Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most popular tools for creating and delivering presentations, but a lot of people are still unaware of how to use it as quickly and efficiently as possible.
If you’re a frequent user of Microsoft Office PowerPoint, you know that there are a lot of different features and functions to master. One way to make your workflow more efficient is by using keyboard shortcuts.
Here are some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint:
Ctrl + N: Create a new presentation.\
Ctrl + O: Open an existing presentation.\
Ctrl + S: Save your presentation.\
Ctrl + P: Print your presentation.\
Ctrl + Z: Undo your last action.\
Ctrl + Y: Redo your last action.\
Ctrl + C: Copy selected text or object.\
Ctrl + X: Cut selected text or object.\
Ctrl + V: Paste copied or cut text or object.\
Ctrl + A: Select all objects on a slide.\
Ctrl + F: Find and replace text.\
Ctrl + B: Apply or remove bold formatting.\
Ctrl + I: Apply or remove italic formatting.\
Ctrl + U: Apply or remove underline formatting.\
Ctrl + E: Center align text.\
Ctrl + L: Left align text.\
Ctrl + R: Right align text.\
Ctrl + M: Insert a new slide.\
Ctrl + D: Duplicate currently selected slide.\
Ctrl + H: Show or hide the Ribbon.
These shortcuts can save you a lot of time and effort, especially if you’re working on a large presentation. To view a full list of keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint, you can access the “Keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint” help article on the Microsoft website. In addition to keyboard shortcuts, you can also create your own custom shortcuts by assigning a keyboard shortcut to a specific command or function. To do this, select “Options” from the “File” tab, then select “Customize Ribbon” and “Keyboard Shortcuts.” From there, you can select the command you want to assign a shortcut to and create your custom shortcut.
By utilizing keyboard shortcuts and custom shortcuts, you can streamline your PowerPoint workflow and become a more efficient presenter.
Microsoft Office PowerPoint – Keyboard Shortcuts and Cheat Sheet
| Windows | macOS | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Frequently Used Shortcuts | ||
| Ctrl + N | Command + N | Make a new presentation. |
| Ctrl + M | Command + Shift + N | Add a new slide. |
| Ctrl + X | Command + X | Cut selected object or text. |
| Ctrl + C | Command + C | Copy selected object or text. |
| Ctrl + V | Command + V | Paste selected object or text. |
| Ctrl + Z | Command + Z | Undo last performed action. |
| Alt + N, P, D | Insert image. | |
| Alt + N, S, H | Insert shape. | |
| Page down | Go to next slide. | |
| Page up | Go to previous slide. | |
| F5 | Command + Shift + Return | Start slide show. |
| Esc | Esc | End slide show. |
| Ctrl + S | Command + S | Save presentation. |
| Ctrl + Q | Command + Q | Close PowerPoint. |
| Ribbon Navigation Shortcuts (Windows Only) |
||
| Alt + F | Open the File Menu. | |
| Alt + H | Open the Home tab. | |
| Alt + N | Open the Insert tab. | |
| Alt + J, I | Open the Draw tab. | |
| Alt + G | Open the Design tab. | |
| Alt + K | Open the Transitions tab. | |
| Alt + A | Open the Animations tab. | |
| Alt + S | Open the Slide Show tab. | |
| Alt + R | Open the Review tab. | |
| Alt + W | Open the View tab. | |
| Alt + C | Open the Recording tab. | |
| Alt + Y, 2 | Open the Help tab. | |
| Alt + Q | Open the Search field. | |
| Moving Between Views | ||
| Alt + V, then N | Command + 1 | Switch to Normal view. |
| Alt + V, then D | Command + 2 | Switch to Slide Sorter view. |
| Alt + V, then P | Command + 3 | Switch to Notes view. |
| Command + 4 | Switch to Outline view. | |
| F5 (or Alt + V, then W) | Command + Shift + Return | Switch to Slide Show. |
| Command + Ctrl + F | Switch to Full Screen. | |
| Alt + F5 | Option + Return | Switch to Presenter view. |
| Shortcuts for Text Edits | ||
