Shortcuts & Modifier Key Guide
Shortcuts & Modifier Key Guide
A collection of useful keyboard shortcuts that work across Windows, text editors, terminals, and file explorers.
Modifier keys are keys you hold while performing another action.
Common modifier keys include:
- CTRL
- ALT
- SHIFT
- CMD (Mac – ignored in this guide for simplicity)
- Fn
These shortcuts are designed to work in most text editors, terminals, browsers, and common applications.
Text Entry & Navigation
CTRL — Word-Level Navigation
Holding CTRL changes many actions from working on a single character to working on a whole word.
| Shortcut |
Function |
| CTRL + Left / Right |
Move cursor one word at a time |
| CTRL + Backspace |
Delete the previous word |
| CTRL + Delete |
Delete the next word |
| CTRL + Up / Down |
Move cursor one paragraph at a time |
| CTRL + Home |
Move to the start of a document |
| CTRL + End |
Move to the end of a document |
| CTRL + Space |
Remove formatting from selected text |
| CTRL + Enter |
Insert page break (Word and similar editors) |
| CTRL + Click |
Highlight an entire sentence |
SHIFT — Text Selection Modifier
SHIFT is commonly used to highlight text and modify existing commands.
| Shortcut |
Function |
| SHIFT + Arrow Keys |
Highlight text |
| CTRL + SHIFT + V |
Paste text without formatting |
| SHIFT + Enter |
Insert a new line without submitting a form or creating extra spacing |
Example: Useful in comment boxes or the Google search bar.
Fn Key Shortcuts
Some keyboards use the Fn key for navigation shortcuts.
| Shortcut |
Function |
| Fn + Left |
Home |
| Fn + Right |
End |
| Fn + Up |
Page Up |
| Fn + Down |
Page Down |
Tab Key
| Shortcut |
Function |
| TAB |
Indent bullet point |
| SHIFT + TAB |
Remove one indent level |
Mouse Shortcuts
| Action |
Result |
| Double-click |
Highlight an entire word |
| Triple-click |
Highlight an entire sentence, paragraph, or field |
| Double-click + drag |
Highlight multiple words |
| Triple-click + drag |
Highlight multiple paragraphs |
| CTRL + Click + drag |
Highlight text sentence-by-sentence |
| Drag highlighted text |
Move highlighted text |
| Drag highlighted text to another app |
Copy text between programs |
File Explorer Shortcuts
File Drag Actions
| Shortcut |
Action |
| CTRL + Drag file |
Copy file |
| SHIFT + Drag file |
Move file |
| ALT + Drag file |
Create shortcut |
| CTRL + SHIFT + Drag |
Create shortcut |
File Selection
| Shortcut |
Action |
| CTRL + Click |
Select or deselect individual files |
| Drag selection box |
Select multiple files |
| CTRL + Drag selection |
Add files to selection |
| SHIFT + Drag selection |
Add files to selection |
Navigation
| Shortcut |
Action |
| Arrow Keys |
Move selection |
| CTRL + Arrow Keys |
Move active file without losing selection |
| Space (or CTRL + Space) |
Add file to selection |
Browser & Tab Shortcuts
These shortcuts work in File Explorer, browsers, and many programs.
| Shortcut |
Action |
| CTRL + T |
Open new tab |
| CTRL + W |
Close tab |
| CTRL + TAB |
Next tab |
| CTRL + SHIFT + TAB |
Previous tab |
| CTRL + N |
Open new window |
CTRL + W also closes the current document in programs like Microsoft Word.
Process Control
| Shortcut |
Action |
| CTRL + C |
Stop running process or script |
Miscellaneous Windows Shortcuts
| Shortcut |
Function |
| CTRL + ALT + TAB |
Window switcher that stays open |
| Win + SHIFT + S |
Open Snipping Tool |
| Win + P |
Open display projection menu |
| Win + ; |
Emoji & clipboard panel |
| CTRL + SHIFT + V |
Paste without formatting |
Tips
These shortcuts help you:
- Edit text faster
- Navigate documents efficiently
- Manage files quickly
- Use terminals more effectively
- Improve general productivity
The text navigation shortcuts (CTRL + arrows and CTRL + backspace) are some of the most powerful and widely supported shortcuts across applications.
