Google Docs Keyboard Shortcuts
Write and format faster in Google Docs — Mac and Windows keys side by side.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold | ⌘B | Ctrl+B | |
| Italic | ⌘I | Ctrl+I | |
| Underline | ⌘U | Ctrl+U | |
| Strikethrough | ⌘⇧X | Alt+Shift+5 | |
| Copy | ⌘C | Ctrl+C | |
| Cut | ⌘X | Ctrl+X | |
| Paste | ⌘V | Ctrl+V | |
| Paste without formatting | ⌘⇧V | Ctrl+Shift+V | |
| Undo | ⌘Z | Ctrl+Z | |
| Redo | ⌘⇧Z | Ctrl+Shift+Z | |
| Select all | ⌘A | Ctrl+A | |
| Find | ⌘F | Ctrl+F | |
| Find and replace | ⌘⇧H | Ctrl+H | |
| Insert / edit link | ⌘K | Ctrl+K | |
| Insert comment | ⌘⌥M | Ctrl+Alt+M | |
| ⌘P | Ctrl+P | ||
| Save (force) | ⌘S | Ctrl+S | |
| Left align | ⌘⇧L | Ctrl+Shift+L | |
| Center align | ⌘⇧E | Ctrl+Shift+E | |
| Right align | ⌘⇧R | Ctrl+Shift+R | |
| Justify | ⌘⇧J | Ctrl+Shift+J | |
| Bulleted list | ⌘⇧8 | Ctrl+Shift+8 | |
| Numbered list | ⌘⇧7 | Ctrl+Shift+7 | |
| Apply Heading 1 | ⌘⌥1 | Ctrl+Alt+1 | |
| Apply Heading 2 | ⌘⌥2 | Ctrl+Alt+2 | |
| Apply normal text | ⌘⌥0 | Ctrl+Alt+0 | |
| Superscript | ⌘. | Ctrl+. | |
| Subscript | ⌘, | Ctrl+, | |
| Clear formatting | ⌘\ | Ctrl+\ | |
| Increase font size | ⌘⇧. | Ctrl+Shift+. | |
| Decrease font size | ⌘⇧, | Ctrl+Shift+, | |
| Insert page break | ⌘↵ | Ctrl+Enter | |
| Word count | ⌘⇧C | Ctrl+Shift+C | |
| Move one word left / right | ⌥← / ⌥→ | Ctrl+← / Ctrl+→ | |
| Select to start of line | ⌘⇧← | Shift+Home | |
| Select to end of line | ⌘⇧→ | Shift+End | |
| Delete word to the left | ⌥⌫ | Ctrl+Backspace | |
| Next misspelling | ⌘; | Ctrl+; | |
| Show keyboard shortcuts help | ⌘/ | Ctrl+/ | |
| Hide the menus (compact) | ⌃⇧F | Ctrl+Shift+F |
Paste clean, format with headings
Ctrl+Shift+V (⌘⇧V on Mac) pastes text stripped of its source formatting — the fix for messy copy-paste from the web. Build structure with Ctrl+Alt+1/2/3 for headings so the document outline and any table of contents update automatically.
Comment and count
Ctrl+Alt+M drops a comment on the selection, and Ctrl+Shift+C pops the live word count.
Headings, outline and navigation
Apply headings with Ctrl+Alt+1 through Ctrl+Alt+6 (⌘⌥ on Mac) — this also builds the document outline in the left pane so you can jump around long docs. Ctrl+Alt+H is not a shortcut; instead use Ctrl+F to search or Ctrl+Alt+M to drop a comment on the selected text. To move a whole paragraph, place the cursor in it and press Ctrl+Shift+↑/↓ to shift it up or down without cut-and-paste.
FAQ
How do I paste without formatting in Google Docs?
Press Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows or ⌘⇧V on the Mac to paste plain text that matches the surrounding style.
What is the shortcut to add a comment in Google Docs?
Select the text and press Ctrl+Alt+M (⌘⌥M on Mac) to open a comment box.
How do I see every Google Docs shortcut?
Press Ctrl+/ (⌘/ on Mac) to open the searchable shortcut overlay built into Docs.