Knowing your way around a few keyboard shortcuts, whether for Windows, macOS, or individual programs, is perhaps one of the best time-saving productivity tricks out there. You don’t have to use your mouse or trackpad to navigate to a new place on the screen, and you don’t have to dig through menus to find options for formatting images and text—just press the right key combination and you’re done.
There aren’t many places where keyboard shortcuts are as useful as in Google Docs. When you’re reading a document with your head down, these quick keystrokes can save you a lot of time, added up over the course of a day, and mean your brain stays in its creative groove.
These are the most important Google Docs keyboard shortcuts you need to know, with variations for Windows and macOS. (The macOS shortcut is usually the same as Windows, with the command button replacement Control.) To bring up a full list of keyboard shortcuts while you’re in Google Docs, press and hold Control either command and press / (the diagonal slash).
Switch between modes
Hold Ctrl+Shift+Alt (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+Option (macOS), and then you can tap z to switch to editing, x to change to suggest, and c to switch to viewing in the document.
Paste without formatting
Wear Ctrl+Shift+V either Cmd+Shift+V to paste any text that’s on your clipboard, but without its original formatting attached, so it doesn’t suddenly ruin the layout of your document.
Expand text selections
When you already have some text selected, hold Change pressed and you can extend your text selection by one character at a time with the Left arrow and Correct arrow. Hold Control either command too, and you go word by word.
Insert or edit a link
Highlight any text and press Ctrl+K either Command+K to add a link to the text. The same shortcut works for editing links. Hover over a link to find the remove link option.
Get the word count
Press Ctrl+Shift+C either Cmd+Shift+C to display the total word count, page count, and character count. Check the box in the dialog to have them displayed permanently.
Create lists
Keep Ctrl+Shift either Cmd+Shift pressed on the keyboard, and then you can create a numbered list by tapping 7a bulleted list touching 8and a checklist by tapping 9.
Comment documents
There are some keyboard shortcuts you can use when selecting a comment: R to answer you, j and k to move up and down through the comments, my to resolve a comment, and You to exit a comment.
Find a tool
Google Docs has a handy tool finder that you can use to search all the menu and toolbar options: Press and hold Alt. either Option then tap / (slash) to show it.
Come back… and come back
You probably already know Ctrl+Z either Command+Z You can undo your last action and fix errors. But you can also keep tapping the shortcut to go back further and even undo everything related to the current session if necessary.
the same again
Here’s one that comes in handy in a variety of situations: Press Ctrl+Y either Command+Y to repeat the same action again, whether inserting a particular character or deleting a sentence.
Find and replace
You can open the find and replace dialog box by pressing Ctrl+H either Cmd+Shift+H. If you just want to find something (without replacing it), then it is Ctrl+F either Command+F instead.
Resize images
You can also manipulate images with keyboard shortcuts. Select an image, press and hold Ctrl+Alt either Cmd+Ctrland then play k to enlarge an image or j to make it smaller.
Format text
With the text highlighted, press and hold Control either commandand then play b for bold, Yo for cursive, You to emphasize, Shift+X for crossed out, . (dot) for superscript, or , (comma) for subscript.
Apply title styles
If you want to apply a set heading style to the text in your document, press and hold Ctrl+Alt either Cmd+Optionand then tap a number (from 1 to 6) to apply that particular title style.
Switch to voice typing
Sometimes you can write the words faster if you are dictating them. Press Ctrl+Shift+S either Cmd+Shift+S and the voice typing dialog should appear on the screen. Your browser should ask you to give Google Docs permission to use your microphone; Grant that permission and you can start dictating.
Insert a page break
There is no need to navigate through menus to place a page break in an open document.Ctrl+Enter either Cmd+Enter will insert one at the current cursor position.