Mar 10, 2025 • Adrian T

Essential Google Docs Shortcuts to Save Time

Google Docs is a powerful tool, but navigating menus with a mouse can slow you down. Mastering keyboard shortcuts can significantly boost your productivity. Here are the essential Google Docs shortcuts you need to know.

General Shortcuts

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Open a new document: Ctrl + N (Windows) / Cmd + N (Mac)

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Open a document: Ctrl + O / Cmd + O

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Save the document (Google Docs auto-saves, but this forces a save): Ctrl + S / Cmd + S

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Print: Ctrl + P / Cmd + P

Text Formatting Shortcuts

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Bold: Ctrl + B / Cmd + B

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Italic: Ctrl + I / Cmd + I

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Underline: Ctrl + U / Cmd + U

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Strikethrough: Alt + Shift + 5 / Cmd + Shift + X

Editing Shortcuts

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Undo: Ctrl + Z / Cmd + Z

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Redo: Ctrl + Y / Cmd + Shift + Z

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Copy: Ctrl + C / Cmd + C

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Cut: Ctrl + X / Cmd + X

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Paste: Ctrl + V / Cmd + V

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Paste without formatting: Ctrl + Shift + V / Cmd + Shift + V

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Select all: Ctrl + A / Cmd + A

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Find text: Ctrl + F / Cmd + F

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Replace text: Ctrl + H / Cmd + Shift + H

Paragraph Formatting Shortcuts

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Align left: Ctrl + Shift + L / Cmd + Shift + L

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Align center: Ctrl + Shift + E / Cmd + Shift + E

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Align right: Ctrl + Shift + R / Cmd + Shift + R

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Justify text: Ctrl + Shift + J / Cmd + Shift + J

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Increase indent: Ctrl + ] / Cmd + ]

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Decrease indent: Ctrl + [ / Cmd + [

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Add a numbered list: Ctrl + Shift + 7 / Cmd + Shift + 7

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Add a bulleted list: Ctrl + Shift + 8 / Cmd + Shift + 8

Navigation Shortcuts

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Jump to the beginning of a document: Ctrl + Home / Cmd + Up Arrow

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Jump to the end of a document: Ctrl + End / Cmd + Down Arrow

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Move to the next word: Ctrl + Right Arrow / Option + Right Arrow

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Move to the previous word: Ctrl + Left Arrow / Option + Left Arrow

Collaboration Shortcuts

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Insert comment: Ctrl + Alt + M / Cmd + Option + M

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Open comment thread: Ctrl + Enter / Cmd + Enter

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Resolve comment: Ctrl + Shift + E / Cmd + Shift + E

Bonus: Voice Typing Shortcut

If you prefer dictating your text, activate voice typing with:

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Ctrl + Shift + S / Cmd + Shift + S

Conclusion

Mastering these Google Docs shortcuts will help you save time and work more efficiently. Try incorporating a few into your workflow, and soon, navigating Google Docs will feel effortless. Happy typing!