VS Code Quick Reference for CBRS Marketing

Navigate, edit, and deploy your CBRS marketing plan efficiently from VS Code

🚀 Quick Start from VS Code

Open Command Center

Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) and type:

CBRS-COMMAND

Hit Enter to open the main command center.

Open Any File Fast

Ctrl+P / Cmd+P then type partial filename:

• homeowner-email → Opens homeowner-email-sequence.md
• workbook → Opens complete-claims-workbook.md
• launch-play → Opens CBRS-LAUNCH-PLAYBOOK.md

📁 File Navigation Shortcuts

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigate the File Tree

Expand/collapse folders:

• Arrow keys to navigate
• Enter to open file
• Right arrow to expand folder
• Left arrow to collapse folder

CBRS folder structure:

my-content-studio/
├── CBRS-COMMAND-CENTER.md ⭐ START HERE
├── docs/
│   └── CBRS-LAUNCH-PLAYBOOK.md 📖 DETAILED GUIDE
├── content/cbrs/
│   ├── lead-magnets/
│   ├── products/
│   ├── marketing/
│   ├── contractor-services/
│   └── blog/

📝 Editing Shortcuts

Text Selection

Copy/Paste

Formatting

📋 Checklist Shortcuts

Working with Checkboxes

In markdown files, checkboxes look like this:

- [ ] Unchecked task
- [x] Checked task

Quick ways to check/uncheck:

1. Click the checkbox - If you have Markdown Preview Enhanced extension

2. Keyboard method:

   • Place cursor on the line
   • Ctrl+F to find: - [ ]
   • Ctrl+H to replace with: - [x]
   • Click "Replace" button

3. Multi-line check:

   • Select multiple lines
   • Ctrl+H
   • Find: - \[ \] (with regex enabled)
   • Replace: - [x]
   • "Replace All"

🔍 Search & Find

Find Specific Content

Search in current file:

• Ctrl+F - Basic search
• Type your search term
• Enter to go to next match
• Shift+Enter to go to previous match
• Esc to close search

Search across all files:

• Ctrl+Shift+F - Global search
• Type search term
• Results show in sidebar
• Click result to jump to file

Useful searches:

• TODO - Find all incomplete tasks
• ⏳ - Find all pending items
• Phase 1 - Find Phase 1 tasks
• Week 1 - Find Week 1 content
• $ - Find all dollar amounts/revenue

Find and Replace

In current file:

• Ctrl+H
• Enter find term
• Enter replace term
• Click "Replace" or "Replace All"

Across multiple files:

• Ctrl+Shift+H
• Same process but affects all files

📊 Using Markdown Preview

View Formatted Preview

• Ctrl+Shift+V - Open preview in new tab
• Ctrl+K V - Open preview to the side

Benefits of preview:

• See formatted text
• Check links work
• View tables properly
• See checkboxes

Split View (Code + Preview)

1. Open markdown file
2. Press Ctrl+\ to split editor
3. In right pane, press Ctrl+Shift+V
4. Edit in left, see preview in right

🗂️ File Management

Create New Files

Method 1: File Explorer

1. Click folder in sidebar
2. Right-click → New File
3. Name file: filename.md

Method 2: Command Palette

1. Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Type: "New File"
3. Select "File: New File"

Method 3: Quick

1. Ctrl+N for new untitled file
2. Ctrl+S to save with name

Organize Files

Recommended weekly workflow:

1. Start of week:

   • Duplicate WEEKLY-PLANNER-TEMPLATE.md
   • Rename to week-[NUMBER]-planner.md
   • Fill in week's tasks

2. End of week:

   • Update CBRS-COMMAND-CENTER.md with progress
   • Archive completed week planner to content/cbrs/archive/

3. Create folders as needed:

   • content/cbrs/archive/ - Old weekly planners
   • content/cbrs/drafts/ - Work in progress
   • content/cbrs/published/ - Published content

🎯 Task Management Workflow

Daily Workflow

Morning (10 minutes):

1. Ctrl+P → Type week → Open current week planner
2. Review today's tasks
3. Check metrics from command center
4. Add any new tasks

