Many users find that using an external keyboard with keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft 365 apps helps them work more efficiently. For users with mobility or vision disabilities, keyboard shortcuts can be easier than using the touchscreen and are an essential alternative to using a mouse.
This article itemizes the keyboard shortcuts for working with SmartArt graphics in Microsoft 365 apps.
Note
- The shortcuts in this topic refer to the US keyboard layout. Keys for other layouts might not correspond exactly to the keys on a US keyboard.
- A plus sign (+) in a shortcut means that you need to press multiple keys at the same time.
- A comma sign (,) in a shortcut means that you need to press multiple keys in order.
In this topic
- Insert a SmartArt graphic to a Microsoft 365 document
- Work with shapes in a SmartArt graphic
- Move and resize shapes in a SmartArt graphic
- Work with text in a SmartArt graphic
Insert a SmartArt graphic to a Microsoft 365 document
- In the Microsoft 365 app where you want to insert the graphic, press Alt, then N, and then M to open the Choose SmartArt Graphic dialog box.
- Press the Up or Down arrow key to select the type of graphic that you want.
- Press the Tab key once to move to the layout selection pane.
- Use the arrow keys to move to and select the layout that you want.
- Press Enter to insert the selected layout.
Work with shapes in a SmartArt graphic
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Move to and select the next top-level SmartArt graphic. | Tab key |
| Move to and select the previous top-level SmartArt graphic. | Shift+Tab |
| Activate to examine the currently selected SmartArt graphic. | Enter |
| Select the next element after activating a SmartArt graphic. | Tab key |
| Select the previous element after activating a SmartArt graphic. | Shift+Tab |
| Return to the top level of the currently selected SmartArt graphic after activating it. | Esc |
| Remove focus from the selected shape in a SmartArt graphic. | Esc |
| Select all shapes in a SmartArt graphic. | Ctrl+A |
| Nudge the selected shape up. | Up arrow key |
| Nudge the selected shape down. | Down arrow key |
| Nudge the selected shape left. | Left arrow key |
| Nudge the selected shape right. | Right arrow key |
| Edit text in the selected shape. | Enter or F2 |
| Exit a shape after editing text in the shape. | Esc |
| Delete the selected shape. | Delete or Backspace |
| Cut the selected shape. | Ctrl+X or Shift+Delete |
| Copy the selected shape. | Ctrl+C |
| Paste the contents of the clipboard. | Ctrl+V |
| Undo the last action. | Ctrl+Z |
Move and resize shapes in a SmartArt graphic
Tip
- To apply more precise adjustments to shapes, press the Ctrl key in addition to any of the keyboard shortcuts described in the table below.
- The keyboard shortcuts below apply to multiple selections as if you selected each item individually.
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Enlarge the selected shape horizontally. | Shift+Right arrow key |
| Reduce the selected shape horizontally. | Shift+Left arrow key |
| Enlarge the selected shape vertically. | Shift+Up arrow key |
| Reduce the selected shape vertically. | Shift+Down arrow key |
| Rotate the selected shape to the right. | Alt+Right arrow key |
| Rotate the selected shape to the left. | Alt+Left arrow key |
Work with text in a SmartArt graphic
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Move the cursor one character to the left. | Left arrow key |
| Move the cursor one character to the right. | Right arrow key |
| Move the cursor one line up. | Up arrow key |
| Move the cursor one line down. | Down arrow key |
| Move the cursor one word to the left. | Ctrl+Left arrow key |
| Move the cursor one word to the right. | Ctrl+Right arrow key |
| Move the cursor one paragraph up. | Ctrl+Up arrow key |
| Move the cursor one paragraph down. | Ctrl+Down arrow key |
| Move the cursor to the end of a line. | End |
| Move the cursor to the beginning of a line. | Home |
| Move the cursor to the end of a text box. | Ctrl+End |
| Move the cursor to the beginning of a text box. | Ctrl+Home |
| Cut the selected text. | Ctrl+X |
| Copy the selected text. | Ctrl+C |
| Paste the selected text. | Ctrl+V |
| Move the selected text up. | Alt+Shift+Up arrow key |
| Move the selected text down. | Alt+Shift+Down arrow key |
| Undo the last action. | Ctrl+Z |
| Delete one character to the left. | Backspace |
| Delete one word to the left. | Ctrl+Backspace |
| Delete one character to the right. | Delete |
| Delete one word to the right. | Ctrl+Delete |
| Promote the selected paragraph. | Alt+Shift+Left arrow key |
| Demote the selected paragraph. | Alt+Shift+Right arrow key |
| Check the spelling (not available in Word). | F7 |
Apply character formatting
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Open the Font dialog box. | Ctrl+Shift+F or Ctrl+Shift+P |
| Increase the font size of the selected text. | Ctrl+Shift+Right angle bracket (>) |
| Decrease the font size of the selected text. | Ctrl+Shift+Left angle bracket (<) |
| Switch the case of selected text between lower case, Title Case, and UPPER CASE. | Shift+F3 |
| Apply bold formatting to the selected text. | Ctrl+B |
| Apply an underline to the selected text. | Ctrl+U |
| Apply italic formatting to the selected text. | Ctrl+I |
| Apply subscript formatting to the selected text. | Ctrl+Equal sign ( = ) |
| Apply superscript formatting to the selected text. | Ctrl+Shift+Plus sign (+) |
| Adjust the superscript or subscript offset up. | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Right angle bracket (>) |
| Adjust the superscript or subscript offset down. | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Left angle bracket (<) |
| Remove all character formatting from the selected text. | Shift+Ctrl+Spacebar |
Note
Screen readers do not announce font size changes correctly.
Copy text formatting
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Copy formatting from the selected text. | Shift+Ctrl+C |
| Paste formatting to the selected text. | Shift+Ctrl+V |
Apply paragraph formatting
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Center a paragraph. | Ctrl+E |
| Justify a paragraph. | Ctrl+J |
| Left align a paragraph. | Ctrl+L |
| Right align a paragraph. | Ctrl+R |
| Demote a bullet point. | Tab key or Alt+Shift+Right arrow key |
| Promote a bullet point. | Shift+Tab or Alt+Shift+Left arrow key |
Use the text pane
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Merge two lines of text. | Delete at the end of the first line of text |
| Display the shortcut menu. | Shift+F10 or Windows Menu key |
| Switch between the text pane and the drawing canvas. | Ctrl+Shift+F2 |
| Close the text pane. | Alt+F4 |
| Switch the focus from the text pane to the border of the SmartArt graphic. | Esc |
| With the cursor in the text pane, open the SmartArt graphics help topic in a new browser tab. | Ctrl+Shift+F1 |
See also
Make your content accessible to everyone
Use a screen reader with Microsoft 365 apps
Accessibility tools for Microsoft 365
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.