Keyboard shortcuts

⌘ on macOS, Ctrl elsewhere. Every one of these is rebindable in Window → Customize → Shortcuts.

Chords never fire while focus is in a text input — except the command palette, which owns its own listener.

Command palette

Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + P

Prefix	Mode
(plain text)	Search everything
`>`	Commands
`@`	Layers
`#`	Compositions
`:`	Timecode — jump to a time

Tools

Key	Tool
`V`	Selection
`Shift` + `V`	Direct Selection
`W`	Rotation
`Y`	Pan Behind (move anchor point)
`H`	Hand
`Z`	Zoom
`G`	Pen — again to switch between Pen and Mask Feather
`Shift` + `K`	Knife
`Q`	Rectangle
`Shift` + `Q`	Ellipse
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `T`	Text — again to switch between horizontal and Vertical Type
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `P`	Puppet Pin
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `B`	Bone
`Alt` + `W`	Roto Brush
`C`	Cycle the camera tool — unified → orbit → pan → dolly

The other tools — Pencil, Brush, Paint, Eraser, Curvature Pen, Polygon, Star, Line Segment, the mask tools and the vertex tools — ship without a key and can be given one.

Timeline tools

Key	Tool
`Shift` + `S`	Selection
`Shift` + `C`	Razor
`Shift` + `Y`	Slip
`Shift` + `U`	Slide
`Shift` + `R`	Roll

Esc returns to Selection. See Cutting clips.

File & project

Chord	Action
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `N`	New project
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `O`	Open
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `S`	Save
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `S`	Save As
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `S`	Increment and Save

Edit

Chord	Action
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Z`	Undo
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `Z`	Redo
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `X` / `C` / `V`	Cut / Copy / Paste — keyframes if selected, else layers
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `A`	Select all
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `D`	Duplicate
`Esc`	Deselect (or exit the camera tool)
`Delete` / `Backspace`	Delete selection

Layers & compositions

Chord	Action
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `K`	Composition settings
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `T`	New Text layer
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Y`	New Solid
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `Y`	New Null Object
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `Y`	New Adjustment Layer
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `Shift` + `C` / `L`	New Camera… / New Light…
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `C`	Pre-compose
`Shift` + `Esc`	Open the previous composition
`Alt` + `1`…`9`	Multicam: cut to that angle
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `]` / `[`	Bring forward / send backward
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `]` / `[`	Bring to front / send to back

Animation

Chord	Action
`F9`	Easy Ease
`Shift` + `F9`	Easy Ease In
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `F9`	Easy Ease Out
`U`	Reveal keyframed properties. Twice: every modified property — animated, expression-driven, or set away from its default
`L` / `L` `L`	Reveal a layer’s audio levels / its waveform
`P` / `S` / `R` / `T` / `A`	Reveal Position / Scale / Rotation / Opacity / Anchor
`Alt` + `Shift` + `P`/`S`/`R`/`T`/`A`	Add a keyframe on that property at its current value
`Shift` + `F3`	Toggle the graph editor

Timeline & transport

Chord	Action
`Space`	Play / pause (hold for the temporary Hand tool)
`Home` / `End`	Go to start / end
`Page Down` / `Page Up`	Next / previous frame
`Shift` + `Page Up`/`Down`	Previous / next marker
`Shift` + `1`…`9`	Drop a numbered composition marker at the playhead
`J` / `K` / `L`	In the viewport, or with nothing focused: shuttle reverse / stop / forward. Press `J` or `L` again for 2× and 4×; hold `K` and tap `J` or `L` to step a frame
`J` / `K`	With the timeline focused: previous / next keyframe
`I` / `O`	Mark in / out at the playhead. With `Shift`: go to the in / out point
`B` / `N`	Set work-area in / out at the playhead
`Shift` + `B`	Clear the work area
`[` / `]`	Move the selected layers so their in / out point is at the playhead
`Alt` + `[` / `]`	Trim the layer’s in / out point to the playhead
`Alt` + `Page Up` / `Page Down`	Nudge the selected layers one frame in time (`Shift`: ten)
`←` / `→`	Nudge the selected keyframes one frame (`Shift`: ten)
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `D`	Split selected clips at the playhead
`Shift` + `Delete`	Ripple delete the selected layers (timeline focused)
`S`	Toggle timeline snapping (timeline focused)
`;` / `Alt` + `;` / `Shift` + `;`	Fit the composition / work area / selection in the timeline
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `S`	Smooth motion path
Numpad `.`	Preview only the audio, from the playhead. With `Alt`: in the work area

Panels & view

Chord	Action
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `P`	Command palette
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `K`	Switch theme
`F3`	Effect controls
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `4`	Audio panel
`F5` / `Shift` + `F5`	Take snapshot / show snapshot
`F6`	Render queue
`Shift` + `F4`	Cycle the viewport display mode — Shaded, Wireframe, Bounding Boxes
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `H`	Performance HUD
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `1`…`9`	Recall a camera bookmark. Add `Shift` to save one
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `;`	Show guides
`	Focus the workspace
`1` / `2`	3D view: active camera / last custom view
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `’`	Show grid
`Alt` + `’`	Show proportional grid
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Shift` + `”`	Snap to grid
`Ctrl`/`⌘` + `Alt` + `M`	Toggle motion paths

Viewport, when focused

Space held = temporary Hand · Arrow keys nudge (Shift for a larger step) · Delete/Backspace · Esc · Alt + drag = orbit / pan / dolly in 3D.

If a chord is not doing what this page says, check Customize → Shortcuts — it may have been rebound. The defaults listed here already follow After Effects’ toolbar keys.