Shortcuts

Essential keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys in After Effects

⭐ Favorites

Ctrl + Alt + N

New composition - essential starting point

Space

Play/Stop preview

U

Show modified properties

F9

Easy ease

.

Add keyframe at current time

P

Show position property

S

Show scale property

R

Show rotation property

T

Show opacity property

UU

Show all modified properties

General

Ctrl + N

New project

Ctrl + Alt + N

New composition

Ctrl + O

Open project

Ctrl + S

Save

Ctrl + Shift + S

Save as

Ctrl + Z

Undo

Ctrl + Y

Redo (alternative)

Ctrl + Shift + Z

Redo

Timeline Navigation

Space

Play/Stop

0 (numpad)

RAM Preview

Shift + 0

RAM Preview with audio

Ctrl + Alt + 0

Save RAM Preview

Home

Go to start

End

Go to end

J

Back

K

Stop

L

Forward

I

Go to in point

O

Go to out point

B

Set work area start

N

Set work area end

,

Preview previous frame

.

Preview next frame

Alt + Click

Preview range

Layer Controls

F2

Rename selected

Enter

Rename selected layer

Delete

Delete layer

Ctrl + D

Duplicate

Ctrl + Shift + D

Duplicate with all keyframes

Ctrl + [

Move layer to start

Ctrl + ]

Move layer to end

Alt + [

Trim layer start

Alt + ]

Trim layer end

Transform Controls

V

Selection tool

H

Hand tool

Z

Zoom tool

W

Rotation tool

P

Position

S

Scale

R

Rotation

T

Opacity

Ctrl + T

Transform

Animation

U

Show modified properties

UU

Show all modified properties

.

Add keyframe

Alt + P

Add position keyframe

Alt + S

Add scale keyframe

Alt + R

Add rotation keyframe

Alt + Shift + P

Add 3D position keyframe

F9

Easy ease

Shift + F9

Easy ease out

Ctrl + Shift + F9

Easy ease in

X

Show property graph in timeline

Effects

Ctrl + Shift + E

New effect

E

Show effects

EE

Show all effects

Ctrl + Alt + T

Time remap

Ctrl + Shift + Y

New adjustment layer

Workspace

Ctrl + \

New viewer

Ctrl + Alt + \

New viewer for selected layer

~

Maximize panel

\

Toggle transparency grid

Show/hide guides

Ctrl + R

Show/hide rulers

Ctrl + ;

Show/hide grid

Rendering

Ctrl + M

Add to render queue

Ctrl + Alt + S

Add to Adobe Media Encoder

Ctrl + Shift + /

Render settings

Ctrl + Alt + /

Output settings

View Options

'

Show safe margins

;

Show grid

Ctrl + R

Show rulers

Caps Lock

Toggle live update

Alt + Click

Zoom to area

/ (numpad)

Zoom to fit

Shift + /

Zoom to 100%

Tips & Tricks

Shift + Drag

Hold to constrain movement

Alt + Drag

Hold to duplicate

Double Tap

Double-tap property shortcuts (like UU) to see all properties

Ctrl + Scrub

Hold while scrubbing values for finer control