500+ of the Most Useful Keyboard Shortcuts to Work Faster

Most people use maybe a dozen keyboard shortcuts. Copy, paste, undo. That’s about it. The rest of the time they’re reaching for the mouse, clicking through menus, hunting for the right option. It works, but it’s slow. Every menu click is a small interruption. Stack enough of them together and you’ve lost significant time without noticing.

The good news: you don’t need to memorize 500 shortcuts to see a real difference. Studies on office workers show that regular keyboard shortcut use can save 8 or more days of work per year. Learning even a handful of the right ones, matched to the apps you actually use, compounds quickly.

This guide covers computer keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, and the apps most professionals use daily: Word, Excel, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Chrome, Safari, Edge, and VS Code. We’ve also included function key references, shortcut customization tips, and practical advice on building the habit. Use it as a reference you come back to, not a list you have to memorize all at once.

What are keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys?

Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations (like Ctrl+C or Command+C) that trigger actions in software or your operating system. They work across most apps and devices. The idea is simple: instead of moving your hand to the mouse, clicking a menu, and finding the option you need, you press two or three keys and the same thing happens instantly.

So, what’s the difference?

Hotkeys and keyboard shortcuts are often used interchangeably, but there’s a loose distinction. Keyboard shortcuts typically refer to combinations built into an application. They’re documented by the software developer and work universally within that app. Hotkeys more often refer to user-assigned or system-level key combinations that trigger specific functions, sometimes even when an app isn’t in focus. In practice, most people use the terms interchangeably, and that’s fine.

The basics of keyboard shortcuts

Start here if you’re building the habit from scratch. These work across virtually every application on every platform. If you use a computer for work, these are the ones worth internalizing first.

Everyday keyboard shortcuts (Windows and Mac)

Action | Windows | Mac
Copy | Ctrl+C | Command+C
Paste | Ctrl+V | Command+V
Cut | Ctrl+X | Command+X
Undo | Ctrl+Z | Command+Z
Redo | Ctrl+Y | Command+Shift+Z
Save | Ctrl+S | Command+S
Open new window | Ctrl+N | Command+N
Print | Ctrl+P | Command+P
Find | Ctrl+F | Command+F
Select all | Ctrl+A | Command+A
Switch apps | Alt+Tab | Command+Tab
Close window | Alt+F4 | Command+W
Lock screen | Win+L | Control+Command+Q

Switching and closing apps

Alt+Tab (Windows) and Command+Tab (Mac) are genuinely worth using every day. Hold the first key and tap the second to cycle through open apps. Keep holding and tap again to move to the next one. Release to switch. On Mac, you can also press Command+` (backtick) to cycle through windows of the same application, which is helpful when you have multiple browser windows or documents open.

Function key shortcuts: F1 through F12

The function keys at the top of your keyboard are among the most underused shortcuts available. Most people hit F5 to refresh a browser and maybe F2 to rename files. That’s it. Here’s what the rest of them actually do.

Key | Windows (common) | Mac (common)
F1 | Open Help | No universal default (app-specific)
F2 | Rename selected file/cell | Rename selected file in Finder
F3 | Open search in File Explorer / Find next | Mission Control (or app-specific)
F4 | Open address bar in File Explorer; repeat last action in Excel | Close active window (with Command)
F5 | Refresh browser / Reload page | No universal default
F6 | Move cursor to browser address bar | No universal default
F7 | Spell check in Word; caret browsing in Chrome/Edge | No universal default
F8 | Access Windows startup options (boot menu) | No universal default
F9 | Send/receive in Outlook; recalculate in Excel | No universal default
F10 | Open menu bar / right-click context menu equivalent | No universal default
F11 | Toggle full screen (browsers, File Explorer) | Enter/exit full screen
F12 | Open Save As in Word; open browser DevTools | Open browser DevTools

On laptops, function keys often double as media/hardware controls (brightness, volume, screen lock). Press the Fn key alongside the F-key to toggle between the two behaviors. Some laptops have a Fn Lock setting in BIOS that lets you swap which mode is default.

Hotkeys for typing: save time with every keystroke

These shortcuts handle text selection, cursor movement, and basic formatting. Once they’re muscle memory, editing documents and emails gets noticeably faster.

