MS Access Keyboard Shortcuts: Complete List for Windows & Mac
Quick answer: The most-used MS Access shortcut keys are Ctrl + N (new database), Ctrl + O (open database), Ctrl + S (save object), F11 (show/hide the Navigation Pane), F2 (switch between Edit and Navigation mode), Ctrl + ; (insert today’s date), and Alt + F4 (exit Access). The full categorized list is below, plus a free printable PDF.
What Are MS Access Keyboard Shortcuts?
MS Access keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that perform database, navigation, and editing actions without using a mouse. They let you open databases, move between fields and records, switch views, enter data, and run queries far faster than clicking through the ribbon.
A few conventions to know before you start:
- A plus sign (+) means press the keys at the same time for example, Ctrl + S.
- A comma (,) means press the keys in order, one after another for example, Alt + F, S.
- These shortcuts apply to Access desktop databases on Windows. The US keyboard layout is assumed.
Top 15 Most-Used Access Shortcuts
If you only learn a few, learn these. This single table covers about 80% of everyday Access work.
| Action | Shortcut |
| Open a new database | Ctrl + N |
| Open an existing database | Ctrl + O |
| Save a database object | Ctrl + S |
| Print the current or selected object | Ctrl + P |
| Show or hide the Navigation Pane | F11 |
| Show or hide the property sheet | F4 |
| Switch between Edit and Navigation mode | F2 |
| Switch to Form View from Design View | F5 |
| Open Find and Replace | Ctrl + F |
| Find the next occurrence | Shift + F4 |
| Insert the current date | Ctrl + ; |
| Add a new record | Ctrl + Plus sign (+) |
| Save changes to the current record | Shift + Enter |
| Open the Help window | F1 |
| Exit Access | Alt + F4 |
Database File Shortcuts
Open, save, and print databases and their objects.
| Action | Shortcut |
| Open a new database | Ctrl + N |
| Open an existing database | Ctrl + O |
| Open the selected folder or file | Enter |
| Go one folder level up | Backspace |
| Delete the selected folder or file | Delete |
| Show shortcut menu for a file/folder | Shift + F10 or Menu key |
| Move forward / backward through options | Tab / Shift + Tab |
| Open the “Look in” list | F4 or Alt + I |
| Save a database object | Ctrl + S |
| Open the Save As dialog box | F12 or Alt + F, S |
| Print the current or selected object | Ctrl + P |
Navigate the Access Workspace
Move between panes and windows inside Access.
| Action | Shortcut |
| Show or hide the Navigation Pane | F11 |
| Go to the search box in the Navigation Pane | Ctrl + F |
| Switch to the next / previous pane | F6 / Shift + F6 |
| Switch to the next / previous database window | Ctrl + F6 / Ctrl + Shift + F6 |
| Restore the selected minimized window | Enter |
| Close the active database window | Ctrl + W |
| Switch to/from the Visual Basic Editor | Alt + F11 |
Ribbon and KeyTips Shortcuts
KeyTips are letter overlays that let you trigger any ribbon command from the keyboard.
| Action | Shortcut |
| Activate KeyTips / select the active ribbon tab | Alt or F10 |
| Go to the File menu | Alt + F |
| Go to the Home tab | Alt + H |
| Go to the Create tab | Alt + C |
| Go to the External Data tab | Alt + X |
| Go to the Database Tools tab | Alt + Y, 1 |
| Go to the Table tab | Alt + J, T |
| Go to the “Tell me / Search” box | Alt + Q |
| Move between groups on the ribbon | Ctrl + Right / Left arrow |
| Move between commands in a group | Tab / Shift + Tab |
| Activate the selected button | Spacebar or Enter |
Menus, Dialog Boxes and Wizards
Menus
| Action | Shortcut |
| Show KeyTips | Alt or F10 |
| Show the control (program icon) menu | Alt + Spacebar |
| Select next / previous command | Down / Up arrow |
| Switch between menu and submenu | Left / Right arrow |
| Select first / last command | Home / End |
| Open menu or run the selected button | Spacebar or Enter |
| Close menu and submenu together | Alt |
| Close the visible menu or submenu only | Esc |
Dialog boxes
| Action | Shortcut |
| Switch to next / previous tab | Ctrl + Tab / Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
| Move to next / previous option | Tab / Shift + Tab |
| Toggle a checkbox or run the button | Spacebar |
| Open the selected dropdown list | Alt + Down arrow |
| Close the selected dropdown list | Esc |
| Run the default button | Enter |
| Cancel and close the dialog box | Esc |
Wizards
| Action | Shortcut |
| Move focus forward between controls | Tab |
| Move between header, body, and footer | F6 |
| Complete the wizard | Alt + F |
Property Sheet Shortcuts
Applies to property sheets in Design View and Layout View.
