Adobe Premiere Pro Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows: The Ultimate Speed Cheat Sheet
- Gregory Thornberry
- Dec 5
- 8 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Learning to edit video efficiently is as much about how you use the keyboard as it is about creativity. Adobe Premiere Pro is used by everyone from blockbuster editors to hobbyists, and one thing they all agree on is that keyboard shortcuts save time.
Adobe Premiere Pro Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows: The Ultimate Speed Cheat Sheet
Instead of hunting through menus, you can perform common tasks instantly, leaving more room for creative decisions. This guide covers the essential shortcuts that come standard with Premiere Pro on Windows, plus tips on how to customise the keys to suit your own workflow.
Why shortcuts matter
Each click you avoid gives you back a fraction of a second. Over the course of an edit, those moments add up. Keyboard shortcuts are designed to reduce friction; once you learn them, they become second nature and make the software feel like an extension of your hands. In Premiere Pro the default shortcuts are thoughtfully arranged and can be personalised through the Keyboard Shortcuts window.
Open this window by choosing Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + K. From there you can search for commands, change key assignments and even import or export custom shortcut layouts.
How to customise your shortcuts
Customising your shortcuts can make editing more comfortable and reduce finger travel. Open the Keyboard Shortcuts panel (Ctrl + Alt + K) and use the search field to find a function you want to modify.
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Click the existing shortcut and press the new key combination you’d like to assign. If there’s a conflict with another command, Premiere warns you so you can choose an alternative.
When you’re happy, click Save to store your custom layout. You can export this file to share with collaborators or copy it between computers for consistent setups.
File operations
The File menu contains commands you’ll use on every project. Memorising these shortcuts speeds up starting, saving and exporting projects:
Create a new project: Ctrl + Alt + N. To start a new sequence use Ctrl + N.
Open a project: Ctrl + O.
Close the project: Ctrl + Shift + W closes the current project while leaving the application running.
Save your work: Ctrl + S saves the current project, Ctrl + Shift + S performs Save As…, and Ctrl + Alt + S creates a separate copy.
Import media: Ctrl + I opens the import dialog, and Ctrl + M opens the export settings to render your timeline.
Exit Premiere Pro: Ctrl + Q (not listed in the Cutjamm table but included here for completeness) quits the application.
These commands form the backbone of your workflow. Using them without clicking through menus keeps you focused on the creative part of editing.
Editing commands
The Edit menu groups together actions like undoing mistakes and copying clips.
Most of these shortcuts will feel familiar if you use other software:
Undo / Redo: Ctrl + Z reverses your last action, while Ctrl + Shift + Z re‑applies it.
Cut / Copy / Paste: Use Ctrl + X, Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V to cut, copy and paste clips in the timeline.
Paste Insert: Ctrl + Shift + V inserts copied content at the playhead without overwriting.
Paste Attributes: Ctrl + Alt + V pastes effect attributes from one clip onto another.
Clear / Ripple Delete: Press the Delete key to remove a selected clip or Shift + Delete to perform a ripple delete and close the gap.
Duplicate: Ctrl + Shift + /* duplicates the selected clip.
Select All / Deselect All: Ctrl + A selects everything in the active panel, while Ctrl + Shift + A deselects all.
Edit Original: To open the source file in its default application press Ctrl + E.
Open Keyboard Shortcuts: Ctrl + Alt + K brings up the customisation panel.
These shortcuts apply across the entire application and help you manage clips and sequences without breaking your flow.
Premiere Pro Shortcut Key Mouse Pad
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Clip and sequence commands
Clips and sequences are where the real editing happens. Premiere Pro assigns powerful shortcuts for trimming, splitting and navigating your timeline:
Match frame / Reverse match frame: Press F to match the frame under the playhead to its original source, and Shift + R to search backwards.
Add edit: Ctrl + K splits the clip at the playhead. Ctrl + Shift + K cuts through all tracks.
Trim edit: Shift + T activates the trim mode so you can extend or shorten clips.
Extend selected edit to playhead:Â Press EÂ to extend the nearest edit to the playhead position.
Apply transitions: Use Ctrl + D to apply the default video transition and Ctrl + Shift + D to apply the default audio transition. Shift + D applies the default transition to a selected clip.
Lift / Extract:Â Semicolon (;) lifts the selected range leaving a gap, while apostrophe (') performs an extract edit and closes the gap.
Zoom in/out on the timeline:Â Press =Â to zoom in on the timeline and -Â to zoom out.
Navigate between edits: Shift + ; jumps to the next edit in the timeline and Ctrl + Shift + ; goes to the previous edit.
Toggle snap:Â Press SÂ to turn snapping on or off in the timeline.
Create subsequence: Shift + U makes a new sequence from the selected clips.
Caption commands: Ctrl + Alt + A adds a new caption track, Ctrl + Alt + C adds a caption at the playhead, and Ctrl + Alt + Up/Down jumps between caption segments.
Learning these shortcuts speeds up basic editing tasks like cutting, trimming and applying transitions.
Marker commands
Markers allow you to label important moments on the timeline. Knowing the marker shortcuts lets you add, remove and jump between them quickly:
Mark In / Mark Out:Â Press IÂ and OÂ to set in and out points.
Mark Clip / Mark Selection:Â Use XÂ to mark the entire clip and /Â to mark a selection.
Go to In / Go to Out: Shift + I jumps to the in point and Shift + O jumps to the out point.
