How do I open a new line below the cursor and start typing?

Explanation

The o command opens a new line below the current line and places you in insert mode, ready to type. It is one of the most frequently used commands for adding new content to a file.

How it works

• o creates a blank line below the current line
• The cursor moves to the new line
• Vim enters insert mode immediately
• Indentation is automatically applied based on your filetype and indent settings

Example

Given the text with the cursor on first line:

first line
third line

Pressing o opens a new line below and enters insert mode. Type second line and press <Esc> to get:

first line
second line
third line

Tips

• Use O (uppercase) to open a new line above the current line instead
• Use 5o to insert the same text on 5 new lines (type your text, press <Esc>, and Vim repeats it)
• Unlike pressing A<CR>, the o command works regardless of where the cursor is on the line
• In programming files with autoindent or smartindent enabled, the new line automatically matches the indentation level of the surrounding code
• Combine with . to repeat — after using o to add a line of text, press <Esc>, move to another location, and press . to insert the same text on a new line there