| Action | Shortcut |
| Show or hide the property sheet | F4 |
| Move through control-selection list (one item) | Down / Up arrow |
| Move through the list one page at a time | Page Down / Page Up |
| Move to the property sheet tabs | Tab |
| Move between tabs (no property selected) | Left / Right arrow |
| Move down one property | Tab |
| Move up one property / to the tab | Shift + Tab |
| Toggle forward / backward between tabs | Ctrl + Tab / Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
Text, Combo and List Box Shortcuts
Editing a text box
| Action | Shortcut |
| Move to beginning / end of the entry | Home / End |
| Move one character left / right | Left / Right arrow |
| Move one word left / right | Ctrl + Left / Right arrow |
| Select to beginning of entry | Shift + Home |
| Select to end of entry | Shift + End |
| Extend selection one character | Shift + Left / Right arrow |
| Extend selection one word | Ctrl + Shift + Left / Right arrow |
Combo and list boxes
| Action | Shortcut |
| Open a combo box | F4 or Alt + Down arrow |
| Refresh a lookup field / combo box | F9 |
| Move down / up one line | Down / Up arrow |
| Move down / up one page | Page Down / Page Up |
| Exit the combo or list box | Tab |
Object List Shortcuts
Navigate the Objects list in the Navigation Pane.
| Action | Shortcut |
| Rename a selected (closed) object | F2 |
| Move down / up one line | Down / Up arrow |
| Move down / up one window | Page Down / Page Up |
| Move to the last object | End |
| Open table/query in Datasheet View | Enter |
| Open form, report, or run a macro | Enter |
| Open the selected object in Design View | Ctrl + Enter |
| Open the Immediate window (VBA) | Ctrl + G |
Datasheet View Shortcuts
Use these when working with tables and queries in Navigation mode.
Move between fields and records
| Action | Shortcut |
| Move to the next field | Tab or Right arrow |
| Move to the previous field | Shift + Tab or Left arrow |
| Move to the first / last field in the record | Home / End |
| Move to the same field, next record | Down arrow |
| Move to the same field, previous record | Up arrow |
| Move to the same field, last record | Ctrl + Down arrow |
| Move to the same field, first record | Ctrl + Up arrow |
| Move to the first field, first record | Ctrl + Home |
| Move to the last field, last record | Ctrl + End |
| Go to a specific record | Alt + F5, type number, Enter |
Move one screen at a time
| Action | Shortcut |
| Move up / down one screen | Page Up / Page Down |
| Move right / left one screen | Ctrl + Page Down / Ctrl + Page Up |
Select and move a column
| Action | Shortcut |
| Select / cancel the current column | Ctrl + Spacebar |
| Extend selection one column right / left | Shift + Right / Left arrow |
Work with subdatasheets
| Action | Shortcut |
| Exit subdatasheet to the next record | Ctrl + Tab |
| Exit subdatasheet to the previous record | Ctrl + Shift + Tab |
| Expand the subdatasheet | Ctrl + Shift + Down arrow |
| Collapse the subdatasheet | Ctrl + Shift + Up arrow |
Design View Shortcuts
Use these when designing tables, queries, forms, reports, and macros.
| Action | Shortcut |
| Switch between Edit and Navigation mode | F2 |
| Open or close the property sheet | F4 or Alt + Enter |
| Switch to Form View from a form | F5 |
| Switch between upper/lower window portions | F6 |
| Show or hide the Field List pane | Alt + F8 |
| Return from VBA Editor to the form/report | Shift + F7 |
| Copy the selected control | Ctrl + C |
| Cut the selected control | Ctrl + X |
| Paste the control | Ctrl + V |
| Move the selected control (by grid) | Arrow keys |
| Move the control in finer increments | Ctrl + Arrow keys |
| Increase / decrease control width | Shift + Right / Left arrow |
| Increase / decrease control height | Shift + Down / Up arrow |
Form View Shortcuts
Use these in Navigation mode when entering data in a form.
