Write Multi-Line Prompts with Shift+Enter Before Sending

By default, pressing Enter sends your prompt immediately. But good prompts — especially for complex tasks — often need structure: paragraphs, bullet lists, or separated sections. Shift+Enter lets you add line breaks without triggering send.

Shift+Enter = new line
Enter = send the prompt

This lets you write prompts that look like a structured brief:

Refactor the authentication module in src/auth/.

Requirements:
- Extract the token refresh logic into its own service
- Keep backward compatibility with the existing session API
- Add error handling for expired refresh tokens

Constraints:
- Don't change any public method signatures
- Don't modify the tests — they should still pass as-is

When done, run the tests and show me any failures.

Without Shift+Enter, you'd either cram all that into one paragraph or send it as multiple separate messages — which splits the context and loses the structure.

This is especially useful for:

• Task briefs with requirements and constraints separated clearly
• Multi-step instructions where ordering matters
• Code snippets you want to include inline in your prompt
• Before/after examples showing Claude what you want changed

If you find yourself hitting Enter by accident and sending half-written prompts, check out the keybindings tip — you can remap Enter to require a chord like Ctrl+Enter instead.

In the VS Code extension and desktop app, the input field works like a normal text editor — Enter adds a new line by default, and you send with a button or keyboard shortcut.

Structured prompts get structured results — use Shift+Enter to write prompts worth reading.

via Claude Code