Camtasia Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete List for Windows & Mac (2026)
Camtasia keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that let you record and edit videos faster splitting clips, adding markers, zooming the timeline, and more without reaching for the menus. They work across two parts of the software: the Camtasia Recorder (for capturing your screen and audio) and the Camtasia Editor (for editing the footage). On Windows, most shortcuts use the Ctrl key; on Mac, they use Command.
This guide lists every current Camtasia shortcut for Windows and Mac, grouped by category, plus how to customize your own and a free PDF cheat sheet to download.
Most-used shortcuts at a glance:
- Split clip at playhead: S (Win) / Command + T (Mac)
- Ripple delete: Ctrl + Delete (Win) / Command + Delete (Mac)
- Add marker: Shift + M (both)
- Undo: Ctrl + Z (Win) / Command + Z (Mac)
- Zoom timeline to fit: Ctrl + Shift + 7 (Win) / Command + Shift + 0 (Mac)
Last verified against the current Camtasia release, June 2026. Source: TechSmith official shortcuts documentation.
Most Used Camtasia Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Command + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Command + V |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Command + X |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Command + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | Command + Shift + Z |
| Duplicate | Ctrl + D | Command + D |
| Select all | Ctrl + A | Command + A |
| Split selected media at playhead | S | Command + T |
| Split all tracks at playhead | Ctrl + Shift + S | Command + Shift + T |
| Ripple delete | Ctrl + Delete or Backspace | Command + Delete or Backspace |
| Add marker | Shift + M | Shift + M |
| Play/pause | Spacebar | Spacebar |
Recorder Options Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New recording | Ctrl + R | Control + R |
| Start/pause recording | F9 | Command + Shift + 2 |
| Stop recording | F10 | Command + Option + 2 |
| Add marker while recording | Ctrl + M | Shift + Control + Option + Command + M |
Project Options Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New project | Ctrl + N | Command + N |
| Open project | Ctrl + O | Command + O |
| Save project | Ctrl + S | Command + S |
| Import media into media bin | Ctrl + I | Command + I |
| Export to local file / Export | Ctrl + E | Command + E |
| Export frame as | Ctrl + F | Control + F |
| Export frame at playhead | Ctrl + Shift + F | Control + Shift + F |
| Launch online help | F1 | – |
Program Options Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Show/hide tools panel | Ctrl + 1 | Command + 1 |
| Show/hide properties panel | Ctrl + 2 | Command + 2 |
| Attach/detach timeline | Ctrl + 3 | Command + 3 |
| Open media bin subtab | B | B |
| Open Camtasia assets subtab | E | E |
| Open library subtab | R | R |
| Open favorites tab | F | F |
| Open annotations tab | N | N |
| Open transitions tab | T | T |
| Open behaviors tab | O | O |
| Open animations tab | A | A |
| Open cursor effects tab | U | U |
| Open voice narration tab | V | V |
| Open audio effects tab | D | D |
| Open visual/video effects tab | X | X |
| Open gesture effects tab (Mac only) | – | G |
| Open captions tab (Windows only) | C | – |
| Launch home dialog | Ctrl + H | Command + Period |
| Launch preferences/settings | Ctrl + Comma | Command + Comma |
| Launch recorder | Ctrl + R | Control + R |
| Launch Audiate recorder (Windows only) | Ctrl + Alt + A | – |
| Launch Snagit Image Capture (Windows only) | Ctrl + Alt + S | – |
| Import package | Ctrl + Shift + P | Control + Shift + P |
| Export package | Ctrl + Shift + E | Control + Shift + E |
| Maximize/de-maximize window (Mac) | – | Command + Shift + M |
| Hide other programs (Mac) | – | Command + Option + H |
| Maximize window (Windows) | Win + Up Arrow | – |
| Minimize window (Windows) | Win + Down Arrow | – |
| Exit/quit Camtasia | Alt + F4 | Command + Q |
| Close window (Mac) | – | Command + W |
| Enter full screen (Mac) | – | Command + Shift + F |
| Display system menu (Windows) | Alt + Spacebar | – |
| Symbols and emojis (Mac) | – | Control + Command + Spacebar |
