[FEATURE] Word-jump cursor navigation in Chat input (option+arrow / bindable actions)
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
- [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)
Problem Statement
The Chat input widget has no word-by-word cursor navigation. On macOS, option+left / option+right are the standard shortcuts for jumping one word at a time — they work in every terminal app and editor, but not in Claude Code's Chat input. The keybindings system also exposes no word-movement actions (chat:wordLeft / chat:wordRight), so there's no workaround via ~/.claude/keybindings.json.
This forces users to either hold arrow keys or use the mouse to reposition the cursor mid-sentence, which is disruptive to typing flow.
Proposed Solution
Add word-jump actions to the Chat context:
chat:wordLeft— move cursor one word backward (default:option+left)chat:wordRight— move cursor one word forward (default:option+right)- Optionally:
chat:deleteWordRightto complement the existingctrl+w(delete word left)
All actions should be bindable via ~/.claude/keybindings.json.
Alternative Solutions
ctrl+wdeletes a word backward but provides no movement-only equivalent- No workaround exists for forward word movement
- External editor (
ctrl+g) works but is heavyweight for a one-word cursor fix
Priority
Medium - Would be very helpful
Feature Category
Interactive mode (TUI)
Use Case Example
- Typing a long prompt, notice a typo two words back
- Want to jump back with
option+lefttwice, fix it, jump forward - Currently: must hold
←or use mouse — breaks typing flow
Additional Context
Related: the keybindings docs at https://code.claude.com/docs/en/keybindings list all available actions — word-jump is absent from the Chat context actions entirely.
This issue has 1 comment on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