Text navigation and editing (Windows)

Ctrl+Right/Left arrow: Jump one word at a time

Ctrl+Shift+Right/Left arrow: Select one word at a time

Home/End: Jump to start/end of current line

Ctrl+Home/End: Jump to start/end of document

Ctrl+Backspace: Delete the previous word

Ctrl+Delete: Delete the next word

Ctrl+B / Ctrl+I / Ctrl+U: Bold / Italic / Underline

Shift+Home/End: Select from cursor to start/end of line

Text navigation and editing (Mac)

Option+Right/Left arrow: Jump one word at a time

Option+Shift+Right/Left arrow: Select one word at a time

Command+Right/Left arrow: Jump to end/start of line

Command+Up/Down arrow: Jump to start/end of document

Option+Delete: Delete the previous word

Command+B / Command+I / Command+U: Bold / Italic / Underline

Shift+Command+Right/Left arrow: Select to end/start of line

Repetitive typing shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts handle built-in commands well. But what about the text you type over and over: your email signature, your company’s full name, your standard responses to common questions? That’s a different problem, and it needs a different tool.

TextExpander lets you type a short abbreviation (like myname or addr1) that expands instantly into whatever longer text you’ve saved. Your full name, your address, a paragraph you write five times a day. You define it once, and it’s available everywhere you type.

That “everywhere” part matters. Keyboard shortcuts are built into specific apps. They work in Word, or in Chrome, or in macOS, but each app has its own set. TextExpander Snippets work across every app and browser without any additional setup. One abbreviation, any application.

TextExpander is free. Your time isn’t.

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Keyboard shortcuts for computers and laptops

These cover general system-level shortcuts beyond the basic copy/paste set: window management, desktop navigation, screenshot tools, and accessibility features.

Computer hotkeys (Windows)

Win+D: Show/hide desktop

Win+E: Open File Explorer

Win+R: Open Run dialog

Win+I: Open Settings

Win+S: Open search

Win+PrtScn: Screenshot to file

Win+Shift+S: Snipping Tool (select region to screenshot)

Win+V: Clipboard history

Ctrl+Shift+Esc: Open Task Manager directly

Alt+Enter: View properties of selected file

Laptop-specific tips (Windows)

Win+P: Toggle display mode (extend, duplicate, second screen only)

Win+K: Connect to wireless display or audio device

Fn+F keys: Hardware controls (brightness, volume) on most laptop keyboards

Computer hotkeys (Mac)

Command+Space: Open Spotlight search

Command+Shift+3: Screenshot (full screen)

Command+Shift+4: Screenshot (select region)

Command+Shift+5: Screenshot and screen recording options

Command+Option+Esc: Force Quit Applications

Control+Command+Q: Lock screen

Command+Mission Control: Show desktop

Laptop-specific tips (Mac)

Fn+F11: Show desktop (on keyboards without a dedicated Mission Control key)

Fn+Delete: Forward delete (since Mac laptops have no separate Delete key)

Microsoft Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Win+A | Open Quick Settings (Action Center)
Win+N | Open Notification Center
Win+W | Open Widgets
Win+Z | Open Snap Layouts
Win+X | Open Quick Link menu (right-click Start equivalent)
Win+H | Start voice dictation
Win+G | Open Xbox Game Bar
Win+K | Cast to a display
Win+T | Cycle through taskbar apps
Win+U | Open Accessibility settings

Copilot and AI key shortcuts (Windows 11)

Newer Windows 11 keyboards (2024 and later) include a dedicated Copilot key. On keyboards without it, you can still access Copilot through keyboard shortcuts.

Copilot key: Open Microsoft Copilot (on supported keyboards)

Win+C: Open Copilot (on systems without a dedicated key)

Win+H: Open voice typing / dictation (works with Copilot integration)

Win+Shift+F: Open Feedback Hub (report issues to Microsoft)

File Explorer shortcuts

Alt+D: Select address bar

Ctrl+E: Select search box

Ctrl+N: Open new window

Ctrl+W: Close current window

Alt+Left/Right arrow: Navigate back/forward

Alt+Up arrow: Go up one level

F2: Rename selected file or folder

F5: Refresh

Window management

Win+Left/Right arrow: Snap window to left/right half

Win+Up arrow: Maximize window

Win+Down arrow: Minimize window

Win+Shift+Left/Right arrow: Move window to another monitor

Win+Z: Open Snap Layouts (choose from preset split options)

