Keyboard Shortcut
Ctrl+C — cancel input or exit
Clears whatever you've typed if the input line isn't empty; pressed again quickly on an empty line, it exits Claude Code.
Ctrl+C is context-sensitive: with text in the input box, it clears that text first rather than immediately quitting, which avoids accidentally exiting when you meant to clear a half-typed message.
On an empty input line, it behaves like the shell convention it borrows from — pressing it exits the session.
This is different from Esc, which interrupts Claude mid-response rather than touching your input or exiting anything — see the Esc entry for that distinction.
Press Ctrl+C to clear input, or on an empty line to exitFrequently asked questions
What does Ctrl+C — cancel input or exit do in Claude Code?
Clears whatever you've typed if the input line isn't empty; pressed again quickly on an empty line, it exits Claude Code.
How do I use it?
Try: Press Ctrl+C to clear input, or on an empty line to exit
Any caveats to know about?
This is different from Esc, which interrupts Claude mid-response rather than touching your input or exiting anything — see the Esc entry for that distinction.
Is this covered in OG Flow Code Premium Toolkit?
Yes — Ctrl+C — cancel input or exit and patterns like it are covered by the commands, and in higher tiers the specialist agents and guided skills, in OG Flow Code Premium Toolkit. Tiers start at $19.90.
Want the full command, hook, and template pack?
This is one pattern from the OG Flow Code toolkit. Choose the tier that fits your workflow, including Multi-Stack for six additional language stacks.
See pricing — from $19.90 once