It is important to learn and be aware of Canva shortcuts as they help you to navigate the designs and the interface with speed and precision, ensuring a seamless and efficient creative process.
In this guide, we will present you with multiple Canva keyboard shortcuts for Mac and Windows that are divided according to the scenario. For better exposure to shortcuts, we suggest you create a temporary design on Canva and work with the keyboard shortcuts listed in different tables.
What we cover
Basic Shortcuts
The shortcuts listed below are arguably universal and can be used on various design software without any restrictions. If you’re new to Canva or aren’t aware of using keyboard shortcuts, we suggest you start with the below.
| What is it used for? | Keyboard Shortcut on Windows | Keyboard Shortcut on Mac |
| Undo an action | Ctrl + Z | Command + Z |
| Redo an action | Ctrl + Y | Command + Y |
| Save changes | Ctrl + S | Command + S |
| Select all | Ctrl + A | Command + A |
| Add Text | T | T |
| Add Rectangle | R | R |
| Add Line | L | L |
| Add Circle | C | C |
| Add link | Ctrl + K | Command + K |
| Add emoji (Canva Docs and comments only) | Shift + ; | Shift + ; |
| Add empty page | Ctrl + Enter | Command + Enter |
| Delete empty page | Ctrl + Backspace | Command + Backspace |
| Navigate to toolbar | Ctrl + F1 | Command + F1 |
| Skip to canvas | Ctrl + F2 | Command + F2 |
| Canva Assistant shortcut | / or Ctrl + E | / or Command + E |
Element Shortcuts
If you’re using Canva to develop designs, you interact with elements frequently. While these can be easily managed with a mouse if you’re looking for additional productivity, keyboard shortcuts are the way.
| What is it used for? | Keyboard Shortcut on Windows | Keyboard Shortcut on Mac |
| Delete selected elements | Backspace or Delete | Delete |
| Group elements | Ctrl + G | Command + G |
| Ungroup elements | Ctrl + Shift + G | Command + Shift + G |
| Lock element | Alt + Shift + L | Option + Shift + L |
| Arrange elements forward | Ctrl + ] | Command + ] |
| Arrange elements backward | Ctrl + [ | Command + [ |
| Arrange elements to the front | Alt + Ctrl + ] | Option + Ctrl + ] |
| Arrange elements to back | Alt + Ctrl + [ | Option + Ctrl + [ |
| Tidy up elements | Alt + Shift + T | Option + Shift + T |
| Select next/previous elements | Tab or Shift + Tab | Tab or Shift + Tab |
Edit Text Shortcuts
Considering a design arguably features multiple text boxes, except for a few, it is important to get a hold of the text shortcuts. Doing this is important as it comes in handy in most designs, especially while working on designs that involve a lot of text.
Note: For the below shortcuts to work, ensure you select the text inside the text box. Doing so is crucial as the shortcuts work only when the text is selected.
| What is it used for? | Keyboard Shortcut on Windows | Keyboard Shortcut on Mac |
| Open font menu | Shift + Ctrl + F | Shift + Command + F |
| Find and replace | Ctrl + F | Command + F |
| Bold text | Ctrl + B | Command + B |
| Italicise text | Ctrl + I | Command + I |
| Underline the text | Ctrl + U | Command + U |
| Uppercase | Shift + Ctrl + K | Shift + Command + K |
| Left align the text | Shift + Ctrl + L | Shift + Command + L |
| Centre align the text | Shift + Ctrl + C | Shift + Command + C |
| Right align the text | Shift + Ctrl + R | Shift + Command + R |
| Justify text | Shift + Ctrl + J | Shift + Command + J |
| Decrease font size by one | Shift + Ctrl + , | Shift + Command + , |
| Increase font size by one | Shift + Ctrl + . | Shift + Command + . |
| Decrease line spacing | Alt + Ctrl + Down | Option + Command + Down |
| Increase line spacing | Alt + Ctrl + Up | Option + Command + Up |
| Decrease letter spacing | Alt + Ctrl + , | Option + Command + , |
| Increase letter spacing | Alt + Ctrl + . | Option + Command + . |
| Anchor text to top | Ctrl + Shift + H | Command + Shift + H |
| Anchor text to middle | Ctrl + Shift + M | Command + Shift + M |
| Anchor text to bottom | Ctrl + Shift + B | Command + Shift + B |
| Numbered list | Ctrl + Shift + 7 | Command + Shift + 7 |
| Bulleted list | Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Command + Shift + 8 |
| Copy text style | Alt + Ctrl + C | Option + Command + C |
| Paste text style | Alt + Ctrl + V | Option + Command + V |
Zooming Shortcuts
While working on a design that features multiple elements, there might be chances for imperfection. To avoid this, you can use zoom in/out. Also, you can set the design to your liking, and below are keyboard shortcuts for these.
| What is it used for? | Keyboard Shortcut on Windows | Keyboard Shortcut on Mac |
| Zoom in | Ctrl + + | Command + + |
| Zoom out | Ctrl + – | Command + – |
| Zoom to actual size | Ctrl + O | Command + O |
| Zoom to fit | Alt + Ctrl + O | Option + Command + O |
| Zoom to the actual size | Shift + Ctrl + O | Shift + Command + O |
View Shortcuts
View shortcuts are extremely handy, especially when you’re dealing with designs that feature multiple pages. By learning the shortcuts listed in this section, you can manage pages with ease on Canva.
| What is it used for? | Keyboard Shortcut on Windows | Keyboard Shortcut on Mac |
| Toggle rulers and guides | Shift + R | Shift + R |
| Toggle sidebar | Ctrl + / | Command + / |
| Scrolling view | Alt + Ctrl + 1 | Option + Command + 1 |
| Thumbnail view | Alt + Ctrl + 2 | Option + Command + 2 |
| Grid view | Alt + Ctrl + 3 | Option + Command + 3 |
| Presentation mode | Alt + Ctrl + P | Option + Command + P |
Comment shortcuts
While working on the design in Canva, it is important to learn how to leave comments for reference or others working on the design. Once you get a hold of it, you might notice that leaving multiple comments can be frustrating. In such a scenario, we suggest you use the below shortcuts curated for easier working with comments.
| What is it used for? | Keyboard Shortcut on Windows | Keyboard Shortcut on Mac |
| Add comment | Alt + Ctrl + N | Option + Command + N |
| Add emoji | Shift + ; | Shift + ; |
| Next comment | N | N |
| Previous comment | Shift + N | Shift + N |
| Focus on comments in the selection | Ctrl + 5 | Command + 5 |
Wrapping Up
Congratulations on learning Canva keyboard shortcuts!
While we have covered most Canva keyboard shortcuts, we might have missed a few. However, don’t worry, as the above listed are crucial ones, and using them can significantly enhance your productivity and efficiency.
Note: It isn’t important to memorize all, and we suggest you consider remembering the ones that you frequently work with. If you’re having any difficulties using these, try experimenting on a sample design before working on important designs.