Virtual desktops

Win+Ctrl+D: Add a new virtual desktop

Win+Ctrl+Left/Right arrow: Switch between virtual desktops

Win+Ctrl+F4: Close current virtual desktop

Win+Tab: Open Task View (see all desktops and open windows)

Accessibility shortcuts

Win+Plus (+): Open Magnifier (zoom in)

Win+Minus (-): Zoom out in Magnifier

Win+Enter: Open Narrator

Ctrl+Alt+I: Invert colors in Magnifier

Microsoft Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts

Most Windows 10 shortcuts carry over to Windows 11. These are the ones specific to Windows 10 or particularly useful on that version.

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Win+A | Open Action Center
Win+I | Open Settings
Win+X | Open Quick Link menu
Win+G | Open Game Bar
Win+H | Start voice dictation
Win+PrtScn | Save screenshot to Pictures folder
Win+Shift+S | Open Snip & Sketch
Win+Period (.) | Open emoji picker
Win+Semicolon (;) | Open emoji picker (alternate)

File Explorer shortcuts

Ctrl+L: Select address bar

Ctrl+Shift+N: Create new folder

F4: Open address bar dropdown

Backspace: Go back to previous folder

Virtual desktops

Win+Ctrl+D: Create new virtual desktop

Win+Ctrl+Left/Right arrow: Switch between virtual desktops

Win+Ctrl+F4: Close current virtual desktop

Accessibility shortcuts

Win+Plus (+): Open Magnifier

Win+Enter: Open Narrator

Win+U: Open Ease of Access Center

Chromebook keyboard shortcuts

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Ctrl+Shift+/ | Open keyboard shortcut list
Ctrl+Alt+? | View all keyboard shortcuts
Search+L | Lock screen
Ctrl+Shift+Q (twice) | Sign out
Ctrl+Shift+W | Close window
Alt+[ | Snap window to left
Alt+] | Snap window to right

Window and tab management

Ctrl+T: Open new tab

Ctrl+W: Close current tab

Ctrl+Shift+T: Reopen last closed tab

Ctrl+1–8: Jump to tab by number

Ctrl+9: Jump to last tab

Alt+Tab: Switch between windows

Navigation and searching

Ctrl+L: Select address bar

Ctrl+F: Open Find on page

Search key: Open launcher

Ctrl+Shift+A: Search tabs

Screenshot shortcuts

Ctrl+Show windows key: Full screenshot

Ctrl+Shift+Show windows key: Partial screenshot (drag to select)

Ctrl+Alt+Show windows key: Screenshot of active window

Accessibility shortcuts

Ctrl+Alt+Z: Toggle ChromeVox (screen reader) on/off

Search+Alt+M: Open Accessibility menu

Ctrl+Search+H: Toggle high contrast mode

Mac keyboard shortcuts

Mac uses four primary modifier keys: Command (⌘), Option (⌥), Control (⌃), and Shift (⇧). Most shortcuts use Command where Windows uses Ctrl, but the layouts diverge significantly once you get past the basics.

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Command+Space | Spotlight search
Command+Tab | Switch between open apps
Command+` | Switch between windows of same app
Command+H | Hide current app
Command+M | Minimize window to Dock
Command+Q | Quit app
Command+Option+Esc | Force Quit
Command+Shift+3 | Screenshot (full screen)
Command+Shift+4 | Screenshot (region)
Command+Shift+5 | Screenshot and recording options

Window and application management

Control+Up arrow: Mission Control (all open windows)

Control+Down arrow: App Exposé (all windows of current app)

Control+Left/Right arrow: Move between Spaces (virtual desktops)

Command+Option+D: Show/hide Dock

Finder shortcuts

Command+N: New Finder window

Command+Shift+N: New folder

Command+Delete: Move to Trash

Command+Shift+Delete: Empty Trash

Command+I: Get Info for selected item

Space bar: Quick Look (preview file)

Command+1/2/3/4: Switch between Icon, List, Column, Gallery views

Text editing

Control+A: Move to beginning of line (works in most text fields)

Control+E: Move to end of line

Control+K: Delete text from cursor to end of line

Option+Delete: Delete word to the left

Fn+Delete: Forward delete

Accessibility shortcuts

Command+Option+F5: Accessibility Options panel

Command+F5: Toggle VoiceOver on/off

Control+Command+Option+8: Invert colors (Classic Invert)

Command+Option+Comma (,): Decrease contrast

Linux / Ubuntu keyboard shortcuts

Linux shortcut conventions vary by desktop environment. These apply to Ubuntu with GNOME, which is the most common configuration for new Linux users.

