Use keyboard shortcuts (Block Editor)

Several keyboard shortcuts are available for you in WordPress visual (block) editor. These shortcuts allow you to do simple tasks without reaching for your mouse.

You can access the list of all the available shortcuts by clicking Shift + Alt + H  or ⌃ + ⌥ + H

Windows

Global Shortcuts

Switch between visual editor and code editorCtrl + Shift + Alt + M
Toggle fullscreen modeCtrl + Shift + Alt + F
Open the block list viewShift + Alt + O
Show or hide the settings sidebarCtrl + Shift + ,
Navigate to the next part of the editorCtrl + `
Shift + Alt + N
Navigate to the previous part of the editorCtrl + Shift + `
Shift + Alt + P
Navigate to the nearest toolbarAlt + F10
Save your changesCtrl + S
Undo your last changesCtrl + Z
Redo your last undoCtrl + Shift + Z

Selection shortcuts

Select all text / blocks when typingCtrl + A
Clear selectionescape
Unselect selected blocksdouble escape

Block shortcuts

Duplicate the selected block(s)Ctrl + Shift + D
Unselect selected block(s)double escape
Remove the selected block(s)Shift + Alt + Z
Insert a new block before the selected block(s)Ctrl + Alt + T
Insert a new block after the selected block(s)Ctrl + Alt + Y
Remove multiple selected blocksdel
backspace
Move the selected block(s) upCtrl + Shift + Alt + T
Move the selected block(s) downCtrl + Shift + Alt + Y
Change the block type after adding a new paragraph/

Text formatting

Make the selected text boldCtrl + B
Make the selected text italicCtrl + I
Convert the selected text into a linkCtrl + K
Add a link selected from available links[[
Remove a linkCtrl + Shift + K
Underline the selected textCtrl + U

Mac

Global shortcuts

Switch between visual editor and code editor⇧ + ⌥ + ⌘ + M
Toggle fullscreen mode⇧ + ⌥ + ⌘ + F
Open the block list view⌃ + ⌥ + O
Show or hide the settings sidebar⇧ + ⌘ + ,
Navigate to the next part of the editor⌃ + `
⌃ + ⌥ + N
Navigate to the previous part of the editor⌃ + ⇧ + `
⌃ + ⌥ + P
Navigate to the nearest toolbar⌥ + F10
Save your changes⌘ + S
Undo your last changes⌘ + Z
Redo your last undo⇧ + ⌘ + Z

Selection shortcuts

Select all text / blocks when typing⌘ + A
Clear selectionescape

Block shortcuts

Duplicate the selected block(s)⇧ + ⌘ + D
Unselect selected blocksdouble escape
Remove the selected block(s)⌃ + ⌥ + Z
Insert a new block before the selected block(s)⌥ + ⌘ + T
Insert a new block after the selected block(s)⌥ + ⌘ + Y
Remove multiple selected blocksdel
backspace
Move the selected block(s) up⇧ + ⌥ + ⌘ + T
Move the selected block(s) down⇧ + ⌥ + ⌘ + Y
Change the block type after adding a new paragraph/

Text formatting

Make the selected text bold⌘ + B
Make the selected text italic⌘ + I
Convert the selected text into a link⌘ + K
Add a link selected from available links[[
Remove a link⇧ + ⌘ + K
Underline the selected text⌘ + U

Block editor keyboard shortcuts are divided into four parts:

  1. Global shortcuts
  2. Selection shortcuts
  3. Block shortcuts
  4. Text formatting shortcuts

Global shortcuts

Switch between visual editor and code editor

You can switch between the Visual (Block) Editor and Code editor using :

Ctrl + Shift + Alt + M or ⇧ + ⌥ + ⌘ + M

If you are on your visual editor screen

Visual editor screen

You can press Ctrl + Shift + Alt + M or ⇧ + ⌥ + ⌘ + M, the screen switches to the code editor and vice versa.

Code editor screen

Toggle fullscreen mode

You can toggle full screen mode by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Alt + F or+ + + F

Open the block list view

You can open the block list view by pressing Shift + Alt + O or+ + O

Block list view

Show or hide the settings sidebar

You can show or hide the settings sidebar by pressing Ctrl + Shift + ,  or  ⇧ + ⌘ + ,

Settings sidebar

You can navigate to the next part of the editor using two different shortcuts:

  • Windows: Ctrl + ` or Shift + Alt + N
  • Mac: ⌃ + ` or ⌃ + ⌥ + N
Visual editor screen with focus on top bar
Visual editor screen with focus on editing area

In the above pictures, the blue highlight shows the block which you are accessing.

