After Effects

After Effects Shortcuts

After Effects keyboard shortcuts for motion graphics, animation, layers and timeline editing.

Source: Official documentation · Updated 2026-06

Shortcuts
4
Categories

Cheat sheet guide

After Effects shortcuts worth learning first

This page collects 32 searchable After Effects keyboard shortcuts across 4 categories. Start with the shortcuts for General, Composition And Preview, Layers, Timeline, then print the cheat sheet once the important ones are worth keeping nearby.

  • New ProjectCtrlAltN
  • New CompositionCtrlN
  • New SolidCtrlY
  • Move To BeginningHome
  • Open ProjectCtrlO
  • Save ProjectCtrlS

General

8 shortcuts
New Project
CtrlAltN
Open Project
CtrlO
Save Project
CtrlS
Save As
CtrlShiftS
Import File
CtrlI
Undo
CtrlZ
Redo
CtrlShiftZ
Preferences
CtrlAlt;

Composition And Preview

8 shortcuts
New Composition
CtrlN
Composition Settings
CtrlK
Preview
Space
RAM Preview
Numpad0
Fit Up To 100 Percent
Shift/
Zoom In
.
Zoom Out
,
Show Grid
Ctrl'

Layers

8 shortcuts
New Solid
CtrlY
Duplicate Selected Layers
CtrlD
Split Layer
CtrlShiftD
Pre-compose
CtrlShiftC
Reveal Position
P
Reveal Scale
S
Reveal Rotation
R
Reveal Opacity
T

Timeline

8 shortcuts
Move To Beginning
Home
Move To End
End
Move One Frame Back
PageUp
Move One Frame Forward
PageDown
Set In Point
[
Set Out Point
]
Add Marker
*
Reveal Keyframes
U

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to find After Effects shortcuts on this page?

Use the search box or press /, then type an action such as new project.

Can I print this After Effects shortcut cheat sheet?

Yes. Use the Print / PDF button or your browser print command to save a compact cheat sheet.

Does this page include Windows and Mac shortcuts for After Effects?

Yes. Use the OS tabs to switch between Windows and macOS shortcuts. For example, New Project is Ctrl+Alt+N on Windows and ⌘⌥N on macOS where available.

See also

No shortcuts match your search.