In the template editor, the keyboard gets many actions done faster, without a trip to the toolbar or the layers panel. This page lists every shortcut and modifier key there is, for Mac and Windows. There are no others, for example no shortcut to save, to cut or to zoom with the keyboard.
Shortcuts don't work while you type in an input field, for example in the properties panel. Click the element on the canvas or in the layers panel first. While you edit the points of a path, the shortcuts in the Path editing section below apply.
Selection and editing
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Select all elements, including those in groups | Cmd + A | Ctrl + A |
| Delete the selected elements | Delete (⌫) | Backspace |
| Duplicate | Cmd + D | Ctrl + D |
| Copy | Cmd + C | Ctrl + C |
| Paste | Cmd + V | Ctrl + V |
| Move the selection by 1 pixel | Arrow keys | Arrow keys |
- On Windows, only Backspace deletes elements, not Delete.
- Copy only copies elements if no text is highlighted on the page. Otherwise it copies the highlighted text.
- Paste puts the elements behind the first selected element. If nothing is selected, they go to the bottom of the layers panel.
- The arrow keys always move by exactly 1 pixel, also with Shift. They ignore grid lines and snapping. Elements in a Column or Row layout don't move with them.
Select with the mouse
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Add an element to the selection | Shift + click | Shift + click |
| Add all elements in a frame to the selection | Shift + drag on an empty spot | Shift + drag on an empty spot |
| Select an element inside a group directly | Cmd + click | not available |
| Step one level into a group | Double-click | Double-click |
| Select a range of rows in the layers panel | Shift + click a row | Shift + click a row |
| Add a row in the layers panel to the selection or remove it | Option + click a row | Alt + click a row |
Without a modifier key, a click on an element inside a group selects the whole group. Each double-click selects one level further inside. On Windows, you reach elements in a group by double-clicking or in the layers panel.
Dragging a frame on an empty spot only works while the layout grid is hidden.
Arrange and group
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Cmd + G | Ctrl + G |
| Ungroup, or take elements out of their group | Cmd + Shift + G | Ctrl + Shift + G |
| Bring up: one step forward | Cmd + Option + 6 | Ctrl + Alt + 6 |
| Send down: one step back | Cmd + Option + 5 | Ctrl + Alt + 5 |
| Bring to front: all the way forward | Cmd + Shift + Option + 6 | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 6 |
| Send to back: all the way back | Cmd + Shift + Option + 5 | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + 5 |
- If you selected exactly one group, Cmd + Shift + G (Mac) / Ctrl + Shift + G (Windows) ungroups it. If you selected elements inside a group, it takes them out and keeps the group.
- Bring up and Send down move an element within its group. Bring to front and Send to back take it out of its group and put it all the way to the front or back of the template.
- The same actions are in the ⋮ menu of a row in the layers panel. There, the top row is in front.
Undo and redo
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Cmd + Z | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | Cmd + Shift + Z | Ctrl + Shift + Z |
Undo and Redo are also buttons at the top left of the toolbar.
View
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom in or out at the mouse pointer | Ctrl + scroll or pinch on the trackpad | Ctrl + scroll |
| Move the view | Scroll | Scroll |
| Move the view by dragging | Hold Space and drag | Hold Space and drag |
You zoom from 10% to 1000%. On a Mac, zoom uses Ctrl, not Cmd. Cmd + scroll moves the view.
Modifier keys while you drag or resize
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Scale in proportion, the font size of text changes too | Hold Shift while you drag a handle | Hold Shift while you drag a handle |
| Turn snapping off | Start dragging, then hold Option | Start dragging, then hold Alt |
| Resize evenly around the center, in a Column or Row layout | Start resizing, then hold Option | Start resizing, then hold Alt |
If you press Option (Mac) / Alt (Windows) before you start dragging, the anchoring tool switches on instead (see below). For more on snapping, see Use the layout grid: line up elements on guide lines.
Tools
There are no single keys that pick a tool. These keys switch a tool on while you hold them, or end it:
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas Drag while the key is held | Hold Space | Hold Space |
| Anchoring tool while the key is held | Hold Option, without dragging | Hold Alt, without dragging |
| End the current tool, for example Add text, Add path, the anchoring tool, Create Input Field or Animate a property | Esc | Esc |
| Cancel dragging an anchoring connection | Esc | Esc |
| Confirm or cancel a typed gap in the anchoring tool | Enter or Esc | Enter or Esc |
Holding Option (Mac) / Alt (Windows) also ends a tool like Add text or Create Input Field. For the modes Select, Canvas Drag and Scale, see Design tools.
Path editing
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Start editing the points of the selected path | Enter or double-click | Enter or double-click |
| Add a point to the selection or remove it | Shift + click | Shift + click |
| Delete the selected points | Delete (⌫) | Backspace or Delete |
| Move a point without snapping | Start dragging, then hold Option | Start dragging, then hold Alt |
| Undo a change to the points | Cmd + Z | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | Cmd + Shift + Z or Cmd + Y | Ctrl + Shift + Z or Ctrl + Y |
| Stop editing points | Esc or double-click | Esc or double-click |
On a Mac, Cmd + double-click selects a path inside a group and opens its points in one step. See Draw and edit a path: create your own shapes and lines.
Timeline in video templates
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Select a range of keyframes | Shift + click | Shift + click |
| Add a keyframe to the selection or remove it | Option + click | Alt + click |
| Zoom the timeline horizontally | Ctrl + scroll or pinch on the trackpad | Ctrl + scroll |