ShareX Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List
ShareX’s default screenshot shortcut is Ctrl + Print Screen for region capture and Print Screen for a fullscreen capture. Screen recording starts and stops with Shift + Print Screen. Beyond these, ShareX includes 70+ keyboard shortcuts spanning capture, recording, the built-in image editor, drawing tools, and the pin-to-screen window and every hotkey is fully customizable.
This is the complete, grouped list of ShareX keyboard shortcuts, plus a step-by-step guide to setting your own custom hotkeys and a free PDF cheat sheet to download.
What is a ShareX hotkey?
A ShareX hotkey is a customizable keyboard shortcut that triggers a capture, recording, editing, or upload task without opening the ShareX menu.
Most-Used ShareX Capture Shortcuts
These are the global hotkeys most people use every day. They work anywhere in Windows once ShareX is running in the background.
| Action | ShareX Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Capture region (area) | Ctrl + Print Screen |
| Capture entire screen (fullscreen) | Print Screen |
| Capture active window | Alt + Print Screen |
| Start / stop screen recording | Shift + Print Screen |
| Start / stop screen recording (GIF) | Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen |
Screen Recording Shortcuts (Start / Stop)
ShareX records screen video and GIFs using the same hotkey to start and stop, so you press it once to begin and again to end.
| Action | ShareX Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Start or stop screen recording (video) | Shift + Print Screen |
| Start or stop screen recording (GIF) | Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen |
| Abort the current recording | Esc (while the region selector is open) |
Region Capture Shortcuts
Once the region-capture overlay is open (after pressing Ctrl + Print Screen), these keys control selection and let you switch capture modes on the fly.
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| Hold left click / Insert | Start region selection |
| Release left click / Insert | Finish region selection |
| Right click / Delete | Cancel region selection |
| Esc / Right click | Close region capture |
| Space | Switch to fullscreen capture |
| Tab / Middle click | Switch between last region and last drawing tool |
| 1 2 3 … 0 | Capture a specific monitor |
| ~ | Capture the active monitor |
| Double left click / Enter | Capture regions (when multi-region mode is on) |
While creating a region
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| Hold Ctrl | Move the shape |
| Hold Shift | Proportional resizing |
| Hold Alt | Snap selection to preset sizes |
When the cursor is on top of a shape
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| Left click / Insert | Select shape |
| Hold left click | Move shape |
| Right click / Delete | Delete shape |
Image Editor Shortcuts
ShareX’s built-in image editor opens automatically after a capture (if enabled). These shortcuts handle saving, copying, uploading, and navigation.
Save, copy & upload
| Action | ShareX Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Save image | Ctrl + S |
| Save image as… | Ctrl + Shift + S |
| Copy image to clipboard | Ctrl + C |
| Upload image | Ctrl + U |
| Print image | Ctrl + P |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y |
| Duplicate shape | Ctrl + D |
| Paste image or text | Ctrl + V |
| Delete current shape | Delete |
| Delete all shapes | Shift + Delete |
Zoom & navigation
| Action | ShareX Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Zoom in | Ctrl + + |
| Zoom out | Ctrl + – |
| Reset zoom | Ctrl + 0 |
| Zoom to fit | Ctrl + Alt + 0 |
| Zoom centered on cursor | Ctrl + Mouse wheel |
| Pan image | Hold middle click |
| Close editor and apply changes | Enter |
| Close editor without applying changes | Right click / Space |
| Close editor and cancel task | Esc |
Moving and resizing shapes
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow keys | Move cursor / move current shape |
| Ctrl + Arrow keys | Resize shape from bottom-right corner |
| Alt + Arrow keys | Resize shape from top-left corner |
| Shift + Arrow keys | Resize or move faster |
| Home | Move shape to top layer |
| End | Move shape to bottom layer |
| Page Up | Move shape up one layer |
| Page Down | Move shape down one layer |
| Hold Ctrl | Draw on top of another shape (disable selection) |
Drawing Tools Shortcuts
When the image editor is open, press a single key to switch annotation tools instantly.
| Key | Tool |
|---|---|
| M | Select and move |
| R | Rectangle |
| E | Ellipse |
| F | Freehand |
| L | Line |
| A | Arrow |
| O | Text (outline) |
| T | Text (background) |
| S | Speech balloon |
| I | Step |
| B | Blur |
| P | Pixelate |
| H | Highlight |
| C | Crop image |
| X | Cut out |
Pin to Screen Shortcuts
ShareX’s “Pin to Screen” keeps an image floating on top of everything. These keys control the pinned window.
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| Hold left click | Move image |
| Right click / Escape | Close image |
| Middle click | Reset image |
| Double click | Minimize image |
| Mouse wheel / + – | Change image scale |
| Ctrl + Mouse wheel / Ctrl + + – | Change image opacity |
| Ctrl + C | Copy image |
Monitor & Multi-Region Capture Keys
Useful on multi-monitor setups. These work inside the region-capture overlay.
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 2 3 … 0 | Capture the corresponding monitor |
| ~ | Capture the currently active monitor |
| Space | Capture the full screen |
| Double left click / Enter | Confirm multi-region capture |
How to Change or Set Custom Hotkeys in ShareX
ShareX ships with a deliberately short default hotkey list, but you can add unlimited custom shortcuts including ones it doesn’t provide by default, such as a delayed (timed) screenshot. Here’s how:
- Open ShareX and click Hotkey settings in the left-hand menu (or go to the tray icon → Hotkey settings).
- Click Add in the top-left to create a new hotkey task. A Task settings window opens.
- Enter a Description (for example, “Timed Window Capture”) so you can identify it later.
- Choose the task this hotkey should perform screenshot, screen recording, upload, color picker, OCR, and more.
- (Optional) To set a delay, open the Capture tab, tick Override capture settings, and set a Screenshot delay (e.g. 3.0 seconds). There is no Apply button just close the window and ShareX saves automatically.
- Back in Hotkey settings, click the None button next to your new task. It changes to Select a hotkey.
- Press your desired key combination (e.g. Ctrl + Alt + Print Screen). The shortcut is now active.
Download ShareX Shortcuts PDF
Keep the full list handy Download the ShareX Shortcuts PDF cheat sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the default ShareX screenshot shortcut?
The default region (area) capture shortcut is Ctrl + Print Screen. To capture the entire screen, press Print Screen; for the active window, press Alt + Print Screen.
How do I stop recording in ShareX?
Press Shift + Print Screen again the same shortcut that started the recording. ShareX uses one toggle key to both start and stop screen recordings.
How do I change or customize ShareX hotkeys?
Open Hotkey settings, click Add to create a task, choose what it should do, then click the None button next to it and press your preferred key combination. You can add unlimited custom hotkeys.
Does ShareX have a delayed-screenshot hotkey?
Not by default. You can create one by adding a custom hotkey task, opening its Capture tab, enabling Override capture settings, and setting a screenshot delay.
How many keyboard shortcuts does ShareX have?
ShareX includes 70+ default shortcuts across capture, recording, the image editor, drawing tools, and the pin-to-screen window — plus unlimited custom hotkeys you define yourself.
What’s the shortcut to capture a specific monitor?
Inside the region-capture overlay, press a number key (1–0) to capture the matching monitor, or ~ to capture the currently active monitor.
Can I export or print the ShareX shortcuts list?
Yes you can download the cheat sheet above as a PDF, or use Ctrl + P inside the image editor to print a captured image.
Do ShareX shortcuts work on Windows 11?
Yes. All default and custom ShareX hotkeys work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Final Thoughts
ShareX rewards anyone willing to learn its shortcuts. The handful of capture keys Ctrl + Print Screen for a region, Print Screen for fullscreen, and Shift + Print Screen to record will cover most of what you do day to day, and they alone can shave minutes off every screenshot-and-share task. Once those feel automatic, the image-editor and drawing-tool keys are where the real speed gains happen, letting you annotate and upload without ever reaching for the mouse.
The best part is that none of this is fixed. Every shortcut here is a starting point, not a rule if a key combination doesn’t fit how you work, open Hotkey settings and remap it in seconds. Set up a delayed-capture hotkey, bind your most-used task to a single key, and ShareX quietly molds itself around your workflow.
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