach.
3. Run zellij attach when returning; use zellij list-sessions first if several sessions exist.

Ctrl+o → w opens Session Manager for interactive switching. Detach only disconnects the current client. It does not guarantee that a process can survive a host reboot; restoration also depends on session serialization and the program’s own state.

Mouse operations and version differences

advanced_mouse_actions currently defaults to true. It allows dragging tiled pane borders and using Ctrl + scroll wheel to resize the focused pane. Ordinary scrolling cooperates with scroll_mode_sync to enter and leave Scroll mode.

Mouse behavior also depends on Zellij, the terminal emulator, and any remote connection. When clicking, selection, or scrolling behaves differently, check mouse_mode, advanced_mouse_actions, copy_on_select, and whether the host terminal intercepts the keys.

Next reading and official sources

• Official: Configuring Keybindings, Options, and the current default.kdl.
• For terminal-driven AI development, continue with AI software development environment selection and Skills, Subagents, Commands, and Hooks in the Agent Era.