After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
110+ Adobe After Effects shortcuts for animation, compositing, and motion graphics. Searchable and printable for Mac and Windows.
Playback
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Play / Pause (from current time) | |
| RAM Preview | |
| Go to Beginning of Composition | |
| Go to End of Composition | |
| Forward One Frame | |
| Back One Frame | |
| Forward 10 Frames | |
| Back 10 Frames | |
| Go to In Point | |
| Go to Out Point | |
| Go to Layer In Point | |
| Go to Next Keyframe |
Layer Properties
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Anchor Point | |
| Position | |
| Scale | |
| Rotation | |
| Opacity | |
| Audio Levels | |
| Mask Feather | |
| Mask Path | |
| Show Mask Opacity | |
| Material Options | |
| Effects | |
| Show All Keyframed Properties | |
| Show All Modified Properties | |
| Show All Source Text Properties | |
| Show Expression Properties |
Keyframes
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Set Position Keyframe | |
| Set Scale Keyframe | |
| Set Rotation Keyframe | |
| Set Opacity Keyframe | |
| Set Anchor Point Keyframe | |
| Easy Ease | |
| Easy Ease In | |
| Easy Ease Out | |
| Keyframe Velocity | |
| Toggle Graph Editor | |
| Toggle Hold Keyframe |
Layers
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Duplicate Layer | |
| Split Layer at Current Time | |
| New Solid | |
| New Adjustment Layer | |
| New Null Object | |
| New Text Layer | |
| Pre-compose Selection | |
| Set Layer In Point to Current Time | |
| Set Layer Out Point to Current Time | |
| Trim Layer In Point | |
| Trim Layer Out Point | |
| Bring Layer to Front | |
| Send Layer to Back | |
| Bring Layer Forward | |
| Send Layer Backward | |
| Lock Layer | |
| Toggle Layer Visibility |
Composition
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| New Composition | |
| Composition Settings | |
| Set Work Area Beginning | |
| Set Work Area End | |
| Audio Preview | |
| Fit Comp in Viewer | |
| Maximize Panel | |
| Zoom Comp Out | |
| Zoom Comp In | |
| Toggle Proportional Grid |
Effects
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Apply Effect from Last Applied | |
| Apply Effect Preset | |
| Apply Favorite Effect | |
| New Mask | |
| Mask Feather | |
| Add Expression |
Selection
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Select All Layers | |
| Deselect All | |
| Rename Selected Layer | |
| Center Anchor Point in Layer | |
| Selection Tool | |
| Rotate Tool | |
| Pan Behind (Anchor Point) Tool | |
| Shape Tool | |
| Pen Tool | |
| Type Tool | |
| Zoom Tool |
General
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Undo | |
| Redo | |
| Save | |
| Save As | |
| Increment and Save | |
| Import File | |
| Add to Render Queue | |
| Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue | |
| Toggle Snapping | |
| Toggle Guides | |
| Toggle Rulers | |
| Delete Selected |
Pro tips
Learn the Solo Property Keys
P (Position), S (Scale), R (Rotation), T (Opacity), A (Anchor Point) - these single-key shortcuts instantly reveal that property on any selected layer. They're the foundation of AE workflow.
U is Your Best Friend
Press U on any layer to reveal only its keyframed properties. Press UU to show all modified properties. This is the fastest way to find what's been animated on complex layers.
Master Easy Ease (F9)
Linear keyframes look robotic. Select keyframes and press F9 for Easy Ease to add natural motion curves. Then use the Graph Editor (Shift+F3) to fine-tune the easing for professional results.
Use Pre-compose Wisely
Ctrl/⌘+Shift+C pre-composes selected layers into a nested comp. This keeps your timeline clean and lets you apply effects to multiple layers as one unit. Essential for complex projects.
Trim with Brackets
[ and ] set a layer's in/out points to the current time. Alt+[ and Alt+] trim the layer content itself. These save enormous time when timing animations to music or narration.
Increment Save Regularly
Ctrl/⌘+Alt+S creates a numbered backup of your project file. AE is notorious for crashes - make increment saving a habit every 10-15 minutes to avoid losing work.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important After Effects shortcuts to learn first?
Start with the solo property keys: P (Position), S (Scale), R (Rotation), T (Opacity), A (Anchor Point). Then learn U (show keyframes), F9 (Easy Ease), Space (preview), [ and ] (trim layer), and Ctrl/⌘+D (duplicate layer). These cover 80% of daily motion design work.
How do I preview my animation in After Effects?
Press Space for a real-time preview from the current time indicator. Press Numpad 0 for a full RAM preview that caches frames for smooth playback. The quality of preview depends on your preview resolution setting (shown in the Composition panel dropdown).
What's the difference between [ ] and Alt+[ ]?
[ and ] move the layer's in/out point to the current time without changing the layer content - they just reposition the layer bar on the timeline. Alt+[ and Alt+] actually trim (cut) the layer content at the current time, removing the trimmed footage.
How do I add easing to keyframes?
Select your keyframes and press F9 for Easy Ease (both in and out), Shift+F9 for Easy Ease In only, or Ctrl/⌘+Shift+F9 for Easy Ease Out only. For precise control, open the Graph Editor with Shift+F3 and manually adjust the bezier curves.
What does pre-composing do and when should I use it?
Pre-composing (Ctrl/⌘+Shift+C) nests selected layers into a new composition. Use it to: apply effects to multiple layers at once, keep your timeline organized, create reusable animation groups, or when you need to transform multiple layers as a single unit.
Can I customize keyboard shortcuts in After Effects?
Yes! Go to Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts (Ctrl/⌘+Alt+') to open the visual keyboard shortcut editor. You can search for any command, