How do I select the text I just pasted or changed?

Explanation

The `[v`] sequence visually selects the exact region of text that was last changed, pasted, or yanked into the buffer. This is incredibly useful for re-indenting pasted code, reformatting a block, or verifying exactly what was affected by your last operation.

How it works

• `[ is a mark that points to the first character of the previously changed or yanked text
• `] is a mark that points to the last character of that same region
• v starts visual mode between those two marks
• Together, `[v`] visually selects the entire region that was just modified

These marks are updated automatically after any put (p/P), yank (y), delete (d), or change (c) operation.

Example

You paste a block of code with p:

function greet() {
console.log("hello");
}

The indentation is wrong. Immediately press `[v`] to select the pasted block, then press = to auto-indent it:

function greet() {
    console.log("hello");
}

Or after pasting, press `[v`]> to indent the pasted region by one shiftwidth.

Tips

• Map this to a shortcut for quick access: nnoremap gp [v] — now gp selects the last pasted text
• The '[ and '] (with single quotes) variants jump to the line of the start/end marks rather than the exact column — use backtick versions for precise character selection
• After yanking text with y, `[v`] selects the yanked region — useful for highlighting what was just copied
• These marks also update after :read, :substitute, and other Ex commands that modify the buffer
• Use `[V`] (with capital V) to select in linewise visual mode instead, which is often more practical for pasted blocks
• Combine with any operator: `[y`] re-yanks the last changed text, `[d`] deletes it, `[>`] indents it
• The gv command is related but different — it reselects the last visual selection, not the last changed text