Comprehensive Guide to
Common Shortcut Keys
All Major Keyboard Shortcuts on One Page
Keyboard shortcuts are essential tools for boosting productivity and efficiency across a wide range of
software and operating systems. Below is a thorough, organized list of the most common and useful
shortcut keys for Windows, macOS, Microsoft Office, browsers, and more. Use this guide to master
your workflow and save time in everyday tasks.
Windows Shortcuts
• Ctrl + C – Copy the selected item
• Ctrl + X – Cut the selected item
• Ctrl + V – Paste the copied/cut item
• Ctrl + Z – Undo an action
• Ctrl + Y – Redo an action
• Ctrl + A – Select all items in a document or window
• Ctrl + S – Save the current document/file
• Ctrl + P – Print the current document
• Ctrl + F – Find a word or phrase in a document or webpage
• Alt + Tab – Switch between open apps
• Alt + F4 – Close the active app/window
• Windows Key + D – Show/hide the desktop
• Windows Key + E – Open File Explorer
• Windows Key + L – Lock your computer
• Windows Key + R – Open the Run dialog box
• Windows Key + I – Open Settings
• Windows Key + S – Open search
• F2 – Rename the selected file or folder
• F5 – Refresh the active window
• Delete – Delete the selected item (send to Recycle Bin)
• Shift + Delete – Delete the selected item permanently
• Esc – Cancel the current task
• Ctrl + Shift + Esc – Open Task Manager
macOS Shortcuts
• Command (⌘) + C – Copy the selected item
• Command (⌘) + X – Cut the selected item
• Command (⌘) + V – Paste the copied/cut item
• Command (⌘) + Z – Undo an action
• Command (⌘) + Shift + Z – Redo an action
• Command (⌘) + A – Select all items
• Command (⌘) + S – Save the current document/file
• Command (⌘) + P – Print the current document
• Command (⌘) + F – Find
• Command (⌘) + Q – Quit the active app
• Command (⌘) + W – Close the active window/tab
• Command (⌘) + Space – Spotlight search
• Command (⌘) + Tab – Switch between open apps
• Command (⌘) + Option + Esc – Force quit an app
• Command (⌘) + Shift + 3 – Take a screenshot of the entire screen
• Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 – Take a screenshot of a selected area
• Option + Command (⌘) + Esc – Open force quit window
• Fn + Delete – Forward delete
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Universal Office Shortcuts
• Ctrl + N – New document/workbook/presentation
• Ctrl + O – Open document/workbook/presentation
• Ctrl + W – Close the current document
• Ctrl + Home – Go to the beginning
• Ctrl + End – Go to the end
Word
• Ctrl + B – Bold highlighted selection
• Ctrl + I – Italicize highlighted selection
• Ctrl + U – Underline highlighted selection
• Ctrl + Shift + L – Apply bullet list
• Ctrl + K – Insert hyperlink
• Ctrl + Shift + > – Increase font size
• Ctrl + Shift + < – Decrease font size
Excel
• Ctrl + Shift + "+” – Insert new row or column
• Ctrl + - – Delete row or column
• Ctrl + Arrow keys – Move to edge of data region
• F2 – Edit active cell
• Alt + = – AutoSum
PowerPoint
• Ctrl + M – Insert new slide
• F5 – Start slideshow
• Shift + F5 – Start slideshow from current slide
• Ctrl + D – Duplicate selected slide
Browser Shortcuts (Works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox,
etc.)
• Ctrl + T / Command (⌘) + T – Open new tab
• Ctrl + Shift + T / Command (⌘) + Shift + T – Reopen last closed tab
• Ctrl + W / Command (⌘) + W – Close current tab
• Ctrl + Shift + N / Command (⌘) + Shift + N – New incognito/private window
• Ctrl + Tab / Command (⌘) + Option + → – Next tab
• Ctrl + Shift + Tab / Command (⌘) + Option + ← – Previous tab
• Alt + Left/Right Arrow – Back/Forward in browsing history
• F11 – Full screen mode
• Ctrl + D / Command (⌘) + D – Bookmark current page
• Ctrl + L / Command (⌘) + L – Focus address bar
Email Shortcuts (Gmail Example)
• C – Compose a new message
• / – Search mail
• E – Archive selected message
• R – Reply
• A – Reply all
• F – Forward
• Shift + U – Mark as unread
• ! (Exclamation Mark) – Report spam
• G then I – Go to inbox
File Navigation Shortcuts
• Alt + Enter – Open properties of selected item
• Tab – Move forward through controls
• Shift + Tab – Move backward through controls
• Ctrl + Shift + N – Create new folder (Windows)
• Command (⌘) + Shift + N – Create new folder (Mac)
Text Editing Shortcuts
• Ctrl + → / ← – Move cursor by word
• Ctrl + ↑ / ↓ – Move cursor by paragraph
• Shift + Arrow Keys – Select text by character/line
• Ctrl + Shift + → / ← – Select text by word
• Ctrl + Backspace – Delete previous word
• Ctrl + Delete – Delete next word
• Home / End – Go to beginning/end of line
• Page Up / Page Down – Scroll up/down one page
Accessibility Shortcuts
• Windows Key + U – Open Ease of Access Center (Windows)
• Command (⌘) + Option + F5 – Accessibility options (Mac)
• Windows Key + Plus (+) / Minus (-) – Magnifier zoom in/out (Windows)
• Ctrl + Alt + D – Dock/undock ChromeVox (Chrome OS)
Virtual Desktops
• Windows Key + Ctrl + D – Add a new virtual desktop
• Windows Key + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow – Switch between virtual desktops
• Windows Key + Ctrl + F4 – Close the current virtual desktop
General Tips
• Most shortcuts can be combined with Shift to reverse their action (e.g., Shift + Tab moves
backward).
• Some shortcuts may differ based on the version of your operating system or application.
Mastering these shortcut keys will help you become faster and more productive across all your
devices and applications. For detailed program-specific shortcuts, consult the official documentation
of each application.
CREATED BY – NAINA GUPTA
SUBJECT - COMPUTER
