If you’re a regular user of Microsoft PowerPoint, whether you’re a student, teacher, professional, or designer, mastering PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts can significantly enhance your efficiency and productivity. These shortcuts, which range from quick formatting to instant slide navigation, allow you to perform tasks faster and with less reliance on the mouse. They are essential for all PowerPoint users, regardless of their specific role or use case.
In this blog post, we’ve put together a practical and comprehensive list of the most useful PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts for Windows users. These time-saving tips are designed to help you create polished presentations with ease and speed. Be sure to bookmark this guide to keep these commands at your fingertips!
Basic PowerPoint Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Create a new presentation | Ctrl + N |
| Open existing presentation | Ctrl + O |
| Save presentation | Ctrl + S |
| Print presentation | Ctrl + P |
| Close presentation | Ctrl + W |
| Undo an action | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo an action | Ctrl + Y |
| Copy | Ctrl + C |
| Cut | Ctrl + X |
| Paste | Ctrl + V |
| Select all | Ctrl + A |
| Find | Ctrl + F |
| Replace | Ctrl + H |
Slide Show Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Start presentation from beginning | F5 |
| Start from current slide | Shift + F5 |
| End slideshow | Esc |
| Next slide | N or Right Arrow or Down Arrow |
| Previous slide | P or Left Arrow or Up Arrow |
| Black screen | B |
| White screen | W |
| Go to slide number | Type number + Enter |
| Show/Hide pointer | Ctrl + A |
| Pen tool during slideshow | Ctrl + P |
| Laser pointer | Ctrl + L |
| Erase annotations | E |
Working with Slides
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New slide | Ctrl + M |
| Duplicate selected slide | Ctrl + D |
| Delete slide | Delete |
| Move slide up/down in sequence | Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow |
| Go to next slide | Page Down |
| Go to previous slide | Page Up |
| Jump to slide | Slide number + Enter |
Text Formatting Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + I |
| Underline | Ctrl + U |
| Center align | Ctrl + E |
| Left align | Ctrl + L |
| Right align | Ctrl + R |
| Increase font size | Ctrl + Shift + > |
| Decrease font size | Ctrl + Shift + < |
Object & Shape Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Group objects | Ctrl + G |
| Ungroup objects | Ctrl + Shift + G |
| Bring forward | Ctrl + ] |
| Send backward | Ctrl + [ |
| Align objects | Alt + Shift + (alignment key) |
| Duplicate object | Ctrl + D |
| Rotate object | Alt + Left/Right Arrow |
View & Zoom Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Normal view | Alt + W, L |
| Slide sorter view | Alt + W, I |
| Reading view | Alt + W, D |
| Zoom in/out | Ctrl + Mouse Wheel |
| Fit to window | Ctrl + Shift + W |
Smart Shortcuts for Designers
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Insert hyperlink | Ctrl + K |
| Insert a comment | Ctrl + Alt + M |
| Open Format dialog box | Ctrl + T |
| Insert new text box | Alt + N, X |
| Insert picture | Alt + N, P |
| Insert shape | Alt + N, S, H |
Mastering these PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts can greatly enhance your slide creation experience. As you practice and become familiar with these commands, they will eventually become second nature. Consequently, this will allow you to focus more on your content and design rather than on navigating the software. Furthermore, don’t forget to share this guide with your colleagues or students who frequently work on PowerPoint presentations!