Microsoft PowerPoint shortcuts make working with the most popular presentation tool that much easier. The program is a fixed component of Microsoft Office suite. PowerPoint shortcuts involve special key combinations, that can easily be entered – a feature that many might know from Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. Shortcut commands such as [CTRL] + [C] for copying content and [CTRL] + [V] for inserting copied content will be familiar terms for most computer users.

Once you master shortcuts, many working steps become significantly more efficient. That’s because using your keyboard instead of a mouse eliminates many steps involved in menu navigation. Below, we’ll introduce you to the most important PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts. For improved guidance, we’ve divided them up into different application areas.

PowerPoint shortcuts for working with forms and slides

Slides are individual worksheets in PowerPoint. They are the central component of every presentation and the working basis for all content - from texts, graphics, photos, videos or animations. The top PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts when working with integrated elements are:

Duplicate elements Press [CTRL] + [D] at the same time to duplicate the selected elements.
Repeat actions Repeat the previous action with the [CTRL] + [Y] combination.
Copy and paste an element’s formatting Press [CTRL] + [Shift] + [C] to copy an element’s formatting and [CTRL] + [Shift] + [V] to apply it to another element.
Open the “Insert content” dialog window Use the [CTRL] + [Alt] + [V] combination to open the “Insert content” dialog window.

The most important PowerPoint shortcuts for formatting and editing texts

Text formatting has a big impact on how readers perceive your presentation. Therefore, if you grapple with structuring the text passages in your PowerPoint slides, you can effectively and quickly perform editing and formatting with these PowerPoint shortcuts:

Increase font size The font size can be increased with the [CTRL] + [Shift] + [>] key combination.
Reduce font size To reduce the font size, apply the [CTRL] + [Shift] + [<] key combination.
Apply bold to text and word components After selecting a text or word component, this is made bold with the [CTRL] + [B] key combination.
Apply italics to text and word components In order to italicize a text component, press [CTRL] + [I] after selecting the desired section.
Centre texts Text oriented toward the center can look more visually appealing. Centering is performed using the [CTRL] + [E] combination.
Align text to the left or right With PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts, the text can also be aligned to the left ([CTRL] + [L]) and to the right ([CTRL] + [R]).
Line break Enter a line break with the [Shift] + [Enter] key combination.

PowerPoint shortcuts for expanding and collapsing the menu ribbon and starting presentations

Using Microsoft PowerPoint shortcuts, you can also change the view of PowerPoint somewhat by expanding or collapsing the menu ribbon or selection pane. You can also use shortcuts to start presentations at the start of the document or a selected slide.

Expand or collapse the menu ribbon The menu ribbon is collapsed and hidden via the PowerPoint key combination [CTRL] + [F1].
Switch between Thumbnail pane and Outline View pane With the [CTRL] + [Shift] + [Tab] key combination you can switch between the Thumbnail pane and the Outline View pane.
Open and close selection pane The selection pane can be displayed and hidden with the [Alt] + [H] key combination.
Start slide show With the [F5] key, the presentation starts at the beginning.
Start presentation with the current slide If you would like to start the presentation with the current slide, press [Shift] + [F5].

The most popular PowerPoint shortcuts to use during the presentation

PowerPoint shortcuts aren’t just useful when working on slides. During a presentation, Microsoft PowerPoint provides you with special shortcuts for comfortable navigation and for executing commands using a keyboard:

Zoom in Would you like to magnify the slide? Use the [CTRL] + [+] key on the numeric keypad and zoom in by up to 300%.
Zoom out If you would like to zoom out, press [CTRL] + [–] (also on the numeric keypad).
Interrupt presentation and make the screen go black With the [B] key you can make the screen go black if you want to interrupt your presentation and provide your audience with additional information. If you would like to continue, press the key again.

Special PowerPoint shortcuts used in combination with the mouse

In addition to key combinations, there are also special PowerPoint shortcuts that can be performed using a combination of key and mouse actions. If you prefer to work with a mouse, these shortcuts can be useful ways to optimize your workflow.

Add current element to selection If you want to select several slide elements, press and hold [Shift] and left-click on the appropriate elements.
Duplicate elements If you would like to duplicate an element, press and hold [CTRL] and move the element to the desired position with the mouse.
Deactivate Smart Guides and the “Align to slide” feature when moving an element. If you would like to move an element without displaying the PowerPoint Smart Guides and the “Align to slide” option, hold down the [Alt] key and then move the element with the mouse.
Resize an element around its center In order to resize an element around its center, hold down the [CTRL] key and the left mouse button and drag the object smaller or larger.
Change size, but keep the original proportions If you hold [Shift] and then change the element size with the mouse, the original proportion will be maintained.
Change the size when the Smart Guides and the “align to slide” feature are deactivated When adjusting the object size, you can collapse the Smart Guides and the “Align to slide” feature by holding the [Alt] key and then adjusting the size with the mouse.
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