customize shortcuts

Customize Keyboard Shortcuts

The MSSQL extension supports two different mechanisms for keyboard shortcuts:

• VS Code keybindings (keybindings.json) — for Command Palette commands such as Execute Query, Connect, and Disconnect. These are standard VS Code keybindings that you configure through the Keyboard Shortcuts editor or keybindings.json.
• Result view shortcuts (mssql.shortcuts in settings.json) — for actions inside the query results pane such as navigating grids, copying data, and saving results. These use the extension's own shortcut system and are configured as an extension setting.

Companion Extension: MSSQL Database Management Keymap

If you're coming from SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Azure Data Studio, install the MSSQL Database Management Keymap companion extension to get familiar shortcuts out of the box.

The extension provides the following key bindings:

Function	Windows / Linux	macOS
Run query	F5	F5
Run current statement	Ctrl+F5	Cmd+F5
Open new SQL query editor	Ctrl+N	Cmd+N
Show query results pane	Win+Shift+R	Cmd+Shift+R
Show connection list	Ctrl+Shift+D	Cmd+Shift+D
Show estimated plan	Ctrl+L	Cmd+L
Toggle actual plan	Ctrl+M	Cmd+M
Cancel running query	Alt+PauseBreak	Option+PauseBreak

Note: This keymap does not include user-customized key bindings from Azure Data Studio. Custom key bindings need to be configured manually in the MSSQL keyboard preferences settings, accessible from the Command Palette. This extension overrides some default VS Code shortcuts for database management scenarios.

You can install this extension from the migration dialog when transitioning from Azure Data Studio, or directly from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace.

Customizing VS Code Keybindings

To customize any MSSQL command shortcut:

1. Open the Keyboard Shortcuts editor: Cmd+K Cmd+S (macOS) or Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux).
2. Search for the command name (e.g. mssql.newQuery).
3. Click the pencil icon next to the command and press the new key combination.
4. Press Enter to confirm.

Alternatively, you can edit keybindings.json directly (Cmd+Shift+P on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux > Preferences: Open Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON)):

[
  {
    "key": "ctrl+shift+n",
    "command": "mssql.newQuery",
    "when": "editorTextFocus && editorLangId == 'sql'"
  }
]

Note: You may override the shortcut for another command. Choose a keybinding that doesn't conflict with existing shortcuts. You can check for conflicts in the Keyboard Shortcuts editor.

MSSQL Extension Commands

The extension provides several commands accessible from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux). Here are the most commonly used commands and their default shortcuts:

Command	Description	Windows/Linux	macOS
MS SQL: Connect	Connect to a SQL Server, Azure SQL, or SQL database in Fabric	Ctrl+Shift+C	Cmd+Shift+C
MS SQL: Disconnect	Disconnect the current editor session	Ctrl+Shift+D	Cmd+Shift+D
MS SQL: Focus on Object Explorer	Open the SQL Server Object Explorer view	Ctrl+Alt+D	Cmd+Alt+D
MS SQL: Execute Query	Run a query for the current active SQL document	Ctrl+Shift+E	Cmd+Shift+E
MS SQL: Run Current Statement	Execute only the T-SQL statement under the cursor	—	—
MS SQL: Cancel Query	Cancel the query execution in progress	—	—
MS SQL: Use Database	Switch to another database on the same server	—	—
MS SQL: New Query	Open a new SQL query file	—	—
MS SQL: Manage Connection Profiles	Create, edit, or remove connection profiles	—	—
MS SQL: Create Container Group	Set up a new SQL Server container locally	—	—
MS SQL: Show Estimated Execution Plan	View the estimated query execution plan	—	—

Result View Shortcuts

Unlike the VS Code keybindings above, result view shortcuts are configured through the mssql.shortcuts extension setting in settings.json (not keybindings.json). These shortcuts apply only within the query results pane.

When customizing these shortcuts, use ctrlcmd to represent both Ctrl on Windows/Linux and Cmd on macOS (e.g. ctrlcmd+c maps to Ctrl+C on Windows/Linux and Cmd+C on macOS).

