Complete Camtasia keyboard shortcuts reference — 129 shortcuts across 11 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows & macOS.
Camtasia has two keymaps in one: the recorder, where a couple of function keys start and stop the capture, and the editor, whose timeline shortcuts borrow the J-K-L convention from video editors. The table follows TechSmith's reference for Windows, including its occasional typos in key names, so that each row can be traced back to the source.
Recorder Options (4)
Shortcut
Action
Ctrl + R
New recording
F9
Start/pause recording
F10
Stop recording
Ctrl + M
Add marker while recording
Animations and Effects (5)
Shortcut
Action
Shift + T
Add last used transition
Shift + A
Add custom animation
Alt + I
Jump to next animation
Shift + I
Jump to previous animation
Ctrl + Shift + V
Start/stop narration recording
Canvas Options (10)
Shortcut
Action
Alt + C
Center canvas
Ctrl + 0
Scale to fill
Alt + Z
Pan and scale to 100%
Ctrl + Semicolon
Enable/disable canvas snapping
Left
Move selected media left
Right
Move selected media right
Up
Move selected media up
Down
Move selected media down
Shift
Move media 10 pixels
Esc
Exit full screen canvas view
Program Options (25)
Shortcut
Action
Ctrl + 1
Show/hide tools panel
Ctrl + 2
Show/hide properties panel
Ctrl + 3
Attach/detach timeline
B
Open media bin subtab
E
Open Camtasia assets subtab
R
Open library subtab
F
Open favorites tab
N
Open annotations tab
T
Open transitions tab
O
Open behaviors tab
A
Open animations tab
U
Open cursor effects tab
V
Open voice narration tab
D
Open audio effects tab
X
Open visual effects/video effects tab
C
Open captions tab
Ctrl + H
Launch home dialog
Ctrl + Comma
Launch preferences dialog
Ctrl + Alt + A
Launch Camtasia Audiate recorder
Ctrl + Alt + S
Launch Snagit Image Capture
Ctrl + Shift + P
Import package
Ctrl + Shift + E
Export package
See + below + - + Maximize
Maximize or de-maximize window (Mac)
Alt + F4
Exit/quit Camtasia
Alt + Spacebar
Display system menu
Project Options (8)
Shortcut
Action
Ctrl + I
Import media into media bin
Ctrl + F
Export frame as
Ctrl + E
Export to local file (Windows) Export (Mac)
Ctrl + Shift + F
Export frame at playhead
Ctrl + N
New project
Ctrl + O
Open project
Ctrl + S
Save project
F1
Launch online help
Timeline Editing (23)
Shortcut
Action
Ctrl + G
Group
Ctrl + U
Ungroup
Ctrl + Shift + G
Open group
Ctrl + Shift + U
Close group
Shift + S
Silence audio
Shift + R
Restore audio
S
Split selected media at playhead
Ctrl + Shift + S
Split all tracks at playhead
Ctrl + Alt + I
Stitch selected media
Ctl + Shift + \
Remove all stitches from selected track
Shift + N
Add annotation
Ctrl + Shift + A
Add selection to library
P
Add placeholder
Ctrl + Alt + P
Convert to placeholder
Ctrl + Shift + D
Deselect all
Ctrl + A
Select all
Ctrl + X
Cut Copies to clipboard No gap (Windows only) Stitches media together on timeline
Ctrl + D
Duplicate
Ctrl + C
Copy
Delete
Delete Leaves space on timeline
Ctrl + V
Paste
Ctrl + Y
Redo
Crl + Z
Undo
Timeline Navigation (30)
Shortcut
Action
Spacebar
Play/pause/stop video
Ctrl + Alt + M
Return playhead
Ctrl + Alt + Comma
Move playhead to previous clip
Ctrl + Alt + Period
Move playhead to next clip
Comma
Step backward on timeline
Period
Step forward on timeline
Ctrl + Shift + 8
Zoom to selection
Ctrl + Home
Jump to beginning of timeline Move playhead to beginning
Ctrl + End
Jump to end of timeline Move playhead to end
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Right
Extend selection to next clip
Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Left
Extend selection to previous clip
Shift + Comma
Extend selection range left
Shift + Period
Extend selection range right
Alt + Equal + sign
Increase track heights
Alt + Minus
Decrease track heights
Ctrl + Shift + Home
Extend selection to timeline beginning
Ctrl + Shift + End
Extend selection to timeline end
Alt + Right
Select succeeding media
Alt + Left
Select preceding media
Ctrl + Alt + J
Select all media to left of playhead
Ctrl + Alt + L
Select all media to right to right of playhead
J
Increase reverse playback speed
Shift + J
Decrease reverse playback speed
K + J
Step backward one frame
Shift + K + J
Step backward 1/2 second
K
Stop Playback
L
Increase forward playback speed
Shift + L
Decrease forward playback speed
K + L
Step forward one frame
Shift + K + L
Step forward 1/2 second
Captions (5)
Shortcut
Action
Shift + C
Add caption
Ctrl + Alt + ]
Increase caption duration
Ctrl + Alt + [
Decrease caption duration
Tab
Next caption
Shift + Tab
Previous caption
Timeline Tray Options (9)
Shortcut
Action
Shift + M
Add marker
Shift + Q
Add quiz
Ctrl + Q
Show/hide quiz view
Ctrl + T
Show/hide transcript view
Ctrl + ]
Next marker
Ctrl + [
Previous marker
Ctrl + Shift + ]
Select next marker Extend selection to next marker
Ctrl + Shift + [
Select previous marker Extend selection to previous marker
Ctrl + R opens a new recording, F9 starts and pauses it, and F10 stops — the three keys to write on a sticky note before a screen capture, because reaching for the recorder toolbar with the mouse ends up in the video. Ctrl + M drops a marker during recording at the moment you press it, which becomes a chapter point or a cut location later.
Timeline editing
A single S splits the selected media where the playhead sits; Ctrl + Shift + S does it across every track. Ctrl + X cuts a selection and closes the gap — the ripple behaviour — while Delete removes it and leaves space. Ctrl + G groups clips and Ctrl + Shift + G opens a group for editing inside it. Shift + S silences the selected audio and Shift + R restores it. Shift + M adds a marker on the timeline and Ctrl + ] and Ctrl + [ jump between markers.
Moving through the timeline
Spacebar plays and stops. J, K and L shuttle backward, stop and forward with each extra press adding speed; to step one frame, hold K and tap J or L. Comma and Period step the playhead back and forward, Ctrl + Alt + Comma and Ctrl + Alt + Period jump to the previous and next clip, and Ctrl + Home and Ctrl + End go to the ends. Ctrl + Shift + 8 zooms to the selection. The single-letter tab keys — N annotations, T transitions, C captions — open the editor's tool panels.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start and stop a recording without the mouse?
F9 starts or pauses and F10 stops. These work while the recorder is open, even when another window is in front.
How do I cut a section and close the gap?
Select the range on the timeline and press Ctrl + X. Delete removes the selection but leaves the space.
How do I split all tracks at once?
Ctrl + Shift + S splits every track at the playhead; S splits only the selected media.
Do these shortcuts apply to Camtasia for Mac?
Most do with Cmd in place of Ctrl, but the Mac version has its own list from TechSmith with several differences.
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