| Close current control/menu/dialog | Esc | Esc |
Timeline Editing Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Ctrl + G | Command + G |
| Ungroup | Ctrl + U | Command + U |
| Open group | Ctrl + Shift + G | Control + Shift + G |
| Close group | Ctrl + Shift + U | Control + Shift + U |
| Add audio point | – | Control + Shift + A |
| Silence audio | Shift + S | Option + S |
| Restore audio | Shift + R | Option + R |
| Split selected media at playhead | S | Command + T |
| Split all tracks at playhead | Ctrl + Shift + S | Command + Shift + T |
| Stitch selected media | Ctrl + Alt + I | Command + Option + I |
| Remove all stitches from track | Ctrl + Shift + \ | Command + Shift + \ |
| Add annotation | Shift + N | Shift + N |
| Extend frame | Shift + E or Alt + drag clip end | Option + drag clip end |
| Duration (Mac only) | – | Control + D |
| Copy properties (Mac only) | – | Command + Shift + C |
| Paste properties (Mac only) | – | Command + Shift + V |
| Add selection to library | Ctrl + Shift + A | – |
| Add placeholder | P | P |
| Convert to placeholder (Windows only) | Ctrl + Alt + P | – |
| Deselect all | Ctrl + Shift + D | Command + Shift + A |
| Select all | Ctrl + A | Command + A |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Command + X |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Command + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Command + V |
| Duplicate | Ctrl + D | Command + D |
| Delete (leaves gap) | Delete | Delete |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Command + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | Command + Shift + Z |
Timeline Navigation Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Play/pause/stop video | Spacebar | Spacebar |
| Return playhead | Ctrl + Alt + M | Control + Option + Spacebar |
| Move playhead to previous clip | Ctrl + Alt + Comma | Control + Comma |
| Move playhead to next clip | Ctrl + Alt + Period | Control + Period |
| Step backward on timeline | Comma | Comma |
| Step forward on timeline | Period | Period |
| Zoom in | Ctrl + Shift + Equal or Ctrl + Scroll | Command + Shift + Equal or Command + Scroll |
| Zoom out | Ctrl + Shift + Minus or Ctrl + Scroll | Command + Shift + Minus or Command + Scroll |
| Zoom to fit | Ctrl + Shift + 7 | Command + Shift + 0 |
| Zoom to max | Ctrl + Shift + 9 | Command + Shift + 9 |
| Zoom to selection | Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Command + Shift + 8 |
| Jump to beginning of timeline | Ctrl + Home | Command + Return |
| Jump to end of timeline | Ctrl + End | Command + Shift + Return |
| Extend selection to next clip | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Right Arrow | Command + Shift + Option + Period |
| Extend selection to previous clip | Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Left Arrow | Command + Shift + Option + Comma |
| Extend selection range left | Shift + Comma | Shift + Comma |
| Extend selection range right | Shift + Period | Shift + Period |
| Extend selection to timeline beginning (Win only) | Ctrl + Shift + Home | – |
| Extend selection to timeline end (Win only) | Ctrl + Shift + End | – |
| Select succeeding media (Win only) | Alt + Right Arrow | – |
| Select preceding media (Win only) | Alt + Left Arrow | – |
| Select all media left of playhead (Win only) | Ctrl + Alt + J | – |
| Select all media right of playhead (Win only) | Ctrl + Alt + L | – |
| Select all timeline to left (Mac only) | – | Control + Shift + Left Arrow |
| Select all timeline to right (Mac only) | – | Control + Shift + Right Arrow |
| Increase track heights | Alt + Equal | Option + Equal |
| Decrease track heights | Alt + Minus | Option + Minus |
| Increase forward playback speed (Win only) | L | L |
| Increase reverse playback speed (Win only) | J | J |
| Stop playback (Win only) | K | K |
| Step forward one frame | K + L | K + L |
| Step backward one frame | K + J | K + J |
| Attach/detach timeline | Ctrl + 3 | Command + 3 |
Canvas Options Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom in on canvas | Ctrl + Equal or Scroll | Command + Equal or Scroll |
| Zoom out on canvas | Ctrl + Minus or Scroll | Command + Minus or Scroll |
| Center canvas | Alt + C | Option + C |
