PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts: The Essentials as a PDF
The PowerPoint shortcuts you'll use every day, from a new slide to the slide show, with Mac equivalents. From Microsoft's list, as a printable PDF.
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Contents
The PowerPoint shortcuts you'll use every day: Ctrl + M for a new slide, F5 for the slide show and Ctrl + Shift + C to copy formatting. All come from Microsoft's help page, sorted by task and available as a printable PDF.
Work with presentations and slides
Ctrl + N- Create new presentationCtrl + M- Add a new slideCtrl + Shift + D- Make a copy of the selected slideCtrl + O- Open a presentationCtrl + S- Save the presentationCtrl + P- Print a presentation
Copy objects and text
Ctrl + X- Cut selected object or textCtrl + C- Copy selected object or textCtrl + V- Paste cut or copied object or textCtrl + Z- Undo the last actionCtrl + Y- Redo the last actionCtrl + Shift + C- Copy the formatting of the selected object or textCtrl + Shift + V- Paste copied formatting to the selected object or textCtrl + G- Group the selected objects
Work with text
Ctrl + B- Apply bold formattingCtrl + I- Apply italic formattingCtrl + U- Apply underline formattingCtrl + E- Center a paragraphCtrl + L- Left align a paragraphCtrl + F- Open the Find dialog box
Slide show
F5- Start the slide showEsc- End the slide showPage down- Go to the next slidePage up- Go to the previous slide
Mac
Cmd + N- Create new presentationCmd + Shift + N- Add a new slideCmd + Shift + D- Make a copy of the selected slideCmd + O- Open a presentationCmd + S- Save the presentationCmd + P- Print a presentationCmd + X- Cut selected object or textCmd + C- Copy selected object or textCmd + V- Paste cut or copied object or textCmd + Z- Undo the last action
Pro tip
Start with the three that save the most clicks: Ctrl + M, Ctrl + Shift + D and F5. Use them on purpose for a week, then add three more.
FAQ
How do I start a presentation from the keyboard?
Press F5 on Windows and Cmd + Shift + Return on a Mac. Esc ends it.
Do the shortcuts work on my keyboard?
Microsoft says the shortcuts refer to the US keyboard layout and that keys on other layouts may differ. We have not tested them in every version.
What is the shortcut for a new slide?
Ctrl + M on Windows and Cmd + Shift + N on a Mac.
Next step
Shortcuts save clicks. Touch typing saves time on every word. Practice these shortcuts in the trainer or measure your typing speed.
Matching sheets
More sheets for the office: Excel, Word, Outlook and Teams.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts in PowerPoint - read on 4 November 2026
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