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
`Alt`+`F10`then`Alt`+`H`then`S`then`L`thenP Office 2007:then`Alt`+`J`then`D`then`A`then`P`	MS Powerpoint	Open the Selection pane
`Alt`+`S`	MS Powerpoint	Open the Slide Show tab and set up and play the slide show
`Alt`+`K`	MS Powerpoint	Open the Transitions tab and add transitions between slides
`Alt`+`W`	MS Powerpoint	Open the View tab and preview presentation layouts, show and hide gridlines and guides, set zoom magnification, manage windows, and view macros
`Alt`+`W`then`Q`	MS Powerpoint	Open the Zoom dialog box
`Alt`+`Shift`+`V`then(Office 2010andOffice 2007: Not available)	MS Powerpoint	Paste animation painter
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`V`	MS Powerpoint	Paste copied formatting to the selected object or text
`Ctrl`+`V`	MS Powerpoint	Paste cut or copied object or text
`Ctrl`+`V`	MS Powerpoint	Paste cut or copied text, object, or slide
`Ctrl`+`Space`	MS Powerpoint	Play or pause media
`Ctrl`+`P`	MS Powerpoint	Print a presentation
`Alt`+`P`then`P`	MS Powerpoint	Print all slides in your presentation as full page slides using your default printer settings (when the Print dialog box is open)
`Alt`+`Shift`+`←`	MS Powerpoint	Promote a paragraph
`Ctrl`+`Y`	MS Powerpoint	Redo the last action
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`J`	MS Powerpoint	Regroup the selected objects
`Ctrl`+`Space`	MS Powerpoint	Remove manual character formatting, such as subscript and superscript
`F2`	MS Powerpoint	Rename a focused item
`Shift`+`F4`	MS Powerpoint	Repeat the last Find action
`Ctrl`+`R`	MS Powerpoint	Right align a paragraph
`Alt`+`→`	MS Powerpoint	Rotate the selected object clockwise 15 degrees
`Alt`+`←`	MS Powerpoint	Rotate the selected object counterclockwise 15 degrees
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`S`	MS Powerpoint	Save a presentation with a different name, location, or file format
`Ctrl`+`S`	MS Powerpoint	Save the presentation
`Space`or`Enter`	MS Powerpoint	Select a focused item
`Alt`+`H`then`L`	MS Powerpoint	Select a slide layout
`Alt`+`G`then`H`	MS Powerpoint	Select a theme
`Ctrl`+`A`	MS Powerpoint	Select all objects on a slide
`Ctrl`+`A`	MS Powerpoint	Select all slides in the Slide Sorter view or the thumbnail pane
`Ctrl`+`A`	MS Powerpoint	Select all text in the Outline View
`Esc`	MS Powerpoint	Select an object when the text inside the object is selected
`Tab`or`Shift`+Tab until the object is selected	MS Powerpoint	Select another object when one object is selected.
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`↑`	MS Powerpoint	Select from the insertion point to the beginning of the paragraph
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`↓`	MS Powerpoint	Select from the insertion point to the end of the paragraph
`Shift`+`↓`	MS Powerpoint	Select from the insertion point to the same point one line down
`Shift`+`↑`	MS Powerpoint	Select from the insertion point to the same point one line up
`Shift`+`←`	MS Powerpoint	Select one character to the left
`Shift`+`→`	MS Powerpoint	Select one character to the right
`Enter`	MS Powerpoint	Select text within an object (with an object selected)
`Alt`orF10To move to a different Tabthenuse access keysorthe arrow keys	MS Powerpoint	Select the active tab on the ribbon, and activate the access keys
`Enter`	MS Powerpoint	Select the highlighted option on the task pane menu
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`←`	MS Powerpoint	Select to the beginning of a word
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`→`	MS Powerpoint	Select to the end of a word
`Ctrl`+`[`thenOffice 2010andOffice 2007: Not available	MS Powerpoint	Send object back one position
`Ctrl`+`]`thenOffice 2010andOffice 2007: Not available	MS Powerpoint	Send object forward one position
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`[`thenOffice 2010andOffice 2007: Not available	MS Powerpoint	Send object to back
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`]`thenOffice 2010andOffice 2007: Not available	MS Powerpoint	Send object to front
`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`S`	MS Powerpoint	Show or hide a focused item
`Alt`+`F9`	MS Powerpoint	Show or hide guides
`Shift`+`F9`	MS Powerpoint	Show or hide the grid
`Alt`+`W`then`P`then`N`	MS Powerpoint	Show or hide the Notes pane in the Normal view

Shortcut Learning Strategy

Start with frequent tasks

Mind the platform

Practice in context

Related References