Browse all keyboard shortcut cheat sheets

Microsoft PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts (Microsoft 365) — Complete Cheat Sheet

Microsoft PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts for slides, formatting, slideshow presentation, and navigation. Deliver presentations faster.

43 shortcuts across 4 categories · Windows · macOS

Microsoft PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts let you build presentations, navigate during live slideshows, and apply formatting without leaving the keyboard. Presenters particularly rely on slideshow mode shortcuts — advancing slides, blanking the screen, or jumping to a specific slide — to deliver polished, confident presentations.

Slideshow

Action	Shortcut	Description
Start Slideshow from Beginning	`F5`	Start the slideshow from the very first slide
Start from Current Slide	`Shift` + `F5`	Begin presenting from the currently selected slide
End Slideshow	`Escape`	Exit the presentation and return to edit view
Next Slide / Advance	`→` or `Space` or `N`	Advance to the next slide or animation step
Previous Slide	`←` or `P`	Go back to the previous slide
Go to Slide Number	`[num]` + `Enter`	Type a slide number and press Enter to jump to it
Black Screen Toggle	`B` or `.`	Toggle a blank black screen during presentation
White Screen Toggle	`W` or `,`	Toggle a blank white screen during presentation
Zoom into Slide	`+`	Zoom in on the slide during a presentation
Presenter View	`Alt` + `F5`	Open Presenter View with notes and next slide preview

Slides & Structure

Action	Shortcut	Description
New Slide	`Ctrl` + `M`	Insert a new slide after the current one
Duplicate Slide	`Ctrl` + `D`	Duplicate the selected slide(s)
Delete Slide	`Delete`	Delete the selected slide(s) in the slide panel
Move Slide Up	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `↑`	Move the selected slide up in the presentation order
Move Slide Down	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `↓`	Move the selected slide down in the presentation order
Expand / Collapse Outline	`Alt` + `Shift` + `+`	Expand or collapse text in the outline view
New Section	`F6`	Add a new section in the slide panel
Save	`Ctrl` + `S`	Save the current presentation
Print	`Ctrl` + `P`	Open the Print dialog
Undo	`Ctrl` + `Z`	Undo the last action
Redo	`Ctrl` + `Y`	Redo the last undone action

Objects & Shapes

Action	Shortcut	Description
Select All Objects	`Ctrl` + `A`	Select all objects on the current slide
Group Objects	`Ctrl` + `G`	Group selected objects into a single unit
Ungroup Objects	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `G`	Ungroup a previously grouped selection
Bring to Front	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `]`	Bring the selected object to the top layer
Send to Back	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `[`	Send the selected object to the bottom layer
Bring Forward	`Ctrl` + `]`	Bring the object one layer forward
Send Backward	`Ctrl` + `[`	Send the object one layer backward
Align Left	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `L`	Align selected objects to the left
Align Center	`Ctrl` + `E`	Center selected objects horizontally
Align Right	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `R`	Align selected objects to the right
Duplicate in Place	`Ctrl` + `D`	Duplicate selected object and offset slightly

Text & Formatting

Action	Shortcut	Description
Bold	`Ctrl` + `B`	Toggle bold formatting on selected text
Italic	`Ctrl` + `I`	Toggle italic formatting on selected text
Underline	`Ctrl` + `U`	Toggle underline formatting on selected text
Increase Font Size	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `>`	Increase the font size of selected text
Decrease Font Size	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `<`	Decrease the font size of selected text
Center Text	`Ctrl` + `E`	Center-align selected paragraph text
Justify Text	`Ctrl` + `J`	Justify selected paragraph text
Subscript	`Ctrl` + `=`	Apply subscript to selected text
Superscript	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `=`	Apply superscript to selected text
Clear All Formatting	`Ctrl` + `Space`	Remove all character formatting from selection
Insert Hyperlink	`Ctrl` + `K`	Open the Insert Hyperlink dialog

Microsoft PowerPoint Tips & Tricks

F5 vs Shift+F5 — know the difference: F5 always starts from slide 1, which is great for rehearsing. Shift+F5 starts from wherever your cursor is, which is ideal when you want to jump in mid-deck to test a section.
B key is your best friend during Q&A: Pressing B goes black while you answer questions. It refocuses the audience on you instead of the last slide. Press it again to return to the slide.
Ctrl+G groups — then treat as one object: Once you group shapes or images, you can move, resize, and animate them as a single unit. This makes alignment and positioning on busy slides dramatically faster.

Frequently Asked Questions — Microsoft PowerPoint

How do I start a PowerPoint slideshow with a keyboard shortcut?: Press F5 to start the slideshow from the first slide. Press Shift+F5 to start from the currently selected slide. To end the presentation at any time, press Escape.
What is the PowerPoint shortcut to go to the next slide?: Press the Right arrow key, Space bar, Page Down, or N to advance to the next slide or animation step during a presentation. Press the Left arrow, P, or Page Up to go back.
How do I insert a new slide in PowerPoint?: Press Ctrl+M to insert a new slide after the current one. The new slide uses the same layout as the previous slide. You can also duplicate an existing slide with Ctrl+D to preserve its layout and content.

How to Learn Microsoft PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft PowerPoint's keyboard shortcuts serve two distinct phases of work: building slides in the editor and presenting them to an audience. Most users only learn one set or the other, but both are worth knowing. In the editor, Ctrl+M adds a new slide, Ctrl+D duplicates the selected slide or object, Tab cycles through objects on a slide, and the arrow keys move selected objects with fine control when used alone (or with Shift for larger nudges or Ctrl for precise pixel-level movement). The Format Painter (Alt+Ctrl+C to copy format, Alt+Ctrl+V to paste it) is invaluable for maintaining visual consistency across a presentation without manually matching styles.

Presentation mode shortcuts are the ones most people wish they'd known before their first large audience presentation. B or the period key blanks the screen to black (useful when you want the audience to focus on you, not the slide), W blanks it to white, and any key restores the slide. The number keys jump directly to specific slide numbers (type the number then press Enter), which allows non-linear navigation in presentations with Q&A segments. Escape ends the presentation. Ctrl+P activates a laser pointer, and Ctrl+I activates an ink pen for annotating slides during the presentation. These presenter shortcuts look trivial on paper but become extremely valuable when you're standing in front of an audience and need to navigate smoothly and confidently.