Programs · 44 shortcuts

Google Docs keyboard shortcuts

Google Docs runs in a browser, so its shortcuts are a mixture of its own and the browser's. This list has the ones that belong to Docs. The first column is for Windows and Chromebooks, the second for the Mac.

Find a shortcut on this page

The eight to learn first

Ctrl + / shows the full list of shortcuts inside Docs. It is the one to remember if you forget the rest.
Alt + / searches the menus: type what you want to do, and Docs finds the command.
Ctrl + Alt + 1, 2, 3 apply Heading 1, 2 and 3.
Ctrl + Shift + V pastes without formatting.
Ctrl + K inserts or edits a link.
Ctrl + Alt + M adds a comment.
Ctrl + Shift + 7 and Ctrl + Shift + 8 start a numbered or a bulleted list.
Ctrl + Shift + C shows the word count.

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `C`, `Ctrl` + `X`, `Ctrl` + `V`	`Cmd` + `C`, `Cmd` + `X`, `Cmd` + `V`	Copy, cut, paste
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste without formatting
`Ctrl` + `Z`	`Cmd` + `Z`	Undo
`Ctrl` + `Y` or `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Z`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Z`	Redo
`Ctrl` + `A`	`Cmd` + `A`	Select all
`Ctrl` + `F`	`Cmd` + `F`	Find
`Ctrl` + `H`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `H`	Find and replace
`Ctrl` + `K`	`Cmd` + `K`	Insert or edit a link
`Ctrl` + `Enter`	`Cmd` + `Enter`	Insert a page break
`Ctrl` + `P`	`Cmd` + `P`	Print
`Ctrl` + `/`	`Cmd` + `/`	Show the keyboard shortcuts
`Alt` + `/`	`Option` + `/`	Search the menus

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `B`	`Cmd` + `B`	Bold
`Ctrl` + `I`	`Cmd` + `I`	Italic
`Ctrl` + `U`	`Cmd` + `U`	Underline
`Alt` + `Shift` + `5`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `X`	Strikethrough
`Ctrl` + `.`	`Cmd` + `.`	Superscript
`Ctrl` + `,`	`Cmd` + `,`	Subscript
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `>`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `>`	Larger text
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `<`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `<`	Smaller text
`Ctrl` + `\`	`Cmd` + `\`	Clear formatting
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `C`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `C`	Copy formatting
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `V`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `V`	Paste formatting

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `0`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `0`	Normal text
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `1 to 6`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `1 to 6`	Heading 1 to Heading 6
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `L`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `L`	Align left
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `E`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `E`	Centre
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `R`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `R`	Align right
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `J`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `J`	Justify
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `7`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `7`	Numbered list
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `8`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `8`	Bulleted list
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `9`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `9`	Checklist
`Ctrl` + `]`	`Cmd` + `]`	Increase the indent
`Ctrl` + `[`	`Cmd` + `[`	Decrease the indent
`Alt` + `Shift` + `Up arrow` or `Alt` + `Shift` + `Down arrow`	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Up arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Down arrow`	Move the paragraph up or down

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `M`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `M`	Insert a comment
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `F`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `F`	Insert a footnote
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `C`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `C`	Word count
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `S`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `S`	Start voice typing, in Chrome
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `H`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `Shift` + `H`	Open the version history
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `X`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `X`	Open the spelling and grammar check
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Y`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Y`	Look up the selected word in the dictionary
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `Z`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `Shift` + `Z`	Switch to Editing mode
`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `X`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `Shift` + `X`	Switch to Suggesting mode

No save shortcut is needed

Docs saves every change as you type. Pressing Ctrl + S does nothing harmful: Docs simply tells you that it saves automatically. To go back to an earlier state, open the version history.

Search the menus when you forget

Alt + / is the shortcut that replaces all the others. Press it, type "strikethrough" or "word count" or "page number", and choose from the list. It is quicker than hunting through menus and you do not need to remember the key for something you do once a month.

Headings make a document navigable

Applying Heading 1, 2 and 3 with Ctrl + Alt and a number builds an outline in the panel on the left, where a click takes you to any section. It also lets Docs make a table of contents. Formatting a heading by hand, in bold and large type, gives neither.

Pasting from the web

Text copied from a web page brings its fonts, colours and sizes with it. Ctrl + Shift + V pastes the words alone, in the style of the place where you paste them. For most pasting, it is the better default.

When a shortcut does nothing

Docs lives inside the browser, and the browser or an extension may be using the same keys. Some combinations also differ between browsers. If a shortcut on this page does not work, check the list inside Docs with Ctrl + /, which shows the keys for your own system.

This is an independent reference site. It is not connected with Microsoft, Apple, Google or any other maker of the programs named here. Product names belong to their owners and are used only to say where a shortcut works. Programs change; if a shortcut does not work for you, check the program's own help.