Know your path Bypassing some keyboard shortcuts—whether for Windows, macOS, or individual programs—is perhaps one of the best time-saving productivity hacks out there. You don’t have to reach for the mouse or trackpad to navigate to a new location on the screen, and you don’t have to search through menus to find options for formatting images and text: just press the right keyboard shortcut and you’re ready getting started. done again.
There aren’t many places where keyboard shortcuts are as useful as in Google Docs. When you’re head down in a document, these quick keystrokes can save you a lot of time over the course of a day—and keep your brain in its creative rhythm.
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 the Windows shortcut with which command Replace button Ctrl.) To view a full list of keyboard shortcuts while in Google Docs, press and hold Ctrl or command and press / (the slash).
Switch between modes
Hold down Ctrl+Shift+Alt (Windows) or Command+Shift+Option (macOS) and you can then tap Z to switch to editing, X switch to suggest, and C to switch to display in the document.
Paste without formatting
Use Ctrl+Shift+V or Command+Shift+V to paste the text that’s on your clipboard, but without the original formatting – so your document layout isn’t suddenly ruined.
Expand the text selection
If you have already selected text, keep it layer Press and hold and you can expand your text selection one character at a time Left arrow And Right arrow. Hold down Ctrl or command too, and you speak word for word.
Insert or edit a link
Highlight any text and press Ctrl+K or Command+K to add a link to the text. The same shortcut works for editing links. Hover your cursor over a link to find the option to delete the link.
Get the word count
Press Ctrl+Shift+C or Command+Shift+C to display the total number of words, pages and characters. Check the box in the dialog box to make these appear permanently.
Make lists
Hold Ctrl+Shift or Command+Shift Press and hold the key on the keyboard and you can then tap to create a numbered list 7a bulleted list by tapping it 8thand a checklist by tapping 9.
Commenting on documents
There are some keyboard shortcuts you can use when a comment is selected: R answer to, J And K move up and down through comments, E to resolve a comment, and U to leave a comment.
Find a tool
Google Docs has a handy tool finder to help you browse all the options in the menus and toolbars: Hold Old or Possibility Then tap / (slash) to display it.
Go back… and back
You probably already know that Ctrl+Z or Command+Z can undo your last action and correct mistakes. But you can also keep tapping the shortcut to go back further, and even undo everything from the current session if necessary.
The same again
Here’s a feature that can be useful in many situations: Press Ctrl+Y or Command+Y to repeat the same action again, be it inserting a specific character or deleting a sentence.
Search and replace
You can access the Find and Replace dialog box by pressing Ctrl+H or Command+Shift+H. If you just want to find something (without replacing it), this is it Ctrl+F or Command+F instead.
Resize images
You can also edit images using keyboard shortcuts. Select an image and hold Ctrl+Alt or Command+Ctrland then tap K to enlarge an image or J to make it smaller.
Format text
Press and hold while text is highlighted Ctrl or commandand then tap b for brave, I for italics, U to underline, Shift+X to cross out, . (period) for superscript, or , (comma) for index.
Apply heading styles
To apply a set heading style to the text in your document, press and hold the button Ctrl+Alt or Command+Optionand then tap a number (from 1 To 6) to apply that particular heading style.
Switch to voice input
Sometimes you can understand your words more quickly if you dictate them. Press Ctrl+Shift+S or Command+Shift+S and the voice input dialog should appear on the screen. Your browser should prompt you to give Google Docs permission to use your microphone. Grant this permission and you can start dictating.
Insert a page break
You don’t have to navigate through menus to insert a page break in an open document –Ctrl+Enter or Command+Enter inserts one at the current position of the cursor.