| Scale to fill | Ctrl + 0 | Shift + F |
| Pan and scale to 100% | Alt + Z | Command + Option + 3 |
| Scale to fit (Mac only) | – | Command + Option + F |
| Enable/disable canvas snapping | Ctrl + Semicolon | Command + Semicolon |
| Move selected media left/right/up/down | Arrow keys | Arrow keys |
| Move media 10 pixels | Shift + Arrow key | Shift + Arrow key |
| Change size of selected media | Ctrl + Scroll | – |
| Pan canvas | Hold Spacebar + drag | Hold Spacebar + drag |
| Crop | Hold Alt + drag handles | Hold Alt + drag handles |
| Exit full-screen canvas view | Esc | Esc |
Animations and Effects Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Add last used transition | Shift + T | Shift + T |
| Add custom animation | Shift + A | Shift + A |
| Jump to next animation | Alt + I | Option + I |
| Jump to previous animation | Shift + I | Shift + I |
| Start/stop narration recording (Win only) | Ctrl + Shift + V | – |
Captions Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Add caption | Shift + C | Shift + C |
| Increase caption duration | Ctrl + Alt + ] | Command + ] |
| Decrease caption duration | Ctrl + Alt + [ | Command + [ |
| Next caption | Tab | Tab |
| Previous caption | Shift + Tab | Shift + Tab |
| Replay current caption segment | Enter | Enter |
Timeline Tray (Markers & Quizzes) Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Add marker | Shift + M | Shift + M |
| Add quiz | Shift + Q | Shift + Q |
| Show/hide marker view | Ctrl + M | Control + M |
| Show/hide quiz view | Ctrl + Q | Control + Q |
| Show/hide transcript view | Ctrl + T | Control + T |
| Next marker | Ctrl + ] | Control + ] |
| Previous marker | Ctrl + [ | Control + [ |
| Select to next marker | Ctrl + Shift + ] | Control + Shift + ] |
| Select to previous marker | Ctrl + Shift + [ | Control + Shift + [ |
| Next quiz | Ctrl + 0 | Control + 0 |
| Previous quiz | Ctrl + 9 | Control + 9 |
Library Options Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Import to library (Win only) | Ctrl + Shift + I | – |
| Add selection to library | Ctrl + Shift + A | Command + Option + A |
| Open library tab | R | R |
| Collapse selected folder | Left Arrow or double-click | Left Arrow or double-click |
| Expand selected folder | Right Arrow or double-click | Right Arrow or double-click |
| Collapse all folders | Ctrl + Left Arrow | Command + Left Arrow |
| Expand all folders | Ctrl + Right Arrow | Command + Right Arrow |
| Multi-select items | Shift + Click or Shift + Arrow | Shift + Click or Shift + Arrow |
| Add/remove item from selection | Ctrl + Click | Command + Click |
| Rename asset (custom library) | F2 | Enter |
| Delete selected items (custom library) | Delete | Delete |
Text Options for Annotations Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Edit text (Mac) | – | Option + Return |
| Bold | Ctrl + B | Command + Shift + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + I | Command + Shift + I |
| Underline | Ctrl + U | Command + Shift + U |
| Copy selected text | Ctrl + C | Command + C |
| Paste text | Ctrl + V | Command + V |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Command + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | Command + Shift + Z |
| Align left (Mac) | – | Command + Shift + [ |
| Align center (Mac) | – | Command + Shift + \ |
| Align right (Mac) | – | Command + Shift + ] |
| Copy style (Mac) | – | Command + Option + C |
| Paste style (Mac) | – | Command + Option + V |
PowerPoint Add-in Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Record | Ctrl + Shift + F9 | – |
| Pause | Ctrl + Shift + F9 | – |
| Stop | Ctrl + Shift + F10 | – |
How to Customize Camtasia Shortcuts
Most Camtasia shortcuts can be reassigned to keys that suit your workflow. Here’s how:
- Open the Shortcuts settings: on Windows, go to Edit > Preferences > Shortcuts tab; on Mac, go to Camtasia > Settings > Shortcuts tab.
- Click in the field next to the command you want to change.
- Press your desired key combination.
- If that combination is already in use, Camtasia unassigns it from the old command and shows a message. If it’s reserved by your system or another program, Camtasia asks you to choose a different one.
