Complete Apple Keynote keyboard shortcuts reference — 187 shortcuts across 13 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for macOS.
Keynote is Mac-only and its keymap follows Apple's conventions closely — Cmd for the action, Option to change scope, Shift to extend — with a separate single-key set that only works while a presentation is playing. The table follows the Keynote User Guide. The playback keys are the ones worth rehearsing; the editing keys mostly match Pages and Numbers.
General (40)
Shortcut
Action
Fn + D
Start dictation
Cmd + N
Open the theme chooser
Option + Cmd + N
Open the theme chooser and show the Language pop-up menu
Esc
Close the theme chooser
Cmd + O
Open an existing presentation
Cmd + S
Save a presentation
Option + Shift + Cmd + S
Save as
Shift + Cmd + S
Duplicate a presentation
Cmd + P
Print a presentation
Shift + Cmd + ?
Open the Keynote User Guide
Cmd + W
Close a window
Option + Cmd + W
Close all windows
Cmd + M
Minimize a window
Option + Cmd + M
Minimize all windows
Ctrl + Cmd + F
Enter full-screen view
Shift + Cmd + >
Zoom in
Shift + Cmd + <
Zoom out
Cmd + ,
Show the Settings window
Shift + Cmd + 0
Zoom to selection
Option + Shift + Cmd + 0
Zoom to fit content (including objects on the extended canvas) in the window
Option + Cmd + 0
Fit slide in the window
Cmd + 0
Return to actual size
Cmd + R
Show the presentation rulers
Shift + Cmd + V
Choose a file to insert
Shift + Cmd + C
Show the Colors window
Option + Cmd + T
Hide or show the toolbar
Option + Cmd + I
Hide or show inspector sidebars
Shift + Cmd + L
Hide or show the object list
Cmd + A
Select all object types in the object list filter menu
Shift + Cmd + A
Deselect all object types in the object list filter menu
Ctrl + `
Open the next tab in the sidebar
Shift + Ctrl + `
Open the previous tab in the sidebar
Shift + Cmd + E
Enter or exit Edit Slide Layouts view
Shift + Cmd + N
Add a new slide layout (from Edit Slide Layouts view)
Cmd + H
Hide Keynote
Option + Cmd + H
Hide other windows
Cmd + Z
Undo the last action
Shift + Cmd + Z
Redo the last action
Cmd + Q
Quit Keynote
Option + Cmd + Q
Quit Keynote and keep windows open
Move around within a presentation (24)
Shortcut
Action
Left
Move one character to the left
Right
Move one character to the right
Ctrl + B
Move one character backward (works for left-to-right and right-to-left text)
Ctrl + F
Move one character forward (works for left-to-right and right-to-left text)
Up
Move to the line above
Down
Move to the line below
Option + Left
Move to the beginning of the current or previous word
Option + Right
Move to the end of the current or next word
Cmd + Up
Move to the beginning of the current text area
Cmd + Down
Move to the bottom of the current text area
Cmd + Left
Move to the beginning of the current line
Cmd + Right
Move to the end of the current line
Option + Up
Move to the beginning of the current paragraph
Option + Down
Move to the end of the current paragraph
Cmd + E
Find the selected item in the presentation
Cmd + J
Jump to a selection in a presentation
Home
Scroll to the beginning of the slide
End
Scroll to the end of the slide
Ctrl + L
Center the insertion point in the app window
Fn + Down
Move to the next slide
Fn + Up
Move to the previous slide
Fn + Left
Move to the first slide
Fn + Right
Move to the last slide
Ctrl + Cmd + G
Go to a specific slide
Select text (12)
Shortcut
Action
Shift + Right
Extend the selection one character to the right
Shift + Left
Extend the selection one character to the left
Option + Shift + Right
Extend the selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of subsequent words
Option + Shift + Left
Extend the selection to the beginning of the current word
Shift + Cmd + Right
Extend the selection to the end of the current line
Shift + Cmd + Left
Extend the selection to the beginning of the current line
Shift + Up
