Productivity Reference

Keyboard Shortcuts

A keyboard shortcut is a combination of keys that performs a specific action. The shortcuts typically involve one or more modifier keys such as Ctrl, Alt, or Command combined with another key usually a letter, number, or punctuation symbol. By using keyboard shortcuts, you can bypass navigating through menus and dialog boxes in software applications. Tasks that would normally require multiple clicks with a mouse can be accomplished swiftly using shortcuts, and you will be less relying on mouse movements. Professionals who use keyboard shortcuts efficiently perform repetitive actions more quickly. Most software allows customization of keyboard shortcuts. Users can assign their preferred shortcuts for specific functions. Additionally, each application often has its own unique set of shortcuts. We have crafted shortcuts for most commonly used applications across multiple platforms.

Practical Notes

Shortcut Learning Strategy

Keyboard shortcuts are easiest to adopt when you focus on repeated actions instead of trying to memorize an entire application at once.

Start with frequent tasks

Learn the commands you use every hour: search, save, switch tabs, copy, paste, undo, and open command menus.

Mind the platform

The same action may use Ctrl on Windows or Linux and Command on macOS.

Practice in context

Shortcuts stick faster when you use them during real work instead of reading a list once.

Shortcut	Application	Action
`Ctrl`+`O`	MS Word	Open a document.
`Alt`+`H`then`F`then`O`	MS Word	Open the Clipboard task pane and enable the Office Clipboard, which allows you to copy and paste content between Microsoft 365 apps.
`Shift`+F10 orthenon a Windows keyboardthenthe Windows Menu key (between the right Altandright Ctrl keys)	MS Word	Open the context menu.
`Alt`+`G`	MS Word	Open the Design tab to use themes, colors, and effects, such as page borders.
`Alt`+`F`	MS Word	Open the File page to use Backstage view.
`Alt`+`H`	MS Word	Open the Home tab to use common formatting commands, paragraph styles, and the Find tool.
`Alt`+`N`	MS Word	Open the Insert tab to insert tables, pictures and shapes, headers, or text boxes.
`Alt`+`P`	MS Word	Open the Layout tab to work with page margins, page orientation, indentation, and spacing.
`↓`	MS Word	Open the list for the selected command.
`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Home`	MS Word	Open the list of browse options to define the type of object to browse by.
`Alt`+`M`	MS Word	Open the Mailings tab to manage Mail Merge tasks and to work with envelopes and labels.
`Alt`+`↓`	MS Word	Open the menu for the selected button.
`Alt`+`S`	MS Word	Open the References tab to add a table of contents, footnotes, or a table of citations.
`Alt`+`R`	MS Word	Open the Review tab to use Spell Check, set proofing languages, and to track and review changes to your document.
`Alt`+`V`	MS Word	Open the View tab to choose a document view or mode, such as Read Mode or Outline view. You can also set the zoom magnification and manage multiple document windows.
`Ctrl`+`/`then`o`or`O`	MS Word	ø, Ø
`Ctrl`+`V`	MS Word	Paste the contents of the Clipboard.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`F3`	MS Word	Paste the contents of the Spike.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`V`	MS Word	Paste the selected formatting.
`Alt`+`Shift`+`K`	MS Word	Preview the mail merge.
`Ctrl`+`P`	MS Word	Print the document.
`Alt`+`Shift`+`M`	MS Word	Print the merged document.
`Alt`+`Shift`+`←`	MS Word	Promote a paragraph.
`Ctrl`+`Y`	MS Word	Redo the previous action, if possible.
`Shift`+`F8`	MS Word	Reduce the selection.
`F9`	MS Word	Refresh the page.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`T`	MS Word	Remove a hanging indent.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`M`	MS Word	Remove a paragraph indent.
`Ctrl`+`Space`	MS Word	Remove manual character formatting.
`Ctrl`+`Q`	MS Word	Remove paragraph formatting.
`Alt`+`Shift`+`C`or`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`S`	MS Word	Remove the document window split.
`Alt`+`Shift`+`F9`	MS Word	Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from a field displaying field results.
`Ctrl`+`S`	MS Word	Save the document.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`F8`thenthen press the arrow keys	MS Word	Select a vertical block of text.
`Ctrl`+`A`	MS Word	Select all document content.
`Shift`+`Home`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the beginning of the current line.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`↑`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the beginning of the current paragraph.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`Home`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the beginning of the document.
`Shift`+`PgDn`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the bottom of the screen.
`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Shift`+`PgDn`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the bottom of the window.
`Shift`+`End`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the end of the current line.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`↓`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the end of the current paragraph.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`End`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the end of the document.
`Shift`+`PgUp`	MS Word	Select from the current position to the top of the screen.
`Shift`+`Arrow Keys`	MS Word	Select text.
`Alt`orF10 To move to a different tabthenuse access keysorthe arrow keys.	MS Word	Select the active tab on the ribbon and activate the access keys.
`F8`then`←`or`→`	MS Word	Select the nearest character to the left or right.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`←`	MS Word	Select the word to the left.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`→`	MS Word	Select the word to the right.
`Alt`+`R`then`L`	MS Word	Set default languages.

Shortcut Learning Strategy

Start with frequent tasks

Mind the platform

Practice in context

Related References