Clear In / Clear Out / Clear In and Out: Remove in and out points with Ctrl + Shift + I, Ctrl + Shift + O or both with Ctrl + Shift + X.
Add a marker:Â Tap MÂ to drop a marker at the playhead.
Navigate markers: Use Shift + M to go to the next marker and Ctrl + Shift + M to go to the previous marker.
Clear markers: Ctrl + Alt + M removes a selected marker and Ctrl + Alt + Shift + M clears all markers.
Markers are essential for organising large projects, syncing music cues or noting changes for client reviews.
Graphics and titles
Premiere Pro includes a simple graphics editor for adding text and shapes. These shortcuts help you build titles and motion graphics quickly:
New text layer: Press Ctrl + T to create a new text layer.
Draw shapes: Use Ctrl + Alt + R to draw a rectangle and Ctrl + Alt + E to draw an ellipse.
Arrange layers: Ctrl + Shift + ] brings the selected layer to the front, Ctrl + ] brings it forward one position, Ctrl + [ sends it backward, and Ctrl + Shift + [ sends it to the back.
Select layers: Ctrl + Alt + ] selects the next layer in the stack and Ctrl + Alt + [ selects the previous layer.
These keys streamline the process of adding lower thirds, captions or graphic elements without leaving the keyboard.
Window and panel navigation
Efficient editing often means switching between different panels such as the Project, Timeline and Program Monitor. Memorising these navigation keys helps you move around the interface quickly:
Toggle workspaces: Use Alt + Shift + 1 through Alt + Shift + 9 to switch between saved workspaces like All Panels, Assembly, Audio and Color. Alt + Shift + 0 resets the workspace to its saved layout.
Show or hide specific panels: Press Shift + 1 to focus the Project panel, Shift + 2 for the Source Monitor, Shift + 3 for the Timeline, Shift + 4 for the Program Monitor, Shift + 5 for the Effect Controls, Shift + 6 for the Audio Track Mixer, Shift + 7 for the Effects panel, Shift + 8 for the Media Browser and Shift + 9 for the Audio Clip Mixer. These shortcuts let you bounce between panels without moving your mouse.
Knowing how to navigate panels makes the interface feel fluid and reduces the need for window hunting.
Common tools and playback commands
In addition to the menu shortcuts above, Premiere Pro includes tools and playback keys that every editor should know:
Selection tool:Â Press VÂ to activate the selection cursor.
Razor tool:Â The CÂ key activates the razor tool to cut clips.
Pen tool:Â Press PÂ to draw keyframes or masks.
Hand tool:Â HÂ lets you drag the timeline left or right.
Zoom tool:Â ZÂ activates the zoom tool for interactive zooming.
Track selection tools: A selects all clips forward on a track, Shift + A selects all clips backward.
Rate stretch tool:Â Press RÂ to adjust clip speed by stretching.
Play / Pause: Hit the Spacebar to start or stop playback.
Zoom timeline in/out: Ctrl + = zooms in and Ctrl + - zooms out.
Move through timeline: Use Page Down and Page Up to jump forward or backward one screen. Use the arrow keys combined with modifiers to nudge or slip clips precisely.
These tools help you control the timeline quickly without switching to the toolbar.
Tips for learning shortcuts
Start with the essentials. There are dozens of shortcuts in Premiere Pro, but you don’t need to memorise them all at once. Begin with the commands you use every day—cut, copy, paste, add edit—and gradually add more as they become relevant.
Use a cheat sheet or keyboard overlay. Many editors keep a printed cheat sheet beside their workstation or use a keyboard overlay with the shortcut symbols printed on each key. These visual cues reinforce learning and reduce the temptation to grab the mouse.
Customise for comfort. If a default shortcut feels awkward, change it. Premiere allows multiple commands to share keys, and the conflict warnings help you avoid overlapping assignments.
Practice regularly. Habit forms through repetition. Challenge yourself to perform tasks entirely with the keyboard for a few minutes each edit session. Soon the muscle memory will stick.
Conclusion
Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro becomes faster and more enjoyable when you embrace keyboard shortcuts. Using default keys for file operations, editing commands, clip and sequence controls, markers and navigation keeps your hands on the keyboard and away from the menus.
Remember that you can customise these shortcuts through the Keyboard Shortcuts window (Ctrl + Alt + K), tailoring the software to your own style. Start with the essentials, practise regularly and add new commands as needed. Soon you’ll find that you hardly touch the mouse—and your edits will be smoother and quicker as a result.
External resources for deeper learning
If you’d like to explore these shortcuts further or see visual examples, here are a few helpful resources:
Adobe’s official keyboard shortcuts page – The Adobe Help Center publishes the most up‑to‑date list of default keyboard shortcuts for Premiere Pro across Windows and macOS helpx.adobe.com.
Cutjamm Premiere Pro Shortcuts Cheat Sheet (2025) – This article provides a clear table of common shortcuts and explains how to customise them cutjamm.com.
Evercast 141+ shortcuts guide – A concise cheat sheet that includes a handy list of frequently used commands and timeline tools evercast.us.
StudioBinder Premiere Pro hotkeys guide – A post-production blog that breaks down shortcuts by category and includes short video tutorials studiobinder.com.
Adobe Premiere Pro user guide – A broader resource that covers everything from importing media to exporting final cuts, complete with shortcuts and workflow tips helpx.adobe.com.