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Super key (Windows key) | Open Activities overview
Ctrl+Alt+T | Open terminal
Ctrl+Alt+Del | Open logout/power dialog
Super+L | Lock screen
Super+D | Show desktop
Alt+F2 | Open run dialog
PrtScn | Screenshot (full screen)
Shift+PrtScn | Screenshot (select region)
Alt+PrtScn | Screenshot of active window

Window management

Super+Up arrow: Maximize window

Super+Down arrow: Unmaximize / minimize window

Super+Left/Right arrow: Snap to left/right half of screen

Alt+F4: Close window

Alt+Tab: Switch between open applications

Workspaces

Super+Page Up/Down: Switch between workspaces

Shift+Super+Page Up/Down: Move window to adjacent workspace

TextExpander is free. Your time isn’t.

Create shortcuts for the things you type most and start saving time everywhere you type. Use it solo or build a shared library with your team.

Free forever, no credit card required.

Get TextExpander

Microsoft Word keyboard shortcuts

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Ctrl+N | New document
Ctrl+O | Open document
Ctrl+W | Close document
Ctrl+S | Save
Ctrl+Shift+S | Save As
Ctrl+P | Print
Ctrl+Z | Undo
Ctrl+Y | Redo
F7 | Spell check
Ctrl+F | Find
Ctrl+H | Find and Replace

Text formatting

Ctrl+B: Bold

Ctrl+I: Italic

Ctrl+U: Underline

Ctrl+Shift+>: Increase font size

Ctrl+Shift+<: Decrease font size

Ctrl+]: Increase font size by 1pt

Ctrl+[: Decrease font size by 1pt

Ctrl+Shift+C: Copy formatting

Ctrl+Shift+V: Paste formatting

Ctrl+=: Subscript

Ctrl+Shift+=: Superscript

Paragraph formatting

Ctrl+E: Center align

Ctrl+L: Left align

Ctrl+R: Right align

Ctrl+J: Justify

Ctrl+1: Single-space lines

Ctrl+2: Double-space lines

Ctrl+M: Indent paragraph

Ctrl+Shift+M: Remove paragraph indent

Document navigation

Ctrl+Home: Go to beginning of document

Ctrl+End: Go to end of document

Ctrl+G: Go to specific page, line, or bookmark

F5: Open Navigation pane / Go To dialog

Table shortcuts

Tab: Move to next cell

Shift+Tab: Move to previous cell

Alt+Home/End: Move to first/last cell in row

Alt+Page Up/Down: Move to first/last cell in column

Microsoft Excel keyboard shortcuts

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Ctrl+N | New workbook
Ctrl+O | Open workbook
Ctrl+S | Save
Ctrl+W | Close workbook
Ctrl+Z | Undo
Ctrl+Y | Redo
F1 | Open Help
F12 | Save As
Ctrl+P | Print
Ctrl+F | Find
Ctrl+H | Find and Replace

Navigation shortcuts

Ctrl+Home: Go to cell A1

Ctrl+End: Go to last used cell

Ctrl+Right/Left/Up/Down arrow: Jump to edge of data region

Ctrl+Page Up/Down: Move between worksheets

Ctrl+G or F5: Go To dialog (jump to specific cell)

Cell formatting

Ctrl+1: Open Format Cells dialog

Ctrl+B: Bold

Ctrl+I: Italic

Ctrl+U: Underline

Ctrl+Shift+$: Apply currency format

Ctrl+Shift+%: Apply percentage format

Ctrl+Shift+#: Apply date format

Data entry and editing

F2: Edit active cell

Escape: Cancel cell entry

Ctrl+D: Fill down from cell above

Ctrl+R: Fill right from cell to left

Ctrl+;: Insert current date

Ctrl+Shift+:: Insert current time

Alt+Enter: Start new line within a cell

Rows and columns

Ctrl+Shift+Plus (+): Insert row or column

Ctrl+Minus (-): Delete row or column

Ctrl+Space: Select entire column

Shift+Space: Select entire row

Formula and calculation

Alt+=: AutoSum selected range

F9: Calculate all worksheets in all open workbooks

Shift+F9: Calculate active worksheet only

Ctrl+`: Toggle display of formulas vs. values

Gmail keyboard shortcuts

Gmail shortcuts require keyboard shortcuts to be enabled first. Go to Settings, then See all settings, then the General tab, and turn on Keyboard shortcuts.