Default Configuration

{
  "mssql.shortcuts": {
    // Query Results navigation
    "event.queryResults.switchToResultsTab": "ctrl+alt+R",
    "event.queryResults.switchToMessagesTab": "ctrl+alt+Y",
    "event.queryResults.switchToQueryPlanTab": "ctrl+alt+E",
    "event.queryResults.prevGrid": "ctrlcmd+up",
    "event.queryResults.nextGrid": "ctrlcmd+down",
    "event.queryResults.switchToTextView": "",
    "event.queryResults.maximizeGrid": "",
    "event.queryResults.saveAsJSON": "",
    "event.queryResults.saveAsCSV": "",
    "event.queryResults.saveAsExcel": "",
    "event.queryResults.saveAsInsert": "",

    // Result Grid actions
    "event.resultGrid.copySelection": "ctrlcmd+c",
    "event.resultGrid.copyWithHeaders": "",
    "event.resultGrid.copyAllHeaders": "",
    "event.resultGrid.selectAll": "ctrlcmd+a",
    "event.resultGrid.copyAsCSV": "",
    "event.resultGrid.copyAsJSON": "",
    "event.resultGrid.copyAsInsert": "",
    "event.resultGrid.copyAsInClause": "",
    "event.resultGrid.changeColumnWidth": "alt+shift+s",
    "event.resultGrid.expandSelectionLeft": "shift+left",
    "event.resultGrid.expandSelectionRight": "shift+right",
    "event.resultGrid.expandSelectionUp": "shift+up",
    "event.resultGrid.expandSelectionDown": "shift+down",
    "event.resultGrid.openColumnMenu": "f3",
    "event.resultGrid.openFilterMenu": "",
    "event.resultGrid.moveToRowStart": "ctrlcmd+left",
    "event.resultGrid.moveToRowEnd": "ctrlcmd+right",
    "event.resultGrid.selectColumn": "ctrl+space",
    "event.resultGrid.selectRow": "shift+space",
    "event.resultGrid.toggleSort": "alt+shift+o"
  }
}

Shortcut Reference

Query Results Shortcuts

Shortcut Event	Default Binding	Description
event.queryResults.switchToResultsTab	Ctrl+Alt+R	Switch to the Results tab
event.queryResults.switchToMessagesTab	Ctrl+Alt+Y	Switch to the Messages tab
event.queryResults.switchToQueryPlanTab	Ctrl+Alt+E	Switch to the Query Plan tab
event.queryResults.prevGrid	Ctrl/Cmd+Up	Navigate to the previous result grid
event.queryResults.nextGrid	Ctrl/Cmd+Down	Navigate to the next result grid
event.queryResults.switchToTextView	—	Switch results to text view
event.queryResults.maximizeGrid	—	Maximize/minimize the current grid
event.queryResults.saveAsJSON	—	Save results as JSON
event.queryResults.saveAsCSV	—	Save results as CSV
event.queryResults.saveAsExcel	—	Save results as Excel
event.queryResults.saveAsInsert	—	Save results as INSERT statements

Result Grid Shortcuts

Shortcut Event	Default Binding	Description
event.resultGrid.copySelection	Ctrl/Cmd+C	Copy the current selection
event.resultGrid.copyWithHeaders	—	Copy selection with column headers
event.resultGrid.copyAllHeaders	—	Copy all column headers
event.resultGrid.selectAll	Ctrl/Cmd+A	Select all data in the active grid
event.resultGrid.copyAsCSV	—	Copy selection as CSV
event.resultGrid.copyAsJSON	—	Copy selection as JSON
event.resultGrid.copyAsInsert	—	Copy selection as INSERT statements
event.resultGrid.copyAsInClause	—	Copy selection as an IN clause
event.resultGrid.changeColumnWidth	Alt+Shift+S	Adjust column width
event.resultGrid.expandSelectionLeft	Shift+Left	Expand selection to the left
event.resultGrid.expandSelectionRight	Shift+Right	Expand selection to the right
event.resultGrid.expandSelectionUp	Shift+Up	Expand selection upward
event.resultGrid.expandSelectionDown	Shift+Down	Expand selection downward
event.resultGrid.openColumnMenu	F3	Open the column context menu
event.resultGrid.openFilterMenu	—	Open the filter menu
event.resultGrid.moveToRowStart	Ctrl/Cmd+Left	Move to the start of the row
event.resultGrid.moveToRowEnd	Ctrl/Cmd+Right	Move to the end of the row
event.resultGrid.selectColumn	Ctrl+Space	Select the entire column
event.resultGrid.selectRow	Shift+Space	Select the entire row
event.resultGrid.toggleSort	Alt+Shift+O	Toggle sort on the current column

Related Pages

• Customize Extension Options — configure all extension settings
• Manage Connection Profiles — create, edit, and remove connection profiles