Here’s Every Google Docs Keyboard Shortcut

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One of the best ways of  mastering a word processor is to learn its keyboard shortcuts. While Google Docs offers standard shortcuts for actions like copy and paste, it also has more powerful key commands that let you add comment and show word count.

Read our comprehensive list to learn features you may not have known about and the shortcuts that will empower you to be a Google Docs power user.

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Basic Commands

Cut: PC: Ctrl + X | Mac: Command + X

Copy: PC: Ctrl + C | Mac: Command + C

Paste: PC: Ctrl + V | Mac: Command + V

Paste Without Formatting: PC: Ctrl + Shift + V | Mac: Command + Shift + V (great for copying text from web pages)

Undo: PC: Ctrl + Z | Mac: Command + V

Redo: PC: Ctrl + Shift + Z | Mac: Command + Shift + Z

Insert or edit link: PC: Ctrl + K | Mac: Command + K

Open link: PC: Alt + Enter | Mac: Option + Enter

Save: PC: Ctrl + S | Mac: Command + S (Every change is automatically saved in Drive so this is unnecessary)

Print: PC: Ctrl + P  | Mac: Command + P

Open: PC: Ctrl + O | Mac: Command + O

Find: PC: Ctrl + F | Mac: Command + F

Find and replace: PC: Ctrl + H | Mac: Command + Shift + H

Find again: PC: Ctrl + G | Mac: Command + G

Find previous: PC: Ctrl + Shift + G | Mac: Command + Shift + G

Hide the menus (compact mode): PC: Ctrl + Shift + F | Mac: Ctrl + Shift + F

Insert page break: PC: Ctrl + Enter | Mac: Command + Enter

Search the menus: PC: Alt + /, Alt + Shift + Z, Alt + Z | Mac: Option + /, Ctrl + Option + Z, (Firefox: Ctrl + ~)

Text formatting

Bold: PC: Ctrl + B | Mac: Command + B

Italicize: PC: Ctrl + I | Mac: Command + I

Underline: PC: Ctrl + U | Mac: Command + U

Strikethrough: PC: Alt + Shift + 5 | Mac: Option + Shift + 5

Superscript: PC: Ctrl + . [period] | Mac: Command + . [period]

Subscript: PC: Ctrl + , [comma] | Mac: Command + , [comma]

Copy text formatting: PC: Ctrl + Alt + C | Mac: Command + Option + C

Paste text formatting: PC: Ctrl + Alt + V | Mac: Command + Option + V

Clear text formatting: PC: Ctrl + \, Ctrl + Space | Mac: Command + \

Increase font size: PC: Ctrl + Shift + > | Mac: Command + Shift + >

Decrease font size: PC: Ctrl + Shift + < | Mac: Command + Shift + >

Tools

Open revision history: PC: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G | Mac: Command + Option + Ctrl + G

Open research tool: PC: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + I | Mac:  Command + Option + Shift + I

Define selected word in research tool: PC: Ctrl + Shift + Y | Mac: Command + Shift + Y

Word count: PC: Ctrl + Shift + C | Mac: Command + Shift + C

Start voice typing (available in Chrome browsers): PC: Ctrl + Shift + S | Mac: Command + Shift + S

Move to next misspelling: PC: Ctrl + ' | Mac: Command + ' [apostrophe]

Move to previous misspelling: PC: Ctrl + ; | Mac: Command + ;

Comments, Edits and Footnotes

Insert comment: PC: Ctrl + Alt + M | Mac: Command + Option + M

Open discussion thread: PC: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + A | Mac: Command + Option + Shift + A

Enter current comment: PC: holding Ctrl + Alt, press E then C | Mac: holding Ctrl + Command, press E then C

Move to next comment: PC: holding Ctrl + Alt, press N then C | Mac: holding Ctrl + Command, press N then C

Move to previous comment: PC: holding Ctrl + Alt, press P then C | Mac: holding Ctrl + Command, press P then C

Move to next edit (while viewing revision history or new changes): PC: holding Ctrl + Alt, press N then R, Ctrl + Alt + K | Mac: holding Command + Option, press N then R, Command + Option + K

Move to previous edit (while viewing revision history or new changes): PC: holding Ctrl + Alt, press P then R, Ctrl + Alt + J  | Mac: holding Command + Option, press P then R, Command + Option + J

Insert footnote: PC: Ctrl + Alt + F | Mac: Command + Option + F

Enter current footnote: PC: holding Ctrl + Alt, press E then F | Mac: holding Ctrl + Command, press E then F

Move to next footnote: PC: holding Ctrl + Alt, press N then F | Mac: holding Ctrl + Command, press N then F

Move to previous footnote:  PC: holding Ctrl + Alt, press P then F | Mac: holding Ctrl + Command, press P then F

Paragraph formatting

Increase paragraph indentation: PC: Ctrl + ] | Mac: Command + ]

Decrease paragraph indentation: PC: Ctrl + [ | Mac: Command + [

Apply normal text style: PC: Ctrl + Alt + 0 | Mac: Command + Option + 0

Apply heading style [1-6]: PC: Ctrl + Alt + [1-6] | Mac: Command + Option + [1-6]

Left align text: PC: Ctrl + Shift + L | Mac: Command + Shift + L

Center align text: PC: Ctrl + Shift + E | Mac: Command + Shift + E

Right align text: PC: Ctrl + Shift + R | Mac: Command + Shift + R

Justify text: PC: Ctrl + Shift + J | Mac: Command + Shift + J

Create Numbered list: PC: Ctrl + Shift + 7 | Mac: Command + Shift + 7

Create Bulleted list: PC: Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Mac: Command + Shift + 8

Move paragraph up/down: PC: Alt + Shift + Up/down arrow | Mac: Option + Shift + Up/down arrow

Google Docs Tips

Henry T. Casey