| Action | Shortcut |
| Move to the next / previous field | Tab / Shift + Tab |
| Move to the last control (same record) | End |
| Move to the last control (last record) | Ctrl + End |
| Move to the first control (same record) | Home |
| Move to the first control (first record) | Ctrl + Home |
| Move to the same field, next record | Ctrl + Page Down |
| Move to the same field, previous record | Ctrl + Page Up |
| Go to a specific record | Alt + F5, type number, Enter |
| Enter / exit a subform | Tab / Ctrl + Tab |
Print Preview Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Open the Print dialog box | Ctrl + P |
| Open the Page Setup dialog box | S |
| Cancel Print Preview or Layout Preview | Esc |
| Scroll up / down one screen | Page Up / Page Down |
| Move to top / bottom of the page | Ctrl + Up / Ctrl + Down arrow |
| Move to the left / right edge | Home / End |
| Move to the page number box | Alt + F5, type number, Enter |
Query and Pane Shortcuts
Diagram pane
| Action | Shortcut |
| Move among tables, views, and join lines | Tab / Shift + Tab |
| Move between columns in a table | Arrow keys |
| Add the column to the query output | Spacebar or Plus sign (+) |
| Remove the column from the output | Spacebar or Minus sign (-) |
| Remove the table/view/join line | Delete |
Grid pane
| Action | Shortcut |
| Move among cells | Arrow keys / Tab / Shift + Tab |
| Move to last / first row in a column | Ctrl + Down / Ctrl + Up arrow |
| Move to upper-left / lower-right cell | Ctrl + Home / Ctrl + End |
| Select an entire grid column | Ctrl + Spacebar |
| Toggle Edit / cell-selection mode | F2 |
| Toggle the Output checkbox | Spacebar |
| Clear the selected cell contents | Delete |
SQL pane & Field List
| Action | Shortcut |
| Select all text in SQL view (365/2021/2019/2016) | Ctrl + A (or F2) |
| Show or hide the Field List pane | Alt + F8 |
| Add the selected field to the form/report | Enter |
Select Text and Data Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Select the next field | Tab |
| Switch Edit / Navigation mode | F2 |
| Select current record vs. first field | Shift + Spacebar |
| Extend selection to the previous record | Shift + Up arrow |
| Select all records | Ctrl + A |
| Extend selection one character | Shift + Left / Right arrow |
| Extend selection one word | Ctrl + Shift + Left / Right arrow |
| Turn on Extend mode | F8 (press again to widen) |
| Undo the previous extension | Shift + F8 |
| Cancel Extend mode | Esc |
Edit and Enter Data Shortcuts
Move the insertion point
| Action | Shortcut |
| Move one character left / right | Left / Right arrow |
| Move one word left / right | Ctrl + Left / Right arrow |
| Move to beginning / end of a line | Home / End |
| Move to beginning / end of the field | Ctrl + Home / Ctrl + End |
Copy, move, delete & undo
| Action | Shortcut |
| Copy | Ctrl + C |
| Cut | Ctrl + X |
| Paste | Ctrl + V |
| Delete character left / right | Backspace / Delete |
| Delete all characters to the right | Ctrl + Delete |
| Undo typing | Ctrl + Z or Alt + Backspace |
| Undo changes in the field / record | Esc (press twice for both) |
Enter data (Datasheet or Form View)
| Action | Shortcut |
| Insert the current date | Ctrl + ; |
| Insert the current time | Ctrl + Shift + : |
| Insert a field’s default value | Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar |
| Insert the value from the previous record | Ctrl + ‘ (apostrophe) |
| Add a new record | Ctrl + Plus sign (+) |
| Delete the current record | Ctrl + Minus sign (-) |
| Save changes to the current record | Shift + Enter |
| Insert a new line in a text field | Ctrl + Enter |
| Requery the underlying tables | Shift + F9 or F5 |
| Refresh a lookup / combo box | F9 |
Help and Miscellaneous Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
| Open the Help window | F1 |
| Display a hyperlink’s full URL | F2 |
| Open the Zoom box (for expressions) | Shift + F2 |
| Copy a screenshot of the whole screen | Print Screen |
| Copy a screenshot of the current window | Alt + Print Screen |
| Show the full task pane menu | Ctrl + Down arrow |
| Exit Access | Alt + F4 |
How to Use KeyTips Step by Step
KeyTips let you reach any ribbon command without a mouse. Here’s the workflow:
- Press Alt (or F10). Small letter labels appear over each ribbon tab.
