# Send a Keyboard Event to a Virtual Machine

**prlctl send-key-event** \<VM ID> **-k**,**--key** \<key> | **-s**,**--scancode** \<scancode> \[**-e**,**--event** \<press|release>] \[**-d**,**--delay** \<msec>]

Sends a single keyboard event (key press or release) identified with a specific key code or scancode to a specified virtual machine with a specified delay (in milliseconds). For the complete list of key codes, see [this subchapter](https://docs.parallels.com/landing/parallels-desktop-developers-guide/command-line-interface-utility/manage-virtual-machines-from-cli/general-virtual-machine-management/send-a-keyboard-event-to-a-virtual-machine/list-of-parallels-keyboard-key-codes). See examples [below](#examples).

**prlctl send-key-event** \<VM ID> **-j**,**--json**

Sends a sequence of keyboard events by reading JSON input from stdin. An example of the format is:

```json
[
	{ "key": 13 },
	
	{ "key": 7, "event": "press" },

	{ "scancode": 7, "event": "release", "delay": 100 },

	{ "delay": 100 },

	{ "k": 50, "event": "press", "delay": 100 },
	{ "s": 10, "event": "release", "d": 100 },
]
```

### Examples

If you would like to type "test" and press **Enter**, the sequence of commands would be:

```
% prlctl send-key-event "<VM_name>" -k 28
% prlctl send-key-event "<VM_name>" -k 26
% prlctl send-key-event "<VM_name>" -k 39
% prlctl send-key-event "<VM_name>" -k 28
% prlctl send-key-event "<VM_name>" -k 36
```

If you would like to enter a combination like **Win+PrtScr**, the command would be:

```
prlctl send-key-event "<VM_name>" -j

[
    { "key": 115, "event": "press", "delay": 100 },
    { "key": 92,  "delay": 100 },
    { "key": 115, "event": "release" }
]
```


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