You have three tabs:
Even with the best shortcuts, developers make mistakes. Here’s what to watch for.
Ctrl + Shift + W (or type exit and hit Enter)
The true power of PHPStorm's terminal lies in how it interacts with your project files. Run IDE Actions from the CLI phpstorm terminal shortcut top
To fix shortcut conflicts and choose whether the IDE or the Shell takes priority:
Sometimes your terminal shell (like Zsh or bash) uses the same shortcut as PHPStorm. If you see conflict issues, you can disable "Override IDE shortcuts" in Settings > Tools > Terminal.
| Shortcut (Windows/Linux) | Shortcut (macOS) | Action | |--------------------------|------------------|--------| | Alt + F12 | ⌥ + F12 | Open/close terminal tool window | | Ctrl + Shift + T | ⌘ + ⇧ + T | Open a new terminal session tab | | Ctrl + Shift + W | ⌘ + ⇧ + W | Close current terminal tab | | Alt + Right/Left | ⌘ + ⇧ + [ or ] | Switch between terminal tabs | | Shift + Enter | ⇧ + ⏎ | Execute command and keep terminal focused (customizable) | You have three tabs: Even with the best
: Alt + F12 (Windows/Linux) or Option + F12 (macOS). Focus Editor from Terminal : Press Esc .
PHPStorm uses your operating system's default shell by default (PowerShell/CMD on Windows, Zsh/Bash on macOS and Linux). You can upgrade your terminal experience by changing the path to a custom shell like Git Bash, WSL, or Oh My Zsh under . If you want to customize your environment further, tell me: What operating system do you use? Which shell do you prefer (Git Bash, Zsh, WSL)?
Opening the terminal in PhpStorm is essential for quick command-line tasks without leaving the IDE. The most essential, "top" shortcut is (Windows/Linux) or Option + F12 (macOS). Run IDE Actions from the CLI To fix
Alt+F12 (if already open) brings focus back to the editor, or use Esc to move focus from Terminal to Editor. Pro Tips & Advanced Usage
Tip: If your function keys ( F12 ) require pressing an Fn key on your laptop, you can rebind this to a simpler combination like Ctrl + \ or Cmd + \ . 2. Tab Management and Navigation
Open ( Ctrl + Alt + S on Windows/Linux) or Preferences ( ⌘ , on macOS). Navigate to Keymap . Use the search bar to type "Terminal" .
: Use Ctrl + Shift + W (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ W (macOS) to close the current terminal tab . Pro Tips for Terminal Efficiency
: Press Esc to jump back to your code without closing the terminal window.