MS Office shortcut keys are mostly shared between Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, so learning them once pays off in every program. Ctrl + S saves, Ctrl + Z undoes, Ctrl + P prints, F7 checks spelling and F12 opens Save As in all of them.
Pressing Alt shows letters on the ribbon, letting you reach any button without the mouse. In current versions, Alt + Q jumps to the search box at the top, where you can type a command such as page numbers or freeze panes.
Quick facts
Save and Save As
Ctrl + S, F12Undo and redo
Ctrl + Z, Ctrl + YSpelling
F7Ribbon letters
AltSearch a command
Alt + QHide the ribbon
Ctrl + F1
Using the ribbon from the keyboard
- Press and release Alt. Letters appear on each ribbon tab.
- Press a tab letter, such as H for Home or N for Insert.
- Letters appear on every button of that tab. Press the one you want.
- Press Esc to step back or leave.
Sequences like Alt, H, B, A for borders in Excel come from this system. Once you know the tab letters, you can reach any command without hunting for it.
Outlook shortcut keys
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + N | New email (in the mail view) |
| Ctrl + R | Reply |
| Ctrl + Shift + R | Reply all |
| Ctrl + F | Forward |
| Ctrl + Enter | Send |
| Ctrl + 1 | Go to Mail |
| Ctrl + 2 | Go to Calendar |
| Ctrl + Q | Mark as read |
| Delete | Delete the message |
MS Office shortcut keys A to Z
The Ctrl plus letter keys behave the same way in most Office programs, with a few differences in Excel. The full alphabet is listed on Ctrl A to Z shortcut keys. Each program also has its own page: Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Free office suites such as LibreOffice use most of the same Ctrl keys too.
When Office shortcuts do not work
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| F-keys change volume | Press Fn too, or turn on Fn lock |
| Alt letters do not appear | Click inside the document first |
| A shortcut does something else | Some keys differ by program, such as Ctrl + F in Outlook |
| Keys work in one file only | A macro or add in may have taken over the key |
Office on a Mac
Office for Mac uses Command in place of Ctrl for most keys, such as Command + S to save, and has no ribbon letters. See Mac shortcut keys for the system keys.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important MS Office shortcut keys?
Do the same shortcut keys work in Word, Excel and PowerPoint?
Most of them do. A few, such as some Ctrl letters in Excel, differ.
How do I use the ribbon without a mouse?
Press Alt and follow the letters.
What is the Outlook shortcut to reply?
How do I search for a command in Office?
Press Alt + Q and type what you need.
Do Office shortcut keys work on Mac?
Most do, with Command in place of Ctrl.