Extend the selection to the line above
Shift + Down
Extend the selection to the line below
Option + Shift + Up
Extend the selection to the beginning of the current paragraph
Option + Shift + Down
Extend the selection to the end of the current paragraph
Shift + Cmd + Up
Extend the selection to the beginning of the text
Shift + Cmd + Down
Extend the selection to the end of the text
Format text (35)
Shortcut
Action
Cmd + T
Show the Fonts window
Cmd + B
Apply boldface to selected text
Cmd + I
Apply italic to selected text
Cmd + U
Apply underline to selected text
Delete
Delete the previous character or selection
Fn + Delete
Delete the next character or selection
Option + Delete
Delete the word before the insertion point
Ctrl + K
Delete the text between the insertion point and the next paragraph break
Cmd + +
Make the font size bigger
Cmd + -
Make the font size smaller
Option + Cmd + [
Decrease the space between selected characters
Option + Cmd + ]
Increase the space between selected characters
Ctrl + Cmd + +
Make the text superscript
Ctrl + Cmd + -
Make the text subscript
Cmd + {
Align the text flush left
Cmd + |
Center the text
Cmd + }
Align the text flush right
Option + Cmd + |
Align the text flush left and flush right (justify)
Cmd + [
Decrease the indent level of a block of text or a list item
Cmd + ]
Increase the indent level of a block of text or a list item
Shift + Tab
Decrease the indent level of a list item or headline
Tab
Increase the indent level of a list item or headline
Cmd + K
Turn text or an object into a link
Cmd + X
Cut the selection
Cmd + C
Copy the selection
Option + Cmd + C
Copy the paragraph style
Cmd + V
Paste the selection
Option + Cmd + V
Paste the paragraph style
Option + Shift + Cmd + V
Paste and match the style of the destination text
Option + Space
Insert a nonbreaking space
Shift + Return
Insert a line break (soft return)
Return
Insert a paragraph break
Ctrl + O
Insert a new line after the insertion point
Ctrl + Cmd + Space
Enter special characters
Ctrl + T
Transpose the characters on either side of the insertion point
Find and delete text, use comments, and check spelling (12)
Shortcut
Action
Cmd + F
Find
Cmd + G
Find next (while in the Find window)
Shift + Cmd + G
Find previous (while in the Find window)
Ctrl + Cmd + D
Look up the word at the insertion point
Option + Esc
Display a list of words to complete the selected word
Cmd + ;
Check spelling and grammar
Shift + Cmd + :
Show the “Spelling and Grammar” window
Shift + Cmd + K
Open a new comment for the selected text, object, or table cell
Cmd + Return
Save a comment
Option + Cmd + K
Show the next comment
Option + Shift + Cmd + K
Show the previous comment
Ctrl + Shift + F
Clean up slide
Move, group, layer, and resize objects (12)
Shortcut
Action
Shift + Cmd + B
Send the selected object to the back
Option + Shift + Cmd + B
Send the selected object one layer back
Shift + Cmd + F
Bring the selected object to the front
Option + Shift + Cmd + F
Bring the selected object one layer forward
Option + Cmd + G
Group selected objects
Option + Shift + Cmd + G
Ungroup selected objects
Cmd + L
Lock selected objects
Option + Cmd + L
Unlock selected objects
Cmd + D
Duplicate the object
Shift + Cmd + M
Mask or unmask the object
Ctrl + Option + Cmd + I
Define the object as a media placeholder
Ctrl + Option + Cmd + T
Define the selected text as a text placeholder
Modify editable shapes (1)
Shortcut
Action
Option + Shift + Cmd + P
Draw a custom shape with the Pen tool
Work with tables (26)
Shortcut
Action
Option + Cmd + E
Insert an equation
Option + Cmd + Return
Select all rows that intersect the current selection
Ctrl + Cmd + Return
Select all columns that intersect the current selection
Space
Open a pop-up menu in a selected cell
Option + Cmd + U
Auto-align cell content
Option + Tab
Insert a tab when editing text or a formula
=
Open the Formula Editor for the selected nonformula cell
