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Google Docs Keyboard Shortcuts (Web (2024)) — Complete Cheat Sheet

Google Docs keyboard shortcuts for formatting, navigation, comments, document structure, and collaboration. Work faster in the browser.

41 shortcuts across 4 categories · Web (Chrome · Firefox · Safari)

Google Docs keyboard shortcuts work across any browser on any operating system, making them universally useful for collaborative document work. From applying heading styles to inserting comments and navigating with the document outline, these shortcuts let writers and editors work faster in a browser-based environment.

Text Formatting

Action	Shortcut	Description
Bold	`Ctrl` + `B`	Toggle bold on selected text
Italic	`Ctrl` + `I`	Toggle italic on selected text
Underline	`Ctrl` + `U`	Toggle underline on selected text
Strikethrough	`Alt` + `Shift` + `5`	Apply strikethrough to selected text
Heading 1	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `1`	Apply Heading 1 style to current paragraph
Heading 2	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `2`	Apply Heading 2 style to current paragraph
Heading 3	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `3`	Apply Heading 3 style to current paragraph
Normal Text	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `0`	Reset to Normal paragraph style
Clear Formatting	`Ctrl` + `\`	Remove all formatting from selected text
Increase Font Size	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `.`	Increase font size by one point
Decrease Font Size	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `,`	Decrease font size by one point
Superscript	`Ctrl` + `.`	Apply superscript to selected text
Subscript	`Ctrl` + `,`	Apply subscript to selected text

Editing

Action	Shortcut	Description
Undo	`Ctrl` + `Z`	Undo the last action
Redo	`Ctrl` + `Y`	Redo the last undone action
Find	`Ctrl` + `F`	Open Find toolbar to search in the document
Find & Replace	`Ctrl` + `H`	Open Find and Replace dialog
Select All	`Ctrl` + `A`	Select all text in the document
Copy	`Ctrl` + `C`	Copy the selected text or object
Cut	`Ctrl` + `X`	Cut the selected text or object
Paste	`Ctrl` + `V`	Paste clipboard content
Paste Without Formatting	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste as plain text, stripping all formatting
Insert Page Break	`Ctrl` + `Enter`	Insert a manual page break at the cursor
Insert Link	`Ctrl` + `K`	Open the Insert Link dialog

Navigation

Action	Shortcut	Description
Go to Beginning	`Ctrl` + `Home`	Jump to the start of the document
Go to End	`Ctrl` + `End`	Jump to the end of the document
Move Word Right	`Ctrl` + `→`	Move cursor one word to the right
Move Word Left	`Ctrl` + `←`	Move cursor one word to the left
Select to Beginning	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Home`	Select from cursor to the start of the document
Select to End	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `End`	Select from cursor to the end of the document
Open Document Outline	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `A` or `Ctrl` + `Alt` + `H`	Open the document outline panel
Previous Heading	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `P`	Jump to the previous heading
Next Heading	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `N`	Jump to the next heading

Comments & Review

Action	Shortcut	Description
Insert Comment	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `M`	Add a comment to the selected text
Open Comment Thread	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `A`	Open and focus the current comment thread
Accept All Suggestions	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `A`	Accept all tracked changes in the document
Show/Hide Suggestions	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `C`	Toggle display of suggested edits
Word Count	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `C`	Open the Word Count dialog
Suggest Edits (Track Changes)	`Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `X`	Enable Suggesting mode to track all edits
Print	`Ctrl` + `P`	Open the print dialog
Save (auto-saves)	`Ctrl` + `S`	Trigger a manual save (Google Docs auto-saves)

Google Docs Tips & Tricks

Ctrl+Alt+M adds comments without leaving the keyboard: Select a phrase, press Ctrl+Alt+M, type your comment, and press Ctrl+Enter to submit — never touch the mouse for the entire review workflow.
Ctrl+\ clears formatting instantly: When pasting text from another source, select it and press Ctrl+\ to strip all external formatting and apply your document's default style.
Headings power the automatic table of contents: Use Ctrl+Alt+1 through Ctrl+Alt+3 to apply heading styles rather than manually bolding and sizing text. This makes inserting a live table of contents (Insert → Table of contents) work automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions — Google Docs

How do I add a comment in Google Docs using the keyboard?: Select the text you want to comment on, then press Ctrl+Alt+M (Cmd+Option+M on Mac) to insert a comment. Type your note and press Ctrl+Enter to submit, keeping your hands on the keyboard the entire time.
What is the Google Docs shortcut to apply a heading style?: Press Ctrl+Alt+1 for Heading 1, Ctrl+Alt+2 for Heading 2, and Ctrl+Alt+3 for Heading 3. Use Ctrl+Alt+0 to reset back to Normal text style. These shortcuts require the cursor to be in the paragraph you want to style.
How do I paste without formatting in Google Docs?: Press Ctrl+Shift+V (Cmd+Shift+V on Mac) to paste text without any formatting from the clipboard — it will match the surrounding text style in your document. Regular Ctrl+V keeps the original formatting.

How to Learn Google Docs Keyboard Shortcuts

Google Docs runs entirely in the browser and works on any device, which gives its keyboard shortcuts a universality that desktop applications can't match — the same Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, and Ctrl+Shift+L you learn in Google Docs work whether you're on a Windows laptop, a MacBook (substituting Cmd for Ctrl), or a Chromebook. This cross-platform consistency is one of the strongest arguments for investing time in Google Docs shortcuts specifically, as the skills transfer wherever you work. For teams using Google Workspace, document collaboration happens in Docs constantly, and shortcut fluency is a genuine professional skill that improves both your own productivity and the overall quality of shared documents.

The shortcuts unique to Google Docs that don't have exact equivalents elsewhere are the commenting and collaboration shortcuts. Ctrl+Alt+M inserts a comment on selected text — used in every collaborative editing session for tracking feedback and questions. Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A opens the comment stream for navigating between all open comments. Ctrl+Shift+Y opens the dictionary for quick definitions without leaving the document. For document structure, Ctrl+Alt+1 through 6 apply heading levels — building a properly headed document activates the document outline on the left sidebar, which then allows one-click navigation through long documents. Version history (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H) is a powerful feature for tracking how a collaborative document has evolved, and being able to open it with a shortcut encourages more regular use.