General actions

Shortcut | Action
C | Compose new email
R | Reply
A | Reply all
F | Forward
E | Archive
# | Delete
Shift+U | Mark as unread
Shift+I | Mark as read
V | Move to folder
L | Apply label

Navigation

G then I: Go to Inbox

G then S: Go to Starred

G then T: Go to Sent

G then D: Go to Drafts

J / K: Move to newer/older conversation

/: Move cursor to search box

Formatting and writing

Ctrl+B: Bold (in compose window)

Ctrl+I: Italic

Ctrl+U: Underline

Ctrl+Shift+7: Numbered list

Ctrl+Shift+8: Bulleted list

Ctrl+Shift+L: Left-align text

Tab then Enter: Send email (from compose window)

Google Docs keyboard shortcuts

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Ctrl+/ (Windows) or Command+/ (Mac) | View all keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl+K | Insert link
Ctrl+Shift+C | Word count
Ctrl+Alt+M | Insert comment
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A | Open comment thread
Ctrl+Shift+Y | Open dictionary

Text formatting

Ctrl+B / I / U: Bold / Italic / Underline

Ctrl+Shift+X: Strikethrough

Ctrl+.: Superscript

Ctrl+,: Subscript

Ctrl+\: Clear formatting

Heading styles

Ctrl+Alt+1: Heading 1

Ctrl+Alt+2: Heading 2

Ctrl+Alt+3: Heading 3

Ctrl+Alt+0: Normal text

Collaboration

Ctrl+Alt+M: Insert comment

Ctrl+Enter: Move to next comment (when comment is selected)

Ctrl+Shift+Alt+A: Accept all suggested changes

Google Sheets keyboard shortcuts

General shortcuts

Shortcut | Action
Ctrl+/ or Command+/ | View all shortcuts
Ctrl+Z | Undo
Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z | Redo
Ctrl+P | Print
Ctrl+F | Find
Ctrl+H | Find and Replace

Navigation

Ctrl+Home: Go to cell A1

Ctrl+End: Go to last used cell

Ctrl+Arrow keys: Jump to edge of data region

Ctrl+Page Up/Down: Move to previous/next sheet tab

Editing

F2: Edit active cell

Ctrl+D: Fill down

Ctrl+R: Fill right

Ctrl+;: Insert current date

Alt+I then R: Insert row above

Alt+I then W: Insert row below

Formatting

Ctrl+B / I / U: Bold / Italic / Underline

Alt+Shift+5: Strikethrough

Ctrl+Shift+1: Format as number (2 decimal places)

Ctrl+Shift+4: Format as currency

Ctrl+Shift+5: Format as percentage

Chrome browser shortcuts

Tab and window management

Shortcut | Action
Ctrl+T | Open new tab
Ctrl+W | Close current tab
Ctrl+Shift+T | Reopen last closed tab
Ctrl+Tab | Cycle to next tab
Ctrl+Shift+Tab | Cycle to previous tab
Ctrl+1–8 | Jump to tab by number
Ctrl+9 | Jump to last tab
Ctrl+N | Open new window
Ctrl+Shift+N | Open new incognito window

Navigation

Alt+Left/Right arrow: Navigate back/forward

F5 or Ctrl+R: Reload page

Ctrl+Shift+R: Hard reload (bypass cache)

Escape: Stop page loading

Ctrl+L or F6: Select address bar

Ctrl+Enter: Add www. and .com to address bar text

Zoom and display

Ctrl+Plus (+): Zoom in

Ctrl+Minus (-): Zoom out

Ctrl+0: Reset zoom to 100%

F11: Toggle full screen

Developer tools

F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I: Open DevTools

Ctrl+U: View page source

Ctrl+Shift+J: Open DevTools Console

Microsoft Edge keyboard shortcuts

Edge is the default browser on Windows. Its shortcuts are nearly identical to Chrome, with a few additions for Edge-specific features like Collections and Sidebar.

