42 Best Shortcuts to Boost Your Efficiency in After Effects

After Effects is a powerful tool for motion graphics and visual effects, but it can also be overwhelming. With so many features and functions, it’s easy to get lost in the software. However, there is a way to streamline your workflow and work more efficiently – by using keyboard shortcuts.

In this article, I will cover the 42 most essential After Effects shortcuts in 2023, helping you to work faster and smarter. I will also reveal some secret shortcuts I used that you haven’t seen anywhere else. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, these shortcuts will help you to save time and focus on the creative aspects of your projects.

Below I have organized by category some of the best After Effects shortcuts for both Mac and Windows so it is easy for you to browse and find the shortcuts you need.

A. KEYFRAME SHORTCUTS

Create Keyframe:

Always clicking the stopwatch or the diamond icon every time to add a keyframe can be annoying, luckily there are shortcuts to quickly add a keyframe for each property (Anchor Point, Position, Scale, Rotation, Opacity), see demo below.

• Mac OS
• Shortcut: Option + A, P, S, R, T
• Windows PC
• Shortcut: Alt + Shift + A, P, S, R, T

TIPS: With the keyframe shortcuts above you can also quickly remove a keyframe by doing re-pressing the same shortcuts.

Easy Ease Keyframe Shortcut:

Easy ease is a keyframe interpolation option in Adobe After Effects that helps to smooth out the animation between two keyframes. It’s a shortcut that can be applied by selecting the keyframe(s), right-clicking, and choosing the “Keyframe Assistant” > “Easy Ease” option. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut “F9” to apply easy ease to selected keyframes.

• Mac OS
• Shortcut: F9
• Windows PC
• Shortcut: F9

Easy Ease In Keyframe Shortcut:

“Easy ease In” shortcut allows you to start the animation fast and then slow down toward the end.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Shift + F9
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Shift + F9

Easy Ease Out Keyframe Shortcut:

“Easy ease out” shortcut starts the animation slowly and then goes fast toward the end.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Command+Shift+F9
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• CTRL + Shift + F9

Reveal Keyframes on a layer:

To check where your keyframes are on the timeline, select your layer and hit U

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• U
• Windows PC Shortcut:

• U
• 
  
• Reveal keyframe expression on a layer:

This shortcut displays all properties of active or modified keyframes, including any expressions, quickly.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• UU
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• UU

Go to Next or Previous Keyframe:

Go to the Previous Keyframe

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• J
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• J Go to the Next Keyframe
• Mac OS Shortcut:
• K
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• K

B. INTERFACE SHORTCUT

8. Switch Resolution: Effortlessly adjust your composition resolution with ease using the shortcuts mentioned below, instead of struggling with a full-resolution view that may overload your computer.

• Mac OS Shortcut:

Full: Cmd + J
Half: Cmd + Shift + J
Quarter: Cmd + Opt + Shift + J

• Windows PC Shortcut:

Full: CTRL + J
Half: CTRL + Shift + J
Quarter: CTRL+ Alt + Shift + J

Swap replace Layer:

Replace layers in your After Effects timeline by selecting a layer in the timeline, holding down the ALT key, choosing a new layer from the project panel, and then dropping it onto the old layer. See Demo Below

Switch from Time to Frame count:
To quickly change the time to frame count in After Effects, move your cursor to the preview time box and hold CTRL + Mouse Click. This shortcut will also swap the time on your timeline to frame or regular time.

Switch from Fill to Gradient: To swap from fill color to gradient HOLD Alt + Click on the fill color box demo below:

Maximize Windows Panel: Maximize any window in After Effects to fill the entire screen by hovering over it and pressing the “~” Tilde key on your keyboard. See the demo below. This option allows you to focus on specific areas of After Effects.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• ~
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• ~

Show Ruler and Guide: If you want to be very accurate in After Effects the ruler and guides should be your best friend, to turn them ON and OFF simply press CTRL + R then you can drag your guides on your scene. See the demo below.

• Mac Shortcut:
• CMD + R
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• CTRL + R

Shortcut Editor:

The Adobe team has created a nice visual keyboard shortcut editor to show you where all the shortcuts are located. On the shortcut editor, you can also create your own shortcut. To access the shortcut editor use this shortcut below:

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Command + Option + ‘
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• CTRL + Alt + ‘

C. Audio Shortcuts

15. Waveform Shortcut: To quickly access your audio layer waveform select your layer on your timeline and press on your keyboard LL

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• LL
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• LL

D. Rendering Shortcuts

16. Add to Render Queue Shortcut: To add your active composition or your selected composition to the render queue use this shortcut below.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Command+Shift+/
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Ctrl+Shift+/

Render Single Frame Shortcut: This shortcut is awesome when you need to make a screenshot of your composition, it basically renders one single frame in PSD or any other format.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Ctrl+Alt+S
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Command+Option+S

E. TIMELINE SHORTCUTS

18. Graph Editor Shortcut: Easily access the crucial Graph Editor in After Effects to improve the smoothness of your animations by selecting a layer and pressing Shift + F3.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Shift + F3
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Shift + F3

Blending mode Shortcuts: To browse the blending mode option quickly, select a layer and press

To browse the blending mode option quickly, select a layer and press Shift – or Shift +. This shortcut is super handy when you want to try out and see how a blending mode looks on your layer.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Shift + or Shift –
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Shift + or Shift –

Reveal expression only: Sometimes you only need to see which layer has an expression, this shortcut is perfect for this where it opens and shows only the layer with an expression on your timeline. Just quickly press EE

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• EE
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• EE

Timeline Zoom: To zoom IN on your timeline and see more frames Press + the same way to see fewer frames zoom OUT and Press –

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• +
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• +

Turn ON the Hand Tool: Pressing H on your keyboard will switch to the Hand Tool which will allow you to move up and down quickly on your timeline or move around your composition.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• H
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• H

Go to Specific Time:

To go to a specific time or frame in your timeline press ALT+SHIFT+J, a pop-up window should appear just enter the time you want to go to.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Option + Shift + J
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• ALT+SHIFT+J

IN and OUT Layer Shortcut:

This shortcut is very handy when you need to move your vertical line indicator to the first frame of your layer or to the last frame of the layer Go to the Layer Start Frame

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• I
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• I Go to the Layer End frame
• Mac OS Shortcut:
• O
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• O

Work Area Shortcut: If you want to quickly set your rendering work area this shortcut should be handy. Start Work Area

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• B
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• B End Work Area
• Mac OS Shortcut:
• N
• Windows PC Icon Shortcut:
• N

Next Frame Shortcut: If you quickly want to jump to the next frame on your timeline use these AE shortcuts below

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Hold COMMAND + Right Arrow
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Hold Alt + Right Arrow

Previous Frame Shortcut:

If you quickly want to jump to the previous frame on your timeline use these AE shortcuts below

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Hold COMMAND + Left Arrow
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Hold Alt + Left Arrow

F. LAYER SHORTCUTS

28. Layer Search: Very handy shortcut when you have thousands of layers it allows you to search for your layer, simply press CTRL + F and type the layer you are looking for.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• CMD + F
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• CTRL + F

Delete all Effects on one Layer:

This one is really neat it allows you to remove all effects in one layer

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• CTRL + SHIFT + E
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• CMD + SHIFT + E

Create a Null Shortcut:

Create a Null layer quickly by pressing CTRL+ALT+Shift+Y

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• CTRL+ALT+Shift+Y
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• CMD + Option + Shift+ Y

Turn on the Selection Tool: The V on your keyboard allows you to quickly change your cursor to the selection tool, it is super useful when you want to select a layer quickly and move the position around on your main scene.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• V
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• V

Reveal Layer Properties:

Reveal layer properties are shortcuts you will use the most in After Effects, here are keyboard 4 letters you need to remember P S R T Press P: to show the layer Position properties Press S: to show the layer Scale properties Press R: to show the layer Rotation properties Press T: to show the layer Opacity properties

Trim Layer Shortcut:

Trim the layer at the beginning

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Option + [
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Alt + [ Trim layer at the end
• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Option + ]
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Alt + ]

Start and End Layers from the time indicator: Here is how to move selected layers so that their In point or Out point is at the current time. Start Layer at the blue line indicator

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• [
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• [ End Layer at the blue line indicator
• Mac OS Shortcut:
• ]
• Windows PC Shortcut: ]

Pre-compose Selected Layer:

To insert your selected layer into a new composition use these quick shortcuts, also make sure you select whether you want your keyframe to move inside the composition or stay outside. This shortcut is also ideal when you want to group and combine layers in one single composition

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Command + Shift + C
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Ctrl+Shift+C

Show or Hide layer shortcut: Use this shortcut below to quickly turn ON or OFF a layer

• Mac OS Shortcut: Command + Option + Shift + V
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• Ctrl+ Alt + Shift+ V

Split Layer Shortcut: To split a layer in After Effects use the shortcut below, this shortcut also works on the audio layer and video layer.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• Command + Shift + D
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• CTRL + Shift + D

Start and End Layer Shortcut: This short is very handy when you need to move your time indicator (timeline vertical line) to the beginning of your layer or at the end, simply press I to move where your layer starts and press O to move to the end of your layer

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• I
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• I
• Go to the Layer End
• Mac OS Shortcut:
• O
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• O

Isolate Specific Properties: To solo specific properties so you don’t have to scroll up and down the timeline, just select each properties you want and then Press SS.

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• SS
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• SS

Reverse time Shortcut: Use this shortcut to play backward a layer or video by pressing CTRL + ALT + R

• Mac OS Shortcut:
• CTRL + ALT + R
• Windows PC Shortcut:
• CMD + ALT + R

E. SHORTCUT RESOURCES & REFERENCE

The other resource I recommend checking out is the complete list of After Effects shortcuts on the Adobe website also review this handy After Effects keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet

Hope you were able to learn and find the After Effects shortcuts you need! Feel free to drop a comment below if you see anything you would like to add.

also, check out the cinecom.net video for a details explanation below