To delete a shortcut, click in its field and press the Delete button. To reset everything to default, click Restore defaults on Windows, or select TechSmith Camtasia Default from the Shortcut Set dropdown on Mac.
You can also export your shortcut set to reuse on another computer or share with teammates. Camtasia saves it as a .camshortcuts file on Windows or .camsc file on Mac. One caveat: shortcut sets are not cross-platform compatible, so a Windows set won’t load on a Mac.
How to Show Keystrokes On-Screen in Camtasia
Camtasia doesn’t automatically display the keys you press during a recording. To show keystrokes on screen useful for software tutorials you add them manually as annotations after recording:
- Open the Annotations tab (press N).
- Choose a callout or keystroke-style annotation and drag it onto the timeline where the key is pressed.
- Type the key or shortcut (e.g., “Ctrl+S”) into the annotation text.
- Adjust its duration to match the moment in your recording.
If you want keystrokes captured automatically as you record, that’s a feature of TechSmith’s separate tools and assets rather than a built-in Camtasia hotkey so plan to annotate manually for most tutorials.
FAQs
What are Camtasia keyboard shortcuts?
Camtasia keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that perform editing and recording actions instantly, without clicking through menus like splitting a clip, adding a marker, or zooming the timeline. TechSmith (the maker of Camtasia) also calls them hotkeys. On Windows they generally use the Ctrl key; on Mac they use Command.
How do I split a clip in Camtasia?
Position the playhead where you want the cut, select the clip, and press S on Windows or Command+T on Mac. To split every track at the playhead at once, use Ctrl+Shift+S (Windows) or Command+Shift+T (Mac).
What is the shortcut to add a marker in Camtasia?
Press Shift+M on both Windows and Mac to add a marker on the timeline. While recording, use Ctrl+M on Windows.
How do I customize Camtasia shortcuts?
On Windows, go to Edit > Preferences > Shortcuts tab. On Mac, go to Camtasia > Settings > Shortcuts tab. Click in a shortcut field and press your desired key combination. If that combination is already assigned, Camtasia unassigns it from the old command and shows a message. You can also export your customized shortcut sets to share with others or transfer to another computer.
Can I reset Camtasia shortcuts to default?
Yes. On Windows, click the Restore defaults button in the Shortcuts tab. On Mac, select TechSmith Camtasia Default from the Shortcut Set dropdown. Note that shortcut sets are not cross-platform compatible a Windows set won’t import on Mac.
Are Camtasia shortcuts the same on Windows and Mac?
Many are conceptually the same but use different modifier keys (Ctrl on Windows, Command on Mac), and some differ entirely. For example, Redo is Ctrl+Y on Windows but Command+Shift+Z on Mac, and several actions are Windows-only or Mac-only.
How do I show keystrokes on screen in Camtasia?
Camtasia doesn’t display your typed keystrokes automatically. To show them in a recording, add them manually using Annotations (callouts or text) on the timeline, or use TechSmith’s keystroke callout assets. Press N to open the Annotations tab while editing.
Do Camtasia shortcuts work on any keyboard?
TechSmith notes that shortcuts are tested on a QWERTY keyboard, and some may not work with other keyboard layouts. If a shortcut doesn’t respond, check your layout or reassign it in Preferences.
What is the shortcut to undo and redo in Camtasia?
Undo is Ctrl+Z (Windows) / Command+Z (Mac). Redo is Ctrl+Y (Windows) / Command+Shift+Z (Mac).
Can I use Camtasia shortcuts in the PowerPoint Add-in?
Yes. Record or pause with Ctrl+Shift+F9 and stop with Ctrl+Shift+F10 (Windows).
Conclusion
Learning even a handful of Camtasia keyboard shortcuts pays off quickly. Splitting clips with a single key, jumping between markers, and zooming the timeline without touching the menus can shave hours off a long editing session and the more you record and edit, the more that time adds up. Start with the most-used shortcuts (Split, Ripple Delete, Add Marker, and Undo), then layer in the timeline and canvas keys as they become second nature.
Remember that most shortcuts can be customized to fit how you work, and that Windows and Mac differ on more than just the Ctrl/Command swap so keep this list handy until the keys are in your muscle memory.
Download the free Camtasia shortcuts cheat sheet above to keep every key combination within reach while you edit.
READ NEXT:
