:q quits, :q! quits without saving, :wq or :x saves and quits, and ZZ saves and quits in normal mode.

How do I save a file?

:w writes (saves) the file; :w filename saves as a new name; :wq saves and quits.

What are Vim's modes?

Normal (navigate and run commands), Insert (type text), Visual (select), and Command-line (: commands). Press Esc to return to Normal mode.

:%s/old/new/g replaces all occurrences in the file; add c (so /gc) to confirm each replacement.

u undoes the last change; Ctrl-r redoes it. Vim keeps an undo history you can step through.

Reference

Essential Vim keybindings for navigation, editing, search, and more. Click any card to copy.