You can navigate to the previous part of the editor using two different shortcuts:

  • Windows: Ctrl + Shift + ` or Shift + Alt + P
  • Mac: ⌃ + ⇧ + ` or ⌃ + ⌥ + P

You can navigate to the nearest toolbar by pressing Alt + F10 or ⌥ + F10

Nearest toolbar

Save your changes

You can save your changes by pressing: Ctrl + S or ⌘ + S

Suppose you are in the visual editor and made some changes.

Visual editor screen with focus on Publish button

When you press Ctrl + S or ⌘ + S, the Save draft changes to Saved indicating that the changes you made are successfully saved.

Saved post

Undo your last changes

Suppose if you typed or did something which you want to undo immediately, you can do it by pressing Ctrl + Z or ⌘ + Z

Visual editor screen with text that needs to beremoved

After using shortcuts:

Visual editor screen after undo action

Redo your last undo

Similarly, you can redo your last undo by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Z or ⇧ + ⌘ + Z. If you are on Windows you can use the default shortcut as well, Ctrl + Y.

This brings back what you just undo.

Selection shortcuts

Select all text / blocks when typing

You can use these shortcuts to select text.

You can select all text in current block when typing Ctrl + A or ⌘ + A. Press again to select parent block or all blocks (if no parrent).

Visual editor screen with all content selected

Clear selection

You can clear the selection by pressing Esc

Visual editor screen with all content being deselected

Block shortcuts

These shortcuts are specific to the block which you are accessing them.

Duplicate the selected block(s)

Suppose you are typing in a block.

Visual editor screen with image and text block

If you press Ctrl + Shift + D or ⇧ + ⌘ + D, the whole block is duplicated and appears just underneath the block which you were typing.

Visual editor screen with duplicated text block

Remove the selected block(s)

You can remove the selected block(s) by pressing Shift + Alt + Z or ⌃ + ⌥ + Z

Unselect selected block(s)

You can unselect the selected block(s) by pressing Esc twice

Insert a new block before the selected block(s)

You can insert a new block before the selected block(s) by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or ⌥ + ⌘ + T

Visual editor screen with inserter in between blocks

Insert a new block after the selected block(s)

You can insert a new block after the selected block(s) by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Y or ⌥ + ⌘ + Y

Visual editor screen with inserted after the selected blocks

Remove multiple selected blocks

Suppose you have selected multiple blocks.

Visual editor screen with selected multiple blocks

If you press del / backspace, all the selected blocks are removed.

Visual editor screen with multiple blocks deleted

Move the selected block(s) up

Suppose you have selected a block.

Visual editor screen with selected blocks moving

If you press Ctrl + Shift + Alt + T or ⇧ + ⌥ + ⌘ + T, the whole block moves one step upward.

Visual editor screen with selected block moved

You can use this shortcut multiple times to bring the block further upwards.

Move the selected block(s) down

Similarly, you can move the selected block(s) down by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Y or ⌥ + ⌘ + ⇧ + Y

You can use this shortcut multiple times to bring the block further downwards.

Change the block type after adding a new paragraph

Suppose you have added paragraph to a block and selected that block.

Visual editor screen with focus on block toolbar

If you press / the menu to change the block type appears.

Visual editor screen with focus on block inserter

Insert links to existing posts and pages

Typing [[ trigger autocompleter for internal links.

Text formatting

These shortcuts can be used for formatting the text within a block.

Make the selected text bold

You can make the selected text bold by pressing Ctrl + B or ⌘ + B

Example: This is the bold text.

Make the selected text italic

You can make the selected text italic by pressing Ctrl + I or ⌘ + I

Example: This is a italic text.

You can convert the selected text into a link by pressing Ctrl + K or ⌘ + K

Example: This is link text.

Suppose you have selected a text with a link.

Text with selected link

If you press Ctrl + Shift + K  or  ⇧ + ⌘ + K, the selected link is removed.

Unlinked text

Underline the selected text

You can underline the selected text by pressing Ctrl + U or ⌘ + U

Example: This is underline text.

Inline code

Convert selected text to inline code with Ctrl + Alt + X or ⌘ + Alt + X

Transform blocks

Convert the current paragraph or heading to a heading of level 1 to 6 with Shift + Alt + 1-6 or + Alt + 1-6.

Convert the current heading to a paragraph with Shift + Alt + 0.

Changelog

  • 2023-12-08
    • Update screenshots
    • Add ALT attributes to all images
    • Updates for 6.0 version
    • Updates for 6.1 version
    • Updates for 6.2 version
  • Updated up to WordPress 5.7
  • Created 2021-01-31

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