Programs · 51 shortcuts

PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts

PowerPoint shortcuts fall into two sets: the ones for building slides, and the ones for the moment you stand up and present. The second set matters most, because fumbling with a mouse in front of an audience is what people remember. The first column is for Windows and the second for the Mac.

Find a shortcut on this page

The eight to learn first

F5 starts the show from the first slide.
Shift + F5 starts from the slide you are on, which is what you want when rehearsing.
B blanks the screen to black during a show, and brings it back. Use it when you want the room to look at you.
A number, then Enter jumps straight to that slide during a show.
Esc ends the show.
Ctrl + M adds a new slide.
Ctrl + D duplicates the selected slide or object.
Ctrl + G groups the selected objects.

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Ctrl` + `M`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `N`	Add a new slide
`Ctrl` + `D`	`Cmd` + `D`	Duplicate the selected slide or object
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `D`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `D`	Duplicate the slide
`Delete`	`Delete`	Delete the selected slide or object
`Ctrl` + `Up arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Down arrow`	`Cmd` + `Up arrow` or `Cmd` + `Down arrow`	Move the selected slide up or down, in the slide list
`Ctrl` + `N`	`Cmd` + `N`	New presentation
`Ctrl` + `S`	`Cmd` + `S`	Save
`Ctrl` + `Z`	`Cmd` + `Z`	Undo
`Ctrl` + `Y`	`Cmd` + `Y`	Redo
`Page Down` or `Page Up`	`Page Down` or `Page Up`	Go to the next or previous slide
`Ctrl` + `K`	`Cmd` + `K`	Insert a link
`Shift` + `F9`	`Shift` + `F9`	Show or hide the grid
`Alt` + `F9`		\| Show or hide the guides

Windows	Mac	What it does
`Tab`	`Tab`	Select the next object on the slide
`Shift` + `Tab`	`Shift` + `Tab`	Select the previous object
`Ctrl` + `A`	`Cmd` + `A`	Select all objects on the slide, or all slides in the list
`Ctrl` + `G`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `G`	Group the selected objects
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `G`	`Cmd` + `Option` + `Shift` + `G`	Ungroup
`Arrow keys`	`Arrow keys`	Nudge the selected object
`Ctrl` + `Arrow keys`	`Cmd` + `Arrow keys`	Nudge in smaller steps
`Shift while dragging`	`Shift while dragging`	Keep the movement straight, or keep a shape's proportions when resizing
`Ctrl while dragging`	`Option while dragging`	Make a copy
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `C`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `C`	Copy the formatting of an object
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste the formatting
`Ctrl` + `B`, `Ctrl` + `I`, `Ctrl` + `U`	`Cmd` + `B`, `Cmd` + `I`, `Cmd` + `U`	Bold, italic, underline
`Ctrl` + `E`	`Cmd` + `E`	Centre the text
`Ctrl` + `L`	`Cmd` + `L`	Align the text left
`Ctrl` + `R`	`Cmd` + `R`	Align the text right
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `>`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `>`	Larger text
`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `<`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `<`	Smaller text
`Tab`	`Tab`	In a bulleted list: move the point one level in
`Shift` + `Tab`	`Shift` + `Tab`	In a bulleted list: move the point one level out

Windows	Mac	What it does
`F5`	`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Return`	Start the show from the first slide
`Shift` + `F5`	`Cmd` + `Return`	Start the show from the current slide
`Alt` + `F5`	`Option` + `Return`	Start in Presenter View
`N` or `Enter` or `Space` or `Right arrow` or `Down arrow`	`N` or `Return` or `Space` or `Right arrow`	Next slide or next animation
`P` or `Backspace` or `Left arrow` or `Up arrow`	`P` or `Delete` or `Left arrow`	Previous slide or animation
`Number` then `Enter`	`Number` then `Return`	Go to that slide number
`Home`	`Home`	Go to the first slide
`End`	`End`	Go to the last slide
`B` or `.`	`B` or `.`	Black screen, and back
`W` or `,`	`W` or `,`	White screen, and back
`Esc`	`Esc`	End the show
`Ctrl` + `P`	`Cmd` + `P`	Change the pointer to a pen
`Ctrl` + `I`		\| Change the pointer to a highlighter
`Ctrl` + `L`		\| Change the pointer to a laser pointer
`Ctrl` + `A`	`Cmd` + `A`	Change the pointer back to an arrow
`E`	`E`	Erase the pen marks on the slide
`Ctrl` + `H`		\| Hide the pointer
`G`		\| Show all slides as a grid
`+` or `-`		\| Zoom in or out on the slide

Presenting without touching the mouse

Know your slide numbers. Print the outline with numbers, or keep them on your notes. When a question takes you back to an earlier slide, type its number and press Enter. It looks far more assured than clicking back through twenty slides.

Black out the screen on purpose. People cannot listen to you and read a slide at once. Press B when you want their attention, and B again to bring the slide back. W does the same with a white screen, which is better in a dark room where you need some light.

Use Presenter View with a projector. Alt + F5 shows you the current slide, the next one, your notes and a clock, while the audience sees only the slide.

Rehearse with Shift + F5. It starts from wherever you are, so you can practise one section without sitting through the opening each time.

Draw, then erase. Ctrl + P turns the pointer into a pen for circling a figure. E clears the marks. When the show ends, PowerPoint asks whether to keep them.

Building faster

Duplicate, do not rebuild. Ctrl + D on a finished slide gives a copy with the same layout. Change the text and you have a consistent next slide. On an object, Ctrl + D repeated places copies at the same spacing each time, which lines up a row of boxes neatly.

Group things that belong together. Select the parts of a diagram and press Ctrl + G. They then move and resize as one.

Hold Shift for straight lines and true shapes. A line drawn with Shift held is exactly horizontal or vertical. A rectangle becomes a square, an oval a circle.

Select hidden objects with Tab. When shapes overlap and you cannot click the one underneath, press Tab to step through every object on the slide.

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