PowerPoint Shortcut Keys

What are PowerPoint Shortcut Keys

PowerPoint shortcut keys help users to use the functions of PowerPoint with more efficiency. Much like Excel shortcut keys, they allow users to keep hands on the keyboard and do tasks faster. For example, Ctrl + D let users duplicate slides without having to use their mouse.

Making slides shortcuts

Insert a new slide:

CTRL + SHIFT + M

Duplicate the current slide:

CTRL + SHIFT + D

Content shortcuts

The following section shows a variety of shortcut keys that enables users to alter the text in PowerPoint. To use the shortcuts, first select the texts.

Select text:

CTRL + A

Center text within a box:

CTRL + E

Right align text within a box:

CTRL + R

Left align text within a box:

CTRL + L

Make text smaller:

CTRL + SHIFT + <

Make text bigger:

CTRL + SHIFT >

Copy the formatting:

This shortcut allows the user to copy the color, size, or font of a text and apply it to another text. This can also be used for shapes.

CTRL + SHIFT + C

Paste the formatting:

CTRL + SHIFT + V

Shape shortcuts

The following shortcuts allow users to alter, copy, and paste shapes with greater efficiency. To use the shortcuts, first select the shape(s).

Copy and paste shape(s):

This shortcut helps combine CTRL C, CTRL V into one step. Select the shape that you want to copy, press CTRL + SHIFT, and then click on the item and drag it into position.

CTRL + SHIFT + Drag

Copy and paste shape(s) multiple times:

This is similar to the shortcut above but is more useful when pasting the shape multiple times. After selecting the item and pressing CTRL + D, drag the copied item into position. PowerPoint will utilize the distance between the duplicate and the original item. Press CTRL + D again to duplicate the item, this time the duplicate will be spaced out the same way.

CTRL + D

Group items together:

Grouping items allows users to move multiple items at once while keeping the spacing between the items.

CTRL + G

Ungroup items:

This shortcut allows users to ungroup items so individual shapes can be moved. The ungrouping function also applies to the PowerPoint icons. By ungrouping the icons, users can take apart icons and redesign them.

CTRL + SHIFT + G

Presentation shortcuts

Start presentation mode from the first slide:

F5

Start presentation mode from the current slide:

SHIFT + F5

Jump to slide in presentation mode:

During the presentation, the user can jump to a specific slide without having to exit the presentation or use the up and down key by using the PowerPoint shortcut keys. This is useful if the slide is far from the current slide and if the user knows the slide number.

Slide number + ENTER

Aligning Shapes

Making sure items are spaced out equally across a slide can be a time-consuming process. Users can use the align function that PowerPoint provides by clicking into the ribbon. A faster solution is to set the align function as a hotkey, so users can access it with a few taps on the keyboard.

To make the align function into a hotkey:

1. Go to the home tab
2. Click into the arrange dropdown, which is on the right side of the screen
3. Right-click on the alignment tool and add it to the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)
4. Click into the QAT, which is on the top of the screen near the save button and shaped like a downward arrow, and select More Commands
5. In the dialogue box that pops up, click on the align objects tool, which can be found on the right slide of the box
6. Click on the up arrow to move the Align Object tool to the very top

To access the hotkey, press ALT + 1

After pressing the ALT + 1, a box will appear on the side of the screen. Press the letter that associate with the alignment of choice.

Additional Resources

Thank you for reading CFI’s article on PowerPoint shortcut keys. To keep learning and advancing your career, we recommend these other CFI resources:

• Excel Crash Course
• Basic Excel Formulas
• Excel Shortcuts Overview
• PowerPoint and Pitchbook Course
• See all Excel resources