- Press the letter for the tab you want for example, H for the Home tab.
- New KeyTips appear over that tab’s commands. Press the letter (or letters) for the command you want.
- To back out one level, press Esc. To cancel KeyTips entirely, press Alt again.
Because every command has a KeyTip, you can run the entire ribbon from the keyboard once you learn the first letter of each tab.
MS Access Shortcuts on a Mac
There is no native macOS version of Microsoft Access. Microsoft has never released Access for Mac, so the shortcuts on this page are for Windows desktop databases.
If you’re on a Mac, you have three practical options:
- Run Access in a Windows virtual machine (Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or UTM). All Windows shortcuts on this page work normally.
- Use Boot Camp on Intel Macs to run Windows directly.
- Use a cloud/remote Windows desktop (Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop) and connect from your Mac.
In every case Access still runs as a Windows app, so use the Windows keys above. There is no separate Mac shortcut set to learn.
How to Create Your Own Custom Shortcuts
Access doesn’t let you remap most built-in shortcuts, but you can add your own using an AutoKeys macro:
- On the Create tab, choose Macro.
- In the macro designer, add the action you want (for example, OpenForm or RunMacro).
- Save the macro with the exact name AutoKeys.
- In the Macro Name column, enter the key combination using SendKeys syntax for example, ^j for Ctrl + J, or +{F12} for Shift + F12.
- Save and reopen the database. Your custom key combination now runs that action.
Common SendKeys symbols: ^ = Ctrl, + = Shift, % = Alt. For developers, you can also trigger actions from VBA behind form buttons and bind them to on-screen controls.
Download the MS Access Shortcut Keys PDF
Want an offline cheat sheet? Download the complete, printable list:
⬇ Download MS Access Shortcut Keys PDF
Print it, pin it next to your monitor, and you’ll have every key within reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut key to quit MS Access?
Press Alt + F4 to exit Access completely. To close only the active database window while keeping Access open, press Ctrl + W.
What is the shortcut to add a new record in MS Access?
Press Ctrl + Plus sign (+) in the Datasheet or Form View to add a new record. Press Shift + Enter to save changes to the current record.
How do I insert today’s date in an Access field?
Press Ctrl + ; (semicolon) to insert the current date. To insert the current time, press Ctrl + Shift + : (colon).
How do I switch between Edit mode and Navigation mode?
Press F2. In Edit mode the insertion point appears inside the field; in Navigation mode the whole field is selected.
What is the shortcut to open the Navigation Pane?
Press F11 to show or hide the Navigation Pane.
How do I open Find and Replace in Access?
Press Ctrl + F to open the Find tab of the Find and Replace dialog box. Press Shift + F4 to repeat the last find.
Are there MS Access keyboard shortcuts for Mac?
No. Access only runs on Windows, so there is no separate Mac shortcut set. Mac users run Access through a Windows virtual machine, Boot Camp, or a remote Windows desktop, and use the Windows shortcuts on this page.
Do Excel shortcuts work in MS Access?
Many editing shortcuts overlap Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + X, and Ctrl + Z all work the same way. However, Access has many database-specific shortcuts (like Ctrl + ; for date or Ctrl + + for a new record) that Excel doesn’t share.
Which Access versions do these shortcuts work in?
All shortcuts here are verified for Access for Microsoft 365, Access 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016 on Windows.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to memorize all 150+ MS Access shortcut keys to work faster that’s a recipe for remembering none of them. Start with the Top 15 table above: master Ctrl + S, F11, F2, Ctrl + ;, and Ctrl + +, and you’ll already feel the difference in your daily database work. Once those become muscle memory, add a few view-specific keys from the section you use most, whether that’s Datasheet, Design, or Form View.
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