Option + Cmd + Left
Select the first populated cell in the current row
Option + Cmd + Right
Select the last populated cell in the current row
Option + Cmd + Up
Select the first populated cell in the current column
Option + Cmd + Down
Select the last populated cell in the current column
Option + Cmd + Delete
Delete selected rows
Ctrl + Cmd + Delete
Delete selected columns
Option + Shift + Cmd + Left
Expand the current selection to include the first populated cell in the current row
Option + Shift + Cmd + Right
Expand the current selection to include the last populated cell in the current row
Option + Shift + Cmd + Up
Expand the current selection to include the first populated cell in the current column
Option + Shift + Cmd + Down
Expand the current selection to include the last populated cell in the current column
Ctrl + Cmd + M
Merge selected cells
Ctrl + Shift + Cmd + M
Unmerge selected cells
Ctrl + Option + Cmd + Up
Add or remove the top border
Ctrl + Option + Cmd + Down
Add or remove the bottom border
Ctrl + Option + Cmd + Right
Add or remove the right border
Ctrl + Option + Cmd + Left
Add or remove the left border
Cmd + \
Turn on autofill mode
Ctrl + Cmd + \
Autofill from the column before
Option + Cmd + \
Autofill from the row above
Edit chart data (1)
Shortcut
Action
Shift + Cmd + D
Show or hide the Chart Data Editor
Create cell references in formulas (1)
Shortcut
Action
Option + Return
Insert a line break
Use Navigator view (1)
Shortcut
Action
Shift + Cmd + H
Skip a slide so it doesn’t show in a presentation, or show a slide that’s being skipped
Play a presentation and use the presenter mode (17)
Cmd + D duplicates the selected object, Option + Cmd + G groups and Option + Shift + Cmd + G ungroups. Layer order uses Shift + Cmd: Shift + Cmd + F to the front, Shift + Cmd + B to the back, with Option added for one step at a time. Cmd + L locks an object so it cannot be nudged by accident and Option + Cmd + L unlocks it. Shift + Cmd + M masks an image with a shape. Shift + Cmd + H skips a slide without deleting it, and Shift + Cmd + E opens the slide layouts for editing the master.
Text and navigation
Cmd + {, Cmd + | and Cmd + } align text left, centre and right, and Cmd + [ and Cmd + ] change the indent level of a list item. Option + Cmd + C and Option + Cmd + V copy and paste paragraph style, and Option + Shift + Cmd + V pastes text matching the destination style. Fn + Up and Fn + Down move between slides while editing, and Ctrl + Cmd + G goes to a slide by number. Shift + Cmd + K adds a comment on the selection.
Presenting
Option + Cmd + P plays from the current slide. During playback the keys are single letters: B and W pause on a black or white screen, F pauses on the current slide, C shows or hides the pointer, S shows the slide number and Z steps back through slides you have already shown. X swaps the presenter and audience displays when they come up the wrong way round, R resets the timer, U and D scroll the presenter notes, and H hides Keynote to show the last app — for a demo in the middle of a talk. ? shows the shortcut list during a presentation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I black out the screen in Keynote?
Press B during the presentation. W shows white instead; either key again resumes.
The presenter display is on the wrong screen — how do I swap?
Press X while presenting to switch the primary and presenter displays.
How do I skip a slide without deleting it?
Select it in the navigator and press Shift + Cmd + H. The same key un-skips it.
How do I switch to another app mid-presentation?
Press H to hide the presentation and return to the last app; switch back to Keynote to resume.
🤖 Ask AI about Apple Keynote shortcuts
Open your assistant with this page preloaded as the source — great for follow-up questions like "which of these work in other apps?"