How do I scroll the buffer up or down while staying in insert mode?

Explanation

While in insert mode, <C-x><C-e> scrolls the window up one line and <C-x><C-y> scrolls it down one line — all without leaving insert mode. This lets you peek at code above or below your current position mid-edit, which is especially useful in long functions when you need to reference context that has scrolled off screen.

How it works

• <C-x> in insert mode enters a special sub-mode for completions and window operations
• <C-e> within that sub-mode scrolls the view up (same direction as normal-mode <C-e>)
• <C-y> within that sub-mode scrolls the view down (same direction as normal-mode <C-y>
• The cursor stays at its current position in the buffer; only the viewport moves

Note: <C-e> alone in insert mode copies the character from below the cursor — a different command entirely. The <C-x> prefix is what activates the scroll behavior.

Example

You're inserting a function call on line 80 and need to check the signature declared at line 50:

" You are in insert mode, mid-line
" Press <C-x><C-e> several times to scroll up and read line 50
" Press <C-x><C-y> to scroll back down to your edit point
" Continue typing — insert mode was never exited

Tips

• Hold <C-x> then tap <C-e> or <C-y> repeatedly to scroll multiple lines
• Pair with 'scrolloff' set to a small value so the context display is predictable
• In Neovim, these commands work identically; see :help i_CTRL-X_CTRL-E