How do I navigate between errors and results in the quickfix list?

Explanation

The quickfix list is Vim's built-in way to collect a list of positions — typically compiler errors, grep results, or linter warnings — and jump between them. Use :cnext and :cprev to move through entries, and :copen to view the list in a dedicated window.

How it works

• :copen — open the quickfix window
• :cnext (or :cn) — jump to the next quickfix entry
• :cprev (or :cp) — jump to the previous quickfix entry
• :cfirst / :clast — jump to the first or last entry
• :cc N — jump to entry N
• :cclose — close the quickfix window

The quickfix list is populated by commands like :make, :grep, :vimgrep, or plugins like ALE and vim-fugitive.

Example

After running :grep -r 'TODO' ., the quickfix list fills with matches. Navigate them:

:copen       " open the list window
:cnext       " jump to next match
:cprev       " jump back
:clast       " jump to last entry

Tips

• Map :cnext and :cprev for quick access:

  nnoremap ]q :cnext<CR>
  nnoremap [q :cprev<CR>
  

• The location list (:lnext, :lprev) is a per-window variant of the quickfix list
• :cdo {cmd} runs a command on every quickfix entry — powerful for bulk edits across files
• Use :chistory to see previous quickfix lists and :colder/:cnewer to switch between them