PuTTY Shortcuts and Commands: Keyboard Shortcut Keys (2026)
PuTTY shortcuts are keyboard combinations that speed up navigation, editing, and session control in the PuTTY SSH client. Most are readline (shell) shortcuts that work inside the terminal, while a few like copy, paste, and the system menu are specific to the PuTTY window itself. This guide lists all of them, plus the most common PuTTY commands, with a free PDF cheat sheet.
Key Takeaways
- PuTTY uses mouse-based copy/paste select to copy, right-click to paste. There is no Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V.
- Most in-terminal shortcuts (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+E, Ctrl+R) are readline/bash bindings, not PuTTY-only features.
- PuTTY-specific controls live in the system menu (top-left icon or Alt+Space).
- Ctrl+C in PuTTY interrupts a running command it does not copy.
- A free printable PDF cheat sheet is available below.
PuTTY is a free, open-source terminal emulator for Windows that supports SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, SCP, and raw socket connections. Originally built for Windows by Simon Tatham, it has since been ported to other platforms. Because PuTTY runs a remote shell, most of its “shortcuts” are actually shell shortcuts which is why the same keys work in any Linux terminal. The tables below separate the two so you know exactly what’s happening.
What Is PuTTY?
PuTTY is a free, open-source terminal emulator and network file transfer application for Windows. It lets you connect to remote servers using SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, SCP, and raw socket connections. Created by Simon Tatham in 1999, PuTTY is one of the most widely used SSH clients for managing Linux servers from a Windows machine.
PuTTY’s package includes several tools beyond the main terminal:
- PuTTY – the main SSH/Telnet client
- PuTTYgen – generates and manages SSH key pairs
- Pageant – an SSH authentication agent that holds your keys in memory
- plink – a command-line interface to the PuTTY back end
- pscp / psftp – secure file copy and SFTP transfer tools
PuTTY-Specific Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Copy selected text | Select with mouse (copies automatically on release) |
| Select a word | Double-click |
| Select an entire line | Triple-click |
| Paste | Right-click |
| Paste (alternative) | Shift + Insert |
| Paste (alternative) | Ctrl + Right-click → Paste |
| Copy/paste when server controls the mouse | Hold Shift while selecting |
| Page scrollback up | Shift + Page Up |
| Page scrollback down | Shift + Page Down |
| Scroll one line up | Ctrl + Page Up |
| Scroll one line down | Ctrl + Page Down |
| Jump to top of scrollback | Ctrl + Shift + Page Up |
| Jump to bottom of scrollback | Ctrl + Shift + Page Down |
| Open the PuTTY system menu | Alt + Space, or click the top-left icon |
| Open system menu (alternative) | Ctrl + Right-click in the window |
| Send a break signal | Ctrl + Break |
| Clear scrollback | System menu → Clear Scrollback |
| Reset terminal | System menu → Reset Terminal |
| Copy all to clipboard | System menu → Copy All to Clipboard |
| Duplicate / restart session | System menu → Duplicate Session / Restart Session |
Command-Line Navigation Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Go to the beginning of the line | Ctrl + A |
| Go to the end of the line | Ctrl + E |
| Move forward one character | Ctrl + F |
| Move back one character | Ctrl + B |
| Move forward one word | Alt + F |
| Move back one word | Alt + B |
| Auto-complete file/folder names | Tab |
| Search previously used commands | Ctrl + R |
| Scroll/clear the screen | Ctrl + L |
Command-Line Editing Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Clear the line before the cursor | Ctrl + U |
| Clear the line after the cursor | Ctrl + K |
| Delete the word before the cursor | Ctrl + W |
| Delete the word after the cursor | Alt + D |
| Same as backspace | Ctrl + H |
| Paste the last killed/erased text | Ctrl + Y |
| Swap the last two characters before the cursor | Ctrl + T |
| Swap the last two words before the cursor | Esc + T |
| Undo the last edit | Ctrl + _ |
Process & Session Control Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Interrupt / kill the running command | Ctrl + C |
| Exit the current shell | Ctrl + D |
| Suspend the running process to background | Ctrl + Z |
| Stop screen output (pause) | Ctrl + S |
| Resume screen output | Ctrl + Q |
Common PuTTY Commands
“PuTTY commands” can mean two different things: the command-line options for PuTTY’s own tools (plink, pscp, psftp) that you run from the Windows Command Prompt, and the Linux/SSH commands you type once connected to a remote server. Both are covered below.
PuTTY Command-Line Tool Commands (Windows)
| Tool / Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| putty -ssh user@host | Open an SSH session to a host |
| putty -load “session” | Launch a saved PuTTY session |
| putty -telnet host | Connect using Telnet |
| plink user@host | Command-line SSH connection (UNIX ssh equivalent) |
| plink -ssh user@host command | Run a single command on the remote server and return |
| plink -load session -m script.txt | Run a script of commands on the server |
| pscp file user@host:/path/ | Copy a local file to a remote server (SCP) |
| pscp user@host:/path/file . | Download a remote file to the local machine |
| pscp -r folder user@host:/path/ | Copy a folder recursively |
| psftp user@host | Start an interactive SFTP session |
| puttygen keyfile -o output.ppk | Generate/convert an SSH key (PuTTYgen) |
| pageant key.ppk | Load a private key into the Pageant agent |
Common flags (shared across plink / pscp / psftp), from the official usage output:
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -P port | Connect to a specific port |
| -l user | Specify username |
| -pw pass | Supply password (use with caution) |
| -i keyfile | Use a private key for authentication |
| -batch | Disable all interactive prompts (for automation) |
| -C | Enable compression |
| -v | Verbose output |
| -load sessname | Load settings from a saved session |
Plink is PuTTY’s command-line connection tool the equivalent of UNIX ssh and is mainly used to automate running commands on remote servers from Windows.
Common Linux/SSH Commands Used in PuTTY
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| ls | List files and directories |
| cd /path | Change directory |
| pwd | Show current directory path |
| cp source dest | Copy a file |
| mv source dest | Move or rename a file |
| rm file | Delete a file |
| mkdir name | Create a directory |
| cat file | Display file contents |
| nano / vi | Edit a file in a terminal editor |
| sudo command | Run a command as superuser |
| chmod 755 file | Change file permissions |
| top / htop | View running processes |
| df -h | Show disk space |
| exit | Close the SSH session |
How to Copy and Paste in PuTTY
Copy and paste in PuTTY work differently from most Windows applications. There are no Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V shortcuts PuTTY uses the mouse instead. In fact, pressing Ctrl+C sends an interrupt signal to the remote server and will stop whatever command is running.
To copy text in PuTTY:
- Click and drag to select the text it’s copied to the clipboard automatically as soon as you release the mouse.
- Double-click to select a word, or triple-click to select an entire line.
To paste text in PuTTY:
- Right-click inside the PuTTY window, or
- Press Shift+Insert.
In short: select to copy, right-click or Shift+Insert to paste. Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V do not copy or paste in PuTTY.
PuTTY Shortcuts & Commands FAQ
Why doesn’t Ctrl + C copy text in PuTTY?
In PuTTY, Ctrl + C does not copy it sends an interrupt signal that stops the running command on the server. To copy in PuTTY, select text with your mouse (it copies automatically), and paste with a right-click or Shift + Insert. This mouse-based behavior is unique to PuTTY and differs from standard Windows apps.
How do I copy and paste in PuTTY?
Select text with the mouse to copy it (no key combo needed it copies on release), then right-click or press Shift + Insert to paste. Double-click selects a word and triple-click selects a line. If the server has taken over mouse control, hold Shift while selecting.
Are PuTTY shortcuts the same as bash shortcuts?
Mostly yes. Most in-terminal shortcuts like Ctrl + A, Ctrl + E, and Ctrl + R are readline (shell) shortcuts that run on the remote server, not PuTTY features so they work in any Linux terminal. Only a handful, like copy/paste, scrollback paging, and the system menu, are specific to the PuTTY window itself.
How do I scroll up in PuTTY?
Press Shift + Page Up to scroll up through the scrollback buffer and Shift + Page Down to scroll back down. Use Ctrl + Page Up / Ctrl + Page Down to move one line at a time, or Ctrl + Shift + Page Up / Down to jump to the top or bottom.
How do I clear the screen in PuTTY?
Press Ctrl + L to clear the visible screen, the same as the Linux clear command. To also discard the scrollback history, use the PuTTY system menu (Alt + Space) and choose Clear Scrollback.
What is the difference between PuTTY, plink, pscp, and psftp?
PuTTY is the graphical SSH/Telnet client. Plink is its command-line equivalent, used to automate running commands on remote servers. Pscp transfers files using SCP, and psftp runs interactive SFTP file-transfer sessions. All four come bundled in the PuTTY download.
Can I customize keyboard shortcuts in PuTTY?
PuTTY offers limited shortcut customization. You can adjust some keyboard behavior under Terminal → Keyboard in PuTTY’s settings (such as how Backspace, Home/End, and function keys behave), but the core shell shortcuts come from the remote server’s readline configuration, not PuTTY.
Where can I download a PuTTY shortcuts PDF?
A free printable PuTTY shortcuts and commands cheat sheet is available for download at the top and bottom of this guide. It includes all keyboard shortcuts plus the common PuTTY and SSH commands in one reference sheet.
Conclusion
Most PuTTY shortcuts aren’t actually PuTTY shortcuts they’re shell (readline) commands that run on the server you connect to, which is why the same keys work in any Linux terminal. The handful that are unique to PuTTY are the ones worth memorizing first: mouse-based copy, right-click or Shift + Insert to paste, Shift + Page Up / Down to scroll, and the system menu via Alt + Space.
If you remember just one thing, make it this: in PuTTY you select to copy and right-click to paste Ctrl + C interrupts your command, it doesn’t copy it. That single distinction trips up more new users than anything else.
Pair these shortcuts with the plink, pscp, and psftp commands above and you can run, automate, and transfer files across remote servers entirely from a Windows machine no GUI clicking required.
Keep this page bookmarked as a reference, or grab the free PDF cheat sheet above to have every shortcut and command on hand offline.
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