70+ PowerPoint Shortcuts to Speed Up Slide Creation

Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most popular tools for creating professional presentations worldwide. With its intuitive design and versatile features, it supports students, professionals, and educators alike. Yet, efficiency matters as much as creativity. That’s why PowerPoint shortcuts are key to saving time and working smarter.

As Sketch Bubble reported, Microsoft PowerPoint holds 23.29% of the presentation market share. This number highlights the tool’s dominance in professional and academic settings. Therefore, learning shortcuts becomes a practical necessity. With them, you can boost productivity and create polished slides effortlessly.

Key Takeaways

  • PowerPoint shortcuts speed up navigation, text editing, and slide management.
  • Shortcut keys for visual design keep presentations clean and consistent.
  • Mastering hotkeys in PowerPoint improves overall productivity.

73 PowerPoint Shortcuts for Text, Slides, and Visual Design

In this section, we’ve compiled a set of shortcut keys for PowerPoint to make your tasks more efficient. Save this list for future use!

1. Navigation Shortcuts

FeatureShortcut
Start the slideshowF5
Go to the next slidePage down
Go to the previous slidePage up
Return to the first slideHome
Go to a specific slideType number + Enter
Go to the last slideEnd
End the slide showEsc
Display a blank black slideB or .
Display a blank white slideW or ,
Switch to the next object on a slideTab

2. Text Formatting Shortcuts

FeatureShortcut
Apply bold text formattingCtrl+B
Apply underlined text formattingCtrl+U
Apply italic text formattingCtrl+I
Center a text paragraphCtrl+E
Justify a text paragraphCtrl+J
Left-align a text paragraphCtrl+L
Right-align a text paragraphCtrl+R
Change the font size for selected textAlt+H, F, S
Increase the font sizeCtrl+Shift+Right angle bracket (>)
Decrease the font sizeCtrl+Shift+Left angle bracket (<)

3. Text Selecting Shortcuts

FeatureShortcut
Select one character to the rightShift+Right arrow key
Select one character to the leftShift+Left arrow key
Select to the end of a wordCtrl+Shift+Right arrow key
Select to the beginning of a wordCtrl+Shift+Left arrow key
Select text within an objectEnter

4. PowerPoint Shortcuts for Text Moving

FeatureShortcut
Move one character to the leftLeft arrow key
Move one character to the rightRight arrow key
Move one line upUp arrow key
Move one line downDown arrow key
Move one word to the leftCtrl+Left arrow key
Move one word to the rightCtrl+Right arrow key
Move to the beginning of a text boxCtrl+Home
Move to the end of a text boxCtrl+End
Move up one paragraphCtrl+Up arrow key
Move down one paragraphCtrl+Down arrow key
Move to the next title or body textCtrl+Enter

5. Slide Management Shortcuts

FeatureShortcut
Insert a new slideCtrl+M
Cut selected slideCtrl+X
Copy selected slideCtrl+C
Paste selected slideCtrl+V
Make a copy of the selected slideCtrl+Shift+D
Move the selected slide/section upCtrl+Up arrow key
Move the selected slide/section downCtrl+Down arrow key
Send the selected slide/section to topCtrl+Shift+Up arrow key
Send the selected slide/section to bottom Ctrl+Shift+Down arrow key

6. PowerPoint Shortcuts for Visual Design 

FeatureShortcut
Duplicate the selected objectCtrl+D
Copy the selected objectCtrl+Shift+C
Paste the selected object Ctrl+Shift+V
Group the selected objectsCtrl+G
Ungroup the selected groupCtrl+Shift+G
Regroup the selected objectsCtrl+Shift+J
Select a themeAlt+G, H
Insert a text boxAlt+N, X
Insert an embedded documentAlt+N, J
Insert WordArtAlt+N, W
Insert a picture from your deviceAlt+N, P, D
Insert a shapeAlt+N, S, H

7. Task Pane Shortcuts

FeatureShortcut
Switch to the task pane from another areaF6
Move between options in the task paneTab / Shift + Tab
Open the task pane menuCtrl + Spacebar
Move or resize paneArrow Keys
Close task paneCtrl + Spacebar, then C

8. Table Shortcuts

FeatureShortcut
Move to the next cellTab key
Move to the preceding cellShift+Tab
Move to the next rowDown arrow key
Move to the preceding rowUp arrow key
Insert a tab in a cellCtrl+Tab

9. PowerPoint Presentation Shortcuts

FeatureShortcut
Create a new presentationCtrl+N
Print a presentationCtrl+P
Save a presentation Ctrl+S
Open a presentationCtrl+O
Close a presentationCtrl+D
Save a presentation in a different formatCtrl+Shift+S

Cut Preparation Time in Half Using PowerPoint Shortcuts

Mastering PowerPoint hotkeys helps you work faster. With quick commands, you can edit, format, and manage slides in seconds. This efficiency reduces preparation time significantly. The result is sharper focus on content instead of repetitive tasks.

In addition, using professional PowerPoint templates further speeds up your workflow. Instead of creating designs from scratch, you get polished layouts instantly. Also, every slide looks consistent and visually appealing. Together with shortcuts, your productivity doubles with ease.

For the perfect combination of speed and style, check out PPT Freebies. Our templates are crafted by expert designers with elegance in mind, and you’ll find versatile options ready to customize. Hence, save time, impress audiences, and elevate your slides effortlessly!