Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
Master these keyboard shortcuts to boost your productivity. Less mouse usage means faster work and less strain.
⌘ = Command (Mac)
⌥ = Option/Alt (Mac)
⌃ = Control (Mac)
Ctrl = Control (Windows)
Alt = Alt (Windows)
Jump to category:
Essential Shortcuts
The most important shortcuts everyone should know
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl + C | ⌘ + C |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | ⌘ + X |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | ⌘ + V |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | ⌘ + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | ⌘ + Shift + Z |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | ⌘ + A |
| Save | Ctrl + S | ⌘ + S |
| Find | Ctrl + F | ⌘ + F |
Ctrl + P | ⌘ + P | |
| New Window/Document | Ctrl + N | ⌘ + N |
Text Navigation
Move quickly through text without using the mouse
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Move cursor one word left | Ctrl + ← | ⌥ + ← |
| Move cursor one word right | Ctrl + → | ⌥ + → |
| Move to beginning of line | Home | ⌘ + ← |
| Move to end of line | End | ⌘ + → |
| Move to beginning of document | Ctrl + Home | ⌘ + ↑ |
| Move to end of document | Ctrl + End | ⌘ + ↓ |
| Page up | Page Up | Fn + ↑ |
| Page down | Page Down | Fn + ↓ |
Text Selection
Select text efficiently for editing operations
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Select one character left | Shift + ← | Shift + ← |
| Select one character right | Shift + → | Shift + → |
| Select one word left | Ctrl + Shift + ← | ⌥ + Shift + ← |
| Select one word right | Ctrl + Shift + → | ⌥ + Shift + → |
| Select to beginning of line | Shift + Home | ⌘ + Shift + ← |
| Select to end of line | Shift + End | ⌘ + Shift + → |
| Select entire line | Triple-click | Triple-click |
| Select paragraph | Ctrl + Shift + ↑/↓ | ⌥ + Shift + ↑/↓ |
Text Editing
Edit text faster with these shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Delete word before cursor | Ctrl + Backspace | ⌥ + Delete |
| Delete word after cursor | Ctrl + Delete | ⌥ + Fn + Delete |
| Delete to end of line | Shift + End, Delete | ⌘ + Delete |
| Duplicate line/selection | Ctrl + D (some editors) | ⌘ + D |
| Find and Replace | Ctrl + H | ⌘ + ⌥ + F |
| Bold text | Ctrl + B | ⌘ + B |
| Italic text | Ctrl + I | ⌘ + I |
| Underline text | Ctrl + U | ⌘ + U |
Browser Shortcuts
Navigate the web more efficiently
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| New tab | Ctrl + T | ⌘ + T |
| Close tab | Ctrl + W | ⌘ + W |
| Reopen closed tab | Ctrl + Shift + T | ⌘ + Shift + T |
| Next tab | Ctrl + Tab | ⌘ + ⌥ + → |
| Previous tab | Ctrl + Shift + Tab | ⌘ + ⌥ + ← |
| Go to specific tab (1-8) | Ctrl + 1-8 | ⌘ + 1-8 |
| Go to last tab | Ctrl + 9 | ⌘ + 9 |
| Refresh page | F5 or Ctrl + R | ⌘ + R |
| Hard refresh (clear cache) | Ctrl + Shift + R | ⌘ + Shift + R |
| Open DevTools | F12 or Ctrl + Shift + I | ⌘ + ⌥ + I |
| Focus address bar | Ctrl + L or F6 | ⌘ + L |
| Bookmark page | Ctrl + D | ⌘ + D |
System Shortcuts (Windows)
Windows-specific shortcuts for system navigation
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Open Start menu | Windows key | N/A |
| Lock computer | Windows + L | ⌘ + Ctrl + Q |
| Switch windows | Alt + Tab | ⌘ + Tab |
| Task view | Windows + Tab | Ctrl + ↑ (Mission Control) |
| Open Task Manager | Ctrl + Shift + Esc | ⌘ + ⌥ + Esc |
| Open File Explorer | Windows + E | ⌘ + Shift + F (Finder) |
| Minimize all windows | Windows + M | ⌘ + ⌥ + M |
| Screenshot (full) | Windows + PrtScn | ⌘ + Shift + 3 |
| Screenshot (selection) | Windows + Shift + S | ⌘ + Shift + 4 |
| Open Settings | Windows + I | ⌘ + , (in apps) |
Code Editor Shortcuts
Common shortcuts in VS Code, Sublime Text, and similar editors
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Command palette | Ctrl + Shift + P | ⌘ + Shift + P |
| Quick file open | Ctrl + P | ⌘ + P |
| Toggle sidebar | Ctrl + B | ⌘ + B |
| Go to line | Ctrl + G | ⌘ + G |
| Comment line | Ctrl + / | ⌘ + / |
| Move line up/down | Alt + ↑/↓ | ⌥ + ↑/↓ |
| Copy line up/down | Shift + Alt + ↑/↓ | ⌥ + Shift + ↑/↓ |
| Multi-cursor | Ctrl + Alt + ↑/↓ | ⌘ + ⌥ + ↑/↓ |
| Select next occurrence | Ctrl + D | ⌘ + D |
| Format document | Shift + Alt + F | ⌥ + Shift + F |
Microsoft Office / Google Docs
Productivity shortcuts for document editing
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Open document | Ctrl + O | ⌘ + O |
| Save as | F12 or Ctrl + Shift + S | ⌘ + Shift + S |
| Insert hyperlink | Ctrl + K | ⌘ + K |
| Spell check | F7 | ⌘ + Shift + ; |
| Insert page break | Ctrl + Enter | ⌘ + Enter |
| Increase font size | Ctrl + Shift + > | ⌘ + Shift + > |
| Decrease font size | Ctrl + Shift + < | ⌘ + Shift + < |
| Align left | Ctrl + L | ⌘ + L |
| Align center | Ctrl + E | ⌘ + E |
| Align right | Ctrl + R | ⌘ + R |
Tips for Learning Shortcuts
- 1.Start with the essentials: Master Copy, Paste, Undo, and Save before learning others.
- 2.Learn 2-3 new shortcuts per week: Don't overwhelm yourself. Consistent practice beats cramming.
- 3.Force yourself to use them: Even when it's slower at first, commit to using the shortcut instead of the mouse.
- 4.Put a cheat sheet nearby: Keep a printed reference until the shortcuts become automatic.