PowerPoint Shortcuts

What does Ctrl+Shift+V do in PowerPoint?

In desktop PowerPoint, Ctrl+Shift+V pastes formatting, rather than ordinary clipboard content. First select the source text or object and use Ctrl+Shift+C to copy its formatting. Then select the destination and press Ctrl+Shift+V. On Mac, use Command+Shift+C followed by Command+Shift+V. This is useful for matching the appearance of headings across slides.

In PowerPoint for the web, Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows or Command+Shift+V on Mac pastes unformatted text. To paste plain text in desktop PowerPoint, use the Paste options and choose Keep Text Only where available. On Windows, Ctrl+Alt+V opens Paste Special; select an unformatted text option if offered for the copied content. Copy formatting and copying content are separate operations.

Swipe or scroll horizontally to compare all columns.

Create and duplicate slides without duplicating an object

Ctrl+M inserts a slide on Windows; Command+Shift+N does so on Mac. To duplicate a slide, select its thumbnail, then use Ctrl+Shift+D on Windows or Command+Shift+D on Mac. A selected picture or text box is a different target: Windows Ctrl+D duplicates the object. Check the selection before repeating a command.

A useful editing sequence is to duplicate a layout you already like, replace its text and apply the heading format from a finished slide. Use the Windows and macOS tabs to check combinations instead of replacing every Ctrl with Command: new slide and object grouping already differ between systems. Star only the actions you use, then print the smaller reference from your cheat sheet.

Start a slide show and diagnose a shortcut that fails

On Windows, F5 starts from the beginning, Shift+F5 starts from the current slide and Alt+F5 opens Presenter View. On Mac the corresponding combinations are Command+Shift+Return, Command+Return and Option+Return. During a show, B toggles a black screen, Esc ends the show, and typing a slide number followed by Enter or Return jumps to that slide.

Check whether you are editing, presenting or working in the browser. Windows Ctrl+S saves while editing, but opens All Slides during a slide show. If F5 changes laptop settings, check whether Fn is needed for function keys. Click the presentation before retrying a browser shortcut; text fields, browser commands and operating system shortcuts can affect where a key goes.

Other tools for your next presentation

For a presentation made in a different app, use its own commands. The existing comparisons also help you check differences.

• Google Slides shortcuts
• Keynote shortcuts

Official sources and verification

Compared with Microsoft’s editing, slide show and web clipboard documentation on 9 October 2026. This is a documentation review, not an in-app test. The table describes desktop Windows and Mac commands; browser differences are explained separately. Microsoft’s reference uses the US keyboard layout.

Editing shortcuts · Slide show shortcuts · Copy and paste on the web