| Alt + N, X | Insert text box. | |
| Alt + N, W | Insert Word Art. | |
| Shift + Right arrow | Shift + Right arrow | Select one character to the right. |
| Shift + Left arrow | Shift + Left arrow | Select one character to the left. |
| Shift + Up arrow | Shift + Up arrow | Select one line up. |
| Shift + Down arrow | Shift + Down arrow | Select one line down. |
| Ctrl + Shift + > | Command + Shift + > | Increase font size. |
| Ctrl + Shift + < | Command + Shift + < | Decrease font size. |
| Ctrl + B | Command + B | Apply bold formatting. |
| Ctrl + I | Command + I | Apply italic formatting. |
| Ctrl + U | Command + U | Apply underline formatting. |
| Ctrl + E | Command + E | Center text. |
| Ctrl + L | Command + L | Left justify text. |
| Ctrl + R | Command + R | Right justify text. |
| Ctrl + K | Command + K | Insert hyperlink. |
| Ctrl + C | Command + C | Copy text. |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Copy text and style formatting. | |
| Ctrl + V | Command + V | Paste text. |
| Ctrl + Shift + V | Paste text style formatting. | |
| Shortcuts for Objects | ||
| Tab | Tab | Select the next object. |
| Shift + Tab | Shift + Tab | Select the previous object. |
| Ctrl + A | Command + A | Select all objects on a slide. |
| Arrow keys | Arrow keys | Move a selected object. |
| Ctrl + G | Command + Option + G | Group selected objects. |
| Ctrl + Shift + G | Command + Option + Shift + G | Ungroup selected objects. |
| Alt + Right arrow | Option + Right arrow | Rotate object clockwise. |
| Alt + Left arrow | Option + Left arrow | Rotate object counterclockwise. |
| Command + Shift + 1 | Format selected object. | |
| Shift + Arrow keys | Shift + Arrow keys | Resize object. |
| Ctrl + D | Command + D | Duplicate object. |
| Ctrl + Shift + ] | Send object to front. | |
| Ctrl + Shift + [ | Send object to back. | |
| Change Order of Slides (Windows Only) |
||
| Ctrl + Up arrow | Move slide or section up in order. | |
| Ctrl + Down arrow | Move slide or section down in order. | |
| Ctrl + Shift + Up arrow | Move slide or section to beginning. | |
| Ctrl + Shift + Down arrow | Move slide or section to end. | |
| Shortcuts for Navigating Presentations | ||
| F5 | Command + Shift + Return | Start presentation from the beginning. |
| Shift + F5 | Command + Return | Start from current slide. |
| Alt + F5 | Opt + Return | Start in Presenter view. |
| N Enter Spacebar Right arrow Down arrow Page down |
N Enter Spacebar Right arrow Down arrow Page down |
Advance slide or perform next animation. |
| P Backspace Left arrow Up arrow Page up |
P Delete Left arrow Up arrow Page up |
Return to previous slide or perform previous animation. |
| Home | Return to the first slide. | |
| End | Move to last slide. | |
| S | Stop or restart an automatic presentation. | |
| Slide number + Enter | Slide number + Return | Move to a specific slide. |
| Esc | Esc | End presentation. |
| Other Shortcuts in Presentation Mode | ||
| Alt + P | Play or pause media. | |
| Alt + Q | Stop media playback. | |
| Enter (must select hyperlink first) |
Open a selected hyperlink in the presentation. | |
| Tab | Tab Shift + Tab |
Move between hotspots on a single slide. |
| Alt + Up | Increase volume. | |
| Alt + Down | Decrease volume. | |
| Alt + U | Mute sound. | |
| Alt + Shift + Page down | Move forward 3 seconds. | |
| Alt + Shift + Page up | Move backward 3 seconds. | |
| Ctrl + L | Command + L | Start the laser pointer. |
| Ctrl + P | Command + P | Change pointer to a pen. |
| Ctrl + A | Command + A | Change pointer to an arrow. |
| Ctrl + E | Change pointer to an eraser. | |
| Ctrl + M | Show or hide markups. | |
| E | E | Erase on-screen annotations. |
| R | Pre-record slide narrations and timing. |
Shortcuts are a quick and easy way to elevate your design skills and improve your overall presentation. Take the time to memorize them I promise it’s worth it.
