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Tip of the Week: Google Workspace Shortcuts

by | Wednesday, October 6th, 2021

Google Workspace, the solution formerly known as G Suite, is an extremely popular productivity suite in the business world. Just like other productivity solutions and tools, there are plenty of keyboard shortcuts that you can leverage for maximum efficiency. Let’s take a look at some of these shortcuts that you can use for Google Workspace.

Start a New File

One of the oldest shortcuts allows a user to start a new file without opening Google Workspace. This shortcut can work for Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. All you have to do is open a new tab in Google and type the following in the address bar:

  • For a new document: docs.new
  • For a new spreadsheet: sheets.new
  • For a new presentation: slides.new

Don’t take our word for it; go ahead and give it a shot!

If you use multiple Google accounts, you must open the browser tied to your account which you want to save your new file in.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Like other software applications, there are keyboard shortcuts users can utilize within Google Workspace. Here are some of the more useful ones:

For Google Docs 

Copy – Ctrl + c 
Cut – Ctrl + x
Paste – Ctrl + v 
Paste without formatting – Ctrl + Shift + v 
Undo – Ctrl + z
Redo – Ctrl + Shift + z
Insert or edit link – Ctrl + k
Find – Ctrl + f

For formatting text
Bold – Ctrl + b
Italicize – Ctrl + i
Underline – Ctrl + u
Strikethrough – Alt + Shift + 5
Superscript – Ctrl + .
Copy text formatting – Ctrl + Alt + c

For formatting paragraphs
Increase paragraph indentation – Ctrl + ] 
Decrease paragraph indentation – Ctrl + [ 
Numbered list – Ctrl + Shift + 7
Right align – Ctrl + Shift + r
Left align – Ctrl + Shift + l
Bulleted list – Ctrl + Shift + 8

Other shortcuts
Insert comment – Ctrl + Alt + m
Open discussion thread – Ctrl + Alt + Shift + a
Insert footnote – Ctrl + Alt + f

For Google Sheets 

Select column    – Ctrl + Space
Select row – Shift + Space
Insert a link – Ctrl + k
Open Explore – Alt + Shift + x
Insert new sheet – Shift + F11

For formatting cells
Bold – Ctrl + b 
Underline – Ctrl + u
Italic – Ctrl + i 
Apply right border – Option + Shift + 4
Apply top border – Option + Shift + 1
Apply left border – Option + Shift + 2
Apply bottom border    Option + Shift + 3
Clear formatting  – Ctrl + \
Center align – Ctrl + Shift + e
Right align – Ctrl + Shift + r
Left align – Ctrl + Shift + l

For altering rows and columns
Hide row – Ctrl + Alt + 9
Group rows or columns – Alt + Shift + Right arrow
Unhide row – Ctrl + Shift + 9
Ungroup rows or columns – Alt + Shift + Left arrow
Insert/edit note – Shift + F2
Insert comment – Ctrl + Alt + m
Open comment discussion thread – Ctrl + Alt + Shift + a 

For Google Slides

New slide – Ctrl + m
Select all – Ctrl + a
Open link – Alt + Enter
Select none – Ctrl + Shift + a
Insert or edit link – Ctrl + k

For formatting text
Bold – Ctrl + b
Italic – Ctrl + i
Underline – Ctrl + u
Increase font size – Ctrl + Shift + >
Decrease font size – Ctrl + Shift + <
Bulleted list – Ctrl + Shift + 8

For Altering and moving objects
Group    – Ctrl + Alt + g 
Ungroup – Ctrl + Alt + Shift + g
Nudge up, down, left, or right – Arrow keys
Select next shape – Tab
Select previous shape – Shift + Tab
Switch between slides – Keyboard shortcut
Move to previous slide, page up – Up arrow
Move to next slide, page down – Down arrow

For navigating presentations
Open speaker notes panel- Ctrl + Alt + Shift + s 
Open animations panel – Ctrl + Alt + Shift + b

Other shortcuts
Insert comment – Ctrl + Alt + m
Enter current comment – Ctrl + Enter
Open comment discussion thread – Ctrl + Alt + Shift + a

These shortcuts should help users get more done throughout the workday. We recommend that you print this article out so you can use it as a quick reference while using Google’s solutions.

What kind of articles do you want to see from us in the future? Let us know in the comments.

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