During day:

1. Check off tasks as completed: - [ ] → - [x]
2. Add notes under each day
3. Keep file open in VS Code

End of day (5 minutes):

1. Check off completed tasks
2. Move incomplete tasks to tomorrow
3. Update notes section
4. Save file (Ctrl+S)

Weekly Workflow

Sunday planning (30 minutes):

1. Open CBRS-COMMAND-CENTER.md
2. Review last week's metrics
3. Update "Current Status" section
4. Duplicate WEEKLY-PLANNER-TEMPLATE.md
5. Fill in next week's tasks
6. Schedule content for week

Friday review (20 minutes):

1. Open current week planner
2. Fill in "Weekly Metrics Review" section
3. Fill in "Wins" and "Challenges"
4. Fill in "Learnings"
5. Preview next week's plan

📝 Content Creation Workflow

Writing Blog Posts

Setup:

1. Create new file: content/cbrs/blog/post-title.md
2. Split editor (Ctrl+\)
3. Preview on right side

Template:

# Blog Post Title
 
**Published:** [Date]
**Category:** [Insurance Claims / Contractor Tips / Case Studies]
**Reading Time:** [X] minutes
 
---
 
## Introduction
 
[Hook and problem statement]
 
---
 
## Main Content
 
### Section 1
 
Content here...
 
### Section 2
 
Content here...
 
---
 
## Conclusion
 
[Summary and CTA]
 
---
 
## Call to Action
 
[Link to lead magnet, workbook, or course]

Quick formatting:

• Ctrl+B - Make text bold
• Ctrl+I - Make text italic
• Type # for heading
• Type - for bullet point
• Type --- for horizontal line

Writing Email Sequences

Process:

1. Open content/cbrs/marketing/homeowner-email-sequence.md
2. Copy email template structure
3. Paste into new email in your platform
4. Customize subject line and content
5. Add personalization: {{first_name}}
6. Test send to yourself

Creating Social Posts

Batch creation workflow:

1. Open content/cbrs/marketing/social-media-posts.md
2. Create 15 posts at once (1 week)
3. Number each: POST 1, POST 2, etc.
4. Copy each to scheduling tool (Buffer, Later, etc.)

Template:

## POST [NUMBER]: [Type - Education/Case Study/Tip]
 
**Platform:** [Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn]
**Date:** [Scheduled for]
 
[Post content here]
 
**CTA:** [Link]
**Hashtags:** #hashtag1 #hashtag2 #hashtag3

🔗 Link Management

Internal Links (Between Files)

Link to another file:

See [Launch Playbook](../docs/CBRS-LAUNCH-PLAYBOOK.md)

Link to specific section:

See [Phase 1](#phase-1-lead-magnet-launch-days-1-30)

External Links

[ConvertKit](https://convertkit.com)

Check All Links Work

1. Open markdown preview
2. Click each link
3. Verify it opens correct page

💾 Version Control (Optional but Recommended)

Basic Git Workflow from VS Code

Initialize Git (one time):

1. Ctrl+Shift+G - Open source control
2. Click "Initialize Repository"

Daily commits:

1. Ctrl+Shift+G
2. Review changes
3. Type commit message: "Updated Week 5 planner"
4. Click ✓ to commit

Why use Git:

• Track changes over time
• Revert if you make mistake
• Backup your work
• See what you did each week

🛠️ Useful Extensions

Recommended VS Code Extensions

Markdown:

• Markdown All in One
• Markdown Preview Enhanced
• Markdown Checkboxes

Productivity:

• Project Manager (manage multiple projects)
• Todo Tree (highlights TODO, FIXME, etc.)
• Better Comments (color-coded comments)

Install:

1. Ctrl+Shift+X to open extensions
2. Search for extension name
3. Click "Install"

🚀 Quick Commands Reference

Command Palette

Press Ctrl+Shift+P and type:

My Custom Snippets (Optional Setup)

Create snippet for weekly planner:

1. Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Type "Configure User Snippets"
3. Select "markdown.json"
4. Add:

{
  "CBRS Week Planner": {
    "prefix": "cbrs-week",
    "body": [
      "# Weekly Planner - Week $1",
      "",
      "**Dates:** $2 to $3",
      "**Current Phase:** Phase $4",
      "",
      "## This Week's Objectives",
      "",
      "- [ ] $5",
      "- [ ] $6",
      "- [ ] $7"
    ],
    "description": "CBRS weekly planner template"
  }
}

Use snippet:

1. Type cbrs-week
2. Press Tab
3. Fill in the blanks

📱 Mobile Access

Access Files on Phone/Tablet

Option 1: GitHub (if using Git)

• Push files to GitHub
• Access on mobile browser
• View but not edit

Option 2: Cloud sync

• Save my-content-studio folder in:
  • Dropbox
  • Google Drive
  • OneDrive
• Access on mobile

Option 3: VS Code mobile apps

• Code Server (iPad)
• Working Copy (iOS Git client)

🎯 Power User Tips

Multi-Cursor Editing

• Alt+Click - Add cursor at click position
• Ctrl+Alt+Up/Down - Add cursor above/below
• Ctrl+D - Select next occurrence
• Type once, edits all cursors

Use case: Update multiple checkboxes at once, change multiple dates, etc.

Zen Mode

• Ctrl+K Z - Enter zen mode (distraction-free)
• Esc Esc - Exit zen mode

Perfect for: Writing blog posts, email sequences, or workbook content

Side by Side Editing

1. Open file A
2. Ctrl+\ to split
3. Open file B in right pane
4. Edit both simultaneously

Use case: Copy content from outline to final doc, reference template while writing

Keyboard Only Navigation

• Ctrl+G - Go to line
• Ctrl+Home - Top of file
• Ctrl+End - Bottom of file
• Ctrl+Up/Down - Scroll without moving cursor
• Ctrl+Left/Right - Move cursor word by word

🔄 Daily Checklist (In VS Code)

Morning routine (5 min):

• Ctrl+P → Type command → Open CBRS-COMMAND-CENTER.md
• Review current phase and next actions
• Ctrl+P → Type week → Open current week planner
• Review today's tasks

During work:

• Check off tasks as completed
• Add notes to daily section
• Keep week planner and command center open

End of day (3 min):

• Update command center metrics
• Check off completed tasks
• Plan tomorrow's priorities
• Ctrl+S to save all

Sunday planning (30 min):

• Duplicate weekly planner template
• Fill in next week
• Update command center status
• Review last week's wins

🆘 Troubleshooting

File Not Found

• Make sure you're in correct directory
• Ctrl+P shows all files in workspace
• Check file path in terminal

Can't See Formatting

• Press Ctrl+Shift+V for preview
• Install "Markdown All in One" extension

Lost Unsaved Work

• Check File → Open Recent
• Look for .code-workspace autosave

Too Many Files Open

• Ctrl+K W - Close all files
• Ctrl+W - Close current file
• Start fresh

📚 Resources

VS Code Documentation

• Official Docs: code.visualstudio.com/docs (opens in a new tab)
• Keyboard shortcuts PDF: code.visualstudio.com/shortcuts (opens in a new tab)
• Markdown guide: code.visualstudio.com/docs/languages/markdown (opens in a new tab)

Markdown Syntax

• Cheat sheet: markdownguide.org/cheat-sheet (opens in a new tab)
• Tables: tablesgenerator.com/markdown_tables (opens in a new tab)

🎓 Learning Path

Day 1: Learn basic navigation

• Ctrl+P to find files
• Ctrl+F to find in file
• Ctrl+S to save

Day 2: Learn editing

• Copy/paste
• Find and replace
• Undo/redo

Day 3: Learn markdown preview

• Ctrl+Shift+V
• Split view
• Check formatting

Week 2: Advanced shortcuts

• Multi-cursor
• Split editor
• Zen mode

Week 3: Extensions

• Install markdown tools
• Install todo tree
• Customize settings

Now you're ready to navigate and deploy your CBRS marketing plan efficiently from VS Code!

Start with: Ctrl+P → Type CBRS-COMMAND → Hit Enter