Tab and window management

Shortcut | Action
Ctrl+T | Open new tab
Ctrl+W | Close tab
Ctrl+Shift+T | Reopen closed tab
Ctrl+Tab | Next tab
Ctrl+Shift+Tab | Previous tab
Ctrl+N | New window
Ctrl+Shift+N | New InPrivate window

Edge-specific shortcuts

Ctrl+Shift+Y: Open Collections

Ctrl+Shift+E: Search in sidebar

Ctrl+Shift+B: Toggle Favorites bar

Ctrl+Shift+O: Open Favorites

Alt+Shift+I: Send feedback

F7: Toggle caret browsing (navigate pages with keyboard cursor)

Safari browser shortcuts

Tab and window management

Shortcut | Action
Command+T | Open new tab
Command+W | Close tab
Command+Shift+T | Reopen last closed tab
Control+Tab | Next tab
Control+Shift+Tab | Previous tab
Command+1–9 | Jump to tab by number
Command+N | New window
Command+Shift+N | New private window

Navigation

Command+Left/Right arrow: Back/forward

Command+R: Reload page

Escape: Stop loading

Command+L: Select address bar

Reading and focus mode

Command+Shift+R: Toggle Reader Mode

Command+Option+F: Open Find toolbar

Command+Plus (+) / Minus (-): Zoom in/out

Command+0: Reset zoom

Developer tools

Command+Option+I: Open Web Inspector (requires Enable Developer menu in Safari settings)

Command+Option+C: Open JavaScript console

VS Code keyboard shortcuts

If you use VS Code or any other code editor, you’re probably already comfortable with keyboard-heavy workflows. Still, there are a few VS Code shortcuts that even experienced developers overlook.

General shortcuts

Shortcut (Windows/Linux) | Shortcut (Mac) | Action
Ctrl+Shift+P | Command+Shift+P | Command Palette
Ctrl+P | Command+P | Quick Open / Go to file
Ctrl+, | Command+, | Open Settings
Ctrl+` | Control+` | Toggle integrated terminal
Ctrl+B | Command+B | Toggle sidebar
Ctrl+Shift+E | Command+Shift+E | Open Explorer panel
Ctrl+Shift+G | Command+Shift+G | Open Source Control panel

Editing

Alt+Up/Down arrow (Win) / Option+Up/Down (Mac): Move line up/down

Shift+Alt+Up/Down (Win) / Shift+Option+Up/Down (Mac): Copy line up/down

Ctrl+Shift+K (Win) / Command+Shift+K (Mac): Delete line

Ctrl+/ (Win) / Command+/ (Mac): Toggle line comment

Ctrl+D (Win) / Command+D (Mac): Select next occurrence of current word

Alt+Click (Win) / Option+Click (Mac): Add cursor at click point (multi-cursor)

Navigation

Ctrl+G (Win) / Control+G (Mac): Go to line

F12: Go to definition

Alt+F12 (Win) / Option+F12 (Mac): Peek definition

Ctrl+Tab (Win) / Control+Tab (Mac): Switch between open editors

How to customize keyboard shortcuts

Built-in shortcuts are a starting point. Most operating systems and apps let you change them, or create new ones for actions that don’t have shortcuts by default.

Customizing shortcuts on Windows

Windows doesn’t have a centralized shortcut editor, but you can customize at the app level:

Most Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, Outlook) have built-in shortcut customization under File, then Options, then Customize Ribbon, then Keyboard Shortcuts

For system-wide remapping, dedicated hotkey software handles reassigning keys and creating new combinations

AutoHotkey (free, open source) lets power users script custom shortcuts for any application

Customizing shortcuts on Mac

macOS makes this easier with a built-in option in System Settings:

Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS), then Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts

You can modify shortcuts for built-in apps and services, accessibility features, Mission Control, Spotlight, and more

To add a custom shortcut for a specific app menu item: open Keyboard Shortcuts, select App Shortcuts, click the plus (+) button, choose the app, type the exact menu item name, and assign a key combination

Keyboard Maestro is the most powerful third-party option for Mac shortcut automation

Advanced hotkeys and functions you should know

Window and workspace management

Multi-monitor setups, virtual desktops, and window snapping all have keyboard controls that most users ignore because they don’t know they exist. Win+Z in Windows 11 opens Snap Layouts. Choose a layout and drag windows into position. On Mac, Control+arrow keys move between Spaces. These aren’t flashy shortcuts, but for anyone who juggles multiple projects simultaneously, they’re legitimately useful.

Browser navigation

Ctrl+Shift+T (or Command+Shift+T on Mac) to reopen closed tabs is one of those shortcuts that saves real frustration. Ctrl+Tab to cycle through tabs without the mouse. Ctrl+L to jump to the address bar and start typing a new URL immediately. None of these are difficult, and collectively they eliminate a lot of unnecessary clicking.

Editing and formatting (for writers and editors)

Ctrl+Shift+Right arrow (Windows) or Option+Shift+Right arrow (Mac) to select word by word while editing is faster than clicking and dragging. Pair it with Ctrl+Backspace to delete the selected word instantly. F2 to rename files in both Windows and Mac. These small refinements, done dozens of times a day, are where the time savings actually accumulate.

How to remember and practice keyboard shortcuts

The trick isn’t memorization. It’s deliberate practice in context. Here’s what works:

Start with shortcuts you’d use every day. Copy, paste, undo, switch apps. Get those into muscle memory before adding more.

Add 2-3 new shortcuts each week. Any more than that and none of them stick.

When you catch yourself reaching for the mouse, stop and find the keyboard equivalent. It’ll feel slower at first. That’s normal.

Keep this page bookmarked as a reference. You don’t need to remember every shortcut. You need to know they exist and know where to find them.

Use TextExpander’s own keyboard shortcuts to reinforce the habit within the app itself.

TextExpander is free. Your time isn’t.

Create shortcuts for the things you type most and start saving time everywhere you type. Use it solo or build a shared library with your team.

Free forever, no credit card required.

Get TextExpander

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Typing and Keyboard Shortcut FAQs

What are the most important keyboard shortcuts to learn first?

Start with the universals: copy (Ctrl+C / Command+C), paste (Ctrl+V / Command+V), cut (Ctrl+X / Command+X), undo (Ctrl+Z / Command+Z), redo, select all, find, and app switching with Alt+Tab or Command+Tab. These work across virtually every app and OS. Once those are automatic, add shortcuts specific to the applications you use most. Whatever you use for 2+ hours a day is worth learning deeply.

Do keyboard shortcuts actually improve productivity?

Yes, measurably. Research on office workers suggests that regular shortcut use can save the equivalent of 8 or more days per year. The mechanism isn’t complex: shortcuts reduce context switching between keyboard and mouse, maintain workflow momentum, and eliminate the time spent scanning menus. The gains are small per action but they add up across a full workday. The bigger benefit many users report is reduced cognitive friction: fewer interruptions to the thinking task at hand.

How do I remember keyboard shortcuts?

Learn in clusters by app or task type, not alphabetically. Practice new shortcuts during actual work, not in a drill, so context reinforces memory. Keep a cheat sheet accessible (bookmark this page). Add no more than 2-3 new shortcuts per week. Text automation tools like TextExpander can reinforce the habit by letting you build abbreviations that mirror shortcut logic, keeping your fingers on the keyboard for both commands and repetitive text.

What is the difference between keyboard shortcuts, macros, and text expansion?

Keyboard shortcuts trigger built-in software commands. They’re defined by the app developer and execute a single action. Macros automate sequences of actions, often recorded or scripted, and can chain multiple steps together (open a file, format data, save, close). Text expansion inserts predefined text when you type an abbreviation. It doesn’t trigger software commands; it replaces the typed characters with stored content. All three reduce repetitive effort; they just work at different layers. Shortcuts handle commands, macros handle workflows, text expansion handles content.

Can a team standardize keyboard shortcuts?

Shortcut key assignments are personal and hard to standardize across a team. Everyone has different muscle memory and setup preferences. What teams can standardize effectively is content: the responses, templates, and phrases everyone uses. TextExpander’s team Snippets let organizations share a library of standard responses, scripts, and text blocks across everyone’s devices. When someone on the team updates a Snippet, everyone gets the update automatically. That’s where the real team-level productivity gains come from: not from forcing everyone to use the same Ctrl combinations, but from making sure they’re all working from the same content.