Top 10 Google Docs Shortcuts To Make Writing and Editing Easier

Discover game-changing shortcuts with our Top 10 Google Docs Shortcuts. Make writing and editing a breeze – let’s get started!

Learning the correct keyboard keys can make all the difference if you use Google Docs to write and edit a lot. This article lists the top 10 Google Docs shortcuts for writing and editing.

10 Google Docs shortcuts for writing and editing

We will start with the basics and then look at tools for everyday jobs like copying, cutting, and pasting, making them much more accessible. Now, let’s move on to formatting shortcuts. If you want your text to seem professional without much effort, they will let you alter the font, style, and alignment fast.

Make use of the built-in shortcuts to swiftly go to the beginning or end of a word, or paragraph. This will make navigating your text much easier and allow you to edit more accurately. Because working together is essential in Google Docs, we’ll also show you how to use shortcuts for comments and ideas, making working together much more accessible.

All Google Docs users may benefit from these shortcuts, which promise a smoother and more pleasurable writing experience. Discover these top 10 Google Docs shortcuts to improve your digital writing effectiveness.

Voice-typing feature

To type text into Google Docs without using your fingers, you can use the microphone on your device or an external microphone to record yourself speaking. Talking verbally makes you more flexible; admit when you’re wrong and give yourself time to fix it.

Go to the Tools menu or press Ctrl + Shift + S on your computer to start voice typing. Saying “new line” or “new paragraph” will

help you organize your ideas while you speak, and the same goes for punctuation in writing: “period,” “comma,” “exclamation point,” and similar terms.

Use the dictionary within Docs

When reviewing or writing a paper, we often encounter a word for which we need clarification. One may open a new tab on their browser and put in the term; the word’s definition will be shown. Also, you can do everything while staying in the actual text.

You can look up the meaning of a word in Google Docs without leaving the page it’s on. After selecting the term you wish to learn more about, press Command+Shift+Y on a Mac or Control+Shift+Y on Windows.

Use Shortcuts for Bullet-Point Formatting

There’s a fantastic method that doesn’t require you to use your mouse to transition between standard paragraphs and organized lists. To make the following line the beginning of a list after finishing a paragraph, press Enter to transfer the cursor to the new line, and then:

• On a Mac, click Command + Shift + 8, and on a Windows, use Ctrl + Shift + 8.
• On Windows, you may create a numerical list by pressing Ctrl + Shift + 7. On a Mac, press command + Shift + 7.
• Press the Tab key when your mouse is at the beginning of the line to make the spacing between lines bigger.

• To make the spacing smaller, press Shift + Tab.

When you’re ready to start a new paragraph after finishing your list, press Enter again.

Use shortcuts to Leave and Reply to Comments

I often work with editors, content managers, and virtual assistants (VAs) who work hard to turn my ideas into final documents. One of the main ways we communicate is through comments in Google Docs.

To add a comment, find the relevant paragraph and click on it. For PC, press Ctrl + Alt + m. For Mac, press ⌘ + Option + m. This will add a new comment. Even if you don’t click on any words, the comment will highlight the one right where your cursor is.

To answer a comment, click on it and press your computer’s “r” key. This will start typing in your answer. After clicking on it, press j or k to advance to the next or previous remark. To mark the statement as done, press “e.”

Text Formatting

Google Docs has text formatting shortcuts that may be used to save time and give a professional touch to your documents. You can bold text (Ctrl+B), strikethrough text (Alt+Shift+5), or clear text formatting (Ctrl+\).

To change the font size, you can press Ctrl+Shift+.or. Pressing( Ctrl+Shift+.) will make the font size bigger, and pressing (Ctrl+Shift+) will make it smaller. This makes it easy to make changes on the fly.

(Ctrl +.) is used for superscript text, and (Ctrl +,) is used for subscript text.

Editing and Copy-Pasting

Our first secret weapon is a few common commands that help you save time while editing documents. To quickly copy and paste text, use Ctrl+C (or Command+C on a Mac), and then click Ctrl+V (or Command+V).

Want to undo something? Either Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac will do it. Want to redo what you’ve already done? You can press Ctrl+Y or Command+Shift+Z.

Working in Documents

You can make light work of going through the documents quickly. For example, the “Page Up” and “Page Down” keys let you quickly move among pages. The “Tool Finder” key, Alt + /, makes it easy to find tools.

When you use these keyboard tools in Google Docs, they work just as well on Chrome OS and the Apple MacBook Pro.

To see the document outline, press Ctrl + Alt + H. This puts all the headers in one place that is easy to find and makes it easy to move around in the document. To add a table row, press T, and to create a new row, press Tab at the end of the last column. This will make your Docs experience smooth. If you wish to select text quickly, use the Shift and Arrow keys or press Ctrl and A to select all text on the page.

If you need a quick break between pages, pressing Ctrl + Enter will give you an instant page break. No more scrolling around trying to find where one section ends and another begins.

Screen Reader Shortcuts for Accessibility

Google has always made sure that its designs are accessible and include everyone. One great example is that Google Docs has built-in support for screen readers. Did you know this?

You can toggle screen reader assistance on and off with the “Ctrl + Alt + Z” shortcut and access various functions with the “Ctrl + Alt + H” menu.

Use Shortcuts for text Alignment

Text orientation is something you use 95% of the time. But if you ever need to use a different one—like to center an image, which is how I usually use text alignment—you can press a shortcut key. Position your mouse on the same line as the part whose alignment you want to change. You can also click on the picture you want to match. Here are some quick ways to get there:

• On PC, press Ctrl + Shift + e. On Mac, press Command + Shift + e. This will center your text.
• On PC, press Ctrl + Shift + r. On Mac, press Command + Shift + r. This will move you to the right.
• On a PC, press Ctrl + Shift + l. On a Mac, press Command + Shift + l.
• Press Ctrl + Shift + j on a PC or Command + Shift + j on a Mac.

Insert a table of Contents

You may easily add it without having to type it in by hand. Insert > Table of Contents is where you should be when you finish writing.

Online word processor Google Docs will make the table of contents for you. The linked items in the table of contents are probably unnecessary. Instead, select everything below the main headline, copy it, and paste it outside of the box using the “Paste without formatting” option. You can do this by right-clicking and choosing this option, or by pressing Ctrl + Shift + V on a Windows or Command + Shift + V on a Mac.

Conclusion

One fantastic tool that may simplify your job is Google Docs. You can find it on Google for free. The best thing about Docs is that it lets more than one person work on the same file at the same time. Changes to files, saving them, and then sharing them with coworkers again are no longer hectic work. Just put a checkmark in the comments on the Google Doc and let the person you want to share it with see it. We also discussed some great tools to make your time on Docs more efficient. For more power, use these tips a lot. If you use these tools, you’ll go from being a regular Google Docs user to a vast fan who can’t help but say, “Google Docs Rocks!”

FAQs on Top 10 Google Docs Shortcuts

What is the shortcut for strikethrough?

Shortcuts “Alt + Shift + 5” for Windows and “Option + Command + X” for Mac can be used to apply strikethrough in Google Docs. You may quickly and easily format text with a strikethrough in your documents by using this combination.

What does Ctrl G do in Google?

The “Find Next” function in Google is Ctrl + G. If you’re looking for specific text or information on a site or document, pressing Ctrl + G will find the next instance of the term you were searching for. It’s a useful tool for quickly and easily moving through material, ensuring you get all the important details during your search.

What is alt text in Google Docs?

Alternative text for images, drawings, and other graphics gives screen reader users an audio description of what’s on screen. Otherwise, a user only hears the word “image” and could miss any relevant visual details. Always provide alt text for visual data if there are no other text annotations.

What is Ctrl+Shift+C in Google Docs?

Pressing Ctrl+Shift+C on a Windows or Command+Shift+C on a Mac will bring up the Word count tool. A dialogue window with word count will pop up.