The keyboard shortcuts we actually use: a practical cheat sheet
TL;DR: You probably know Ctrl+c and Ctrl+v. But a few lesser-known keyboard shortcuts can save you a surprising amount of clicking and repeating. Here are the ones we actually find useful at Flow.
There are keyboard shortcuts you use once and immediately forget. And then there are the ones you use so often they become automatic.
None of these shortcuts will transform the way you work, but they'll surely make your work smoother. If you regularly find yourself switching between screens just to copy... paste... copy... paste, there’s probably a shortcut here that can help.
We’ve ordered the shortcuts from everyday essentials to more specific, lesser-known tricks, so you can start with the basics and gradually add the ones that are useful to you.
A quick note: this cheat sheet is primarily for Windows users. Some shortcuts behave differently depending on the application, browser, or keyboard.
The general, everyday keyboard shortcuts
Let’s start with the ones worth knowing almost regardless of what you do.
Shortcut | What it does | Context |
Ctrl + a | Select everything | General / Selection |
Ctrl + x | Cut the selection | Cut |
Ctrl + z | Undo the last action | Undo |
Ctrl + y | Redo the last executed action | Redo |
Ctrl + s | Save the current file or document | Save |
Ctrl + p | Print the current document / page | Works in many apps and browsers |
Ctrl + b | Make selected text bold | Text formatting |
Ctrl + i | Make selected text italic | Text formatting |
Ctrl + u | Underline selected text | Text formatting |
Ctrl + Shift + v | Paste without original formatting | Often called Paste as plain text |
Ctrl + w | Close the active tab, document or window | Usually does not close the entire application |
fn + F5 | Refresh the current window or page | Exact function can vary by application |
One we particularly like: Ctrl + Shift + v. This one lets you paste without that original formatting. It is a tiny, surprisingly usefulimprovement.
Edit text without reaching for your mouse
Once these become muscle memory, editing text gets noticeably quicker.
Shortcut | What it does | Context |
Ctrl + arrow < / > | Move the cursor one word to the left / right | Navigation |
Ctrl + Shift + arrow < / > | Select the previous / next word | Extends the selection to the left / right |
Shift + Home | Select from the cursor to the beginning of the line | Selection |
Shift + End | Select from the cursor to the end of the line | Selection |
Ctrl + Backspace (←) | Delete the word to the left of the cursor | Deletes one word backward |
Ctrl + Delete | Delete the word to the right of the cursor | Deletes one word forward |
Ctrl + Home | Move to the beginning of the document or page | Also works in browsers |
Ctrl + End | Move to the end of the document or page | Also works in browsers |
A particularly good one to learn: Ctrl + Backspace (←). Once you start deleting whole words instead of repeatedly tapping Backspace, it’s hard to go back.
One little extra: the basic formatting shortcuts. They may be obvious, but they earn their place here:
Ctrl + b: bold
Ctrl + i: italic
Ctrl + u: underline
Your browser: fewer clicks, fewer lost tabs
These are probably a little less familiar than the everyday shortcuts above. That's why, rather than ordering them by difficulty, we’ve kept things practical and ordered this set of shortcuts like this: navigate → recover → adjust. In other words, move between tabs, bring back one you accidentally closed, or adjust / reset your view.
Shortcut | What it does | Context |
Ctrl + Pg Up | Move to the previous tab | Navigation |
Ctrl + Pg Dn | Move to the next tab | Navigation |
Ctrl + Shift + t | Reopen the last closed tab | Edge, Chrome, etc. |
Ctrl + + / - | Zoom in / out | Zoom / view |
Ctrl + 0 | Reset zoom to the default 100% | Zoom / view |
The lifesaver tip: if you closed the wrong tab, before digging through your browser history, press Ctrl + Shift + t. It reopens your most recently closed tab in browsers.
Windows shortcuts worth remembering
There are dozens of Windows keyboard shortcuts. You probably don't need dozens.
These are the ones we think earn their place.
Shortcut | What it does | Context / note |
|---|---|---|
Alt + Tab | Switch between open windows | Hold Alt and press Tab repeatedly to cycle |
Alt + Shift + Tab | Cycle backwards through open windows | Reverse direction of Alt + Tab |
Alt + F4 | Close the active window or application | System-level shortcut |
Windows + s | Open Windows Search | Search for apps, files and settings |
Windows + e | Open File Explorer | Opens a new File Explorer window |
Windows + l | Lock your computer | Opens the lock screen |
Ctrl + Shift + n | Create a new folder | In File Explorer |
Windows + arrow < | Snap the active window to the left | Windows Snap |
Windows + arrow > | Snap the active window to the right | Windows Snap |
Windows + m | Minimize all open windows | Reveals the desktop |
Windows + v | Open clipboard history | Also provides access to emoji, kaomoji and symbols |
Ctrl + Shift + n | Create a new folder | In File Explorer |
Windows + i | Open Windows Settings | Settings |
Windows + p | Select the Display/Project your screen mode | Duplicate, Extend, Second screen only, etc. |
Windows + Space | Switch to the next keyboard layout/input language | Cycles forward |
Windows + Shift + Space | Switch to the previous keyboard layout/input language | Cycles backward |
Windows + 1, 2, etc. | Open an application on the taskbar | Number corresponds to its taskbar position, counting from the first app after the Windows/Start icon |
If you regularly copy and paste several bits of text, Windows + V can save you a lot of back-and-forth. It opens your clipboard history, so you can grab something you copied a few steps ago, instead of copying it again.
The first time, Windows may ask you to enable the clipboard history.
Bonus: symbols without hunting for them
Windows keyboards also let you enter characters using Alt codes with the numeric keypad.
For example:
Shortcut | What it does | Context / note |
Alt + 1 | ☺ Smiley face | Typically requires the numeric keypad with Num Lock enabled |
Alt + 24 | ↑ Up arrow | Num Lock enabled |
Alt + 25 | ↓ Down arrow | Num Lock enabled |
Alt + 26 | → Right arrow | Num Lock enabled |
Alt + 27 | ← Left arrow | Num Lock enabled |
Alt + 0151 | Type an em dash: — | Num Lock enabled |
Our suggestion
Pick two or three shortcuts connected to things you already do all the time.
If you regularly close browser tabs by accident, start with Ctrl + Shift + t
If you copy information between applications, try Ctrl + Shift + v and Windows + v
If you spend a lot of time editing documents, learn Ctrl + Backspace and Ctrl + Shift + Arrow
Once those start happening without you even thinking about them, come back and steal another one from the list.
That’s really the point of keyboard shortcuts: making the little things you do every day a bit quicker and easier.
And we’re curious: what’s the one shortcut you use all the time and secretly assume everyone else knows too?
