Keyboard Shortcuts for PowerPoint

PowerPoint supports a number of shortcuts, many of which may be familiar to you from other Office programs. These can save you a huge amount of time and frustration when putting together your presentation. Here’s an overview of some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint.

Efficient Object Manipulation

Looking to speed up your workflow? PowerPoint not only offers the popular tried-and-true shortcuts, but also many others that you may not know. Here’s our selection of the most useful shortcuts in PowerPoint.

1. Duplicate Objects – Ctrl + D
   Create a copy of the selected object (shape, text field, image, etc.). Holding down the left mouse button + Ctrl also creates a copy of the object, allowing you to move the duplicate to where you want on the slide.

2. Duplicate Slides – Ctrl + Shift + D
   Use this shortcut to duplicate the selected slide.

3. Open Header and Footer Dialog Box – Alt + Shift + D
   Change header and footer settings with ease.

4. Insert New Slide – Ctrl + M
   Quickly add a new slide to your presentation.

5. Insert Hyperlink – Ctrl + K
   Opens the Insert Hyperlink dialog box for quick linking.

6. Cut – Ctrl + X
   Cut the selected object, text, or slide.

7. Copy – Ctrl + C
   Copy the selected text or object to the clipboard.

8. Paste – Ctrl + V
   Insert the copied object or text from the clipboard.

9. Group Objects – Ctrl + G
   Group selected objects so they can be moved and edited as a single object.

10. Move Object – Arrow Keys
    Use the arrow keys to position the selected object on the slide.

11. Rotate Object – Alt + Left/Right Arrow Key
    Rotate the selected object to the left or right on its own axis.

Open/Close Selection and Task Pane – Alt + F10 (only for PowerPoint 2010 and 2013)
Show or hide the Selection pane to the right of the slide, allowing you to view, select, and hide the slide’s individual elements.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Text Management

When working with a text-heavy presentation, shortcuts are a must. Thankfully, PowerPoint offers numerous options to enhance your text management. Here’s a list of keyboard shortcuts that will make your editing easier and help you save time.

Sometimes, a lot of text in a presentation can’t be avoided. Here are some tips to help you work quickly and effectively no matter how much text you have.

1. Open Font Dialog Box – Ctrl + T
   Access your font settings with this shortcut.

2. Apply Underline – Ctrl + U
   Underline the selected text easily.

3. Align Text Left – Ctrl + L
   Align the selected text to the left.

4. Align Text Right – Ctrl + R
   Align the selected text to the right.

5. Align Text Center – Ctrl + E
   Center the selected text within its container.

6. Justify Text – Ctrl + J
   Justify the selected text to align from both left and right.

7. Jump to Paragraph – Ctrl + Up/Down Arrow Key
   Move the cursor to the previous or following paragraph.

8. Jump to Word – Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow Key
   Move the cursor to the previous or following word.

9. Select Text – Shift + Arrow Keys
   Create a text selection and extend it in all directions.

10. Select All Text – Ctrl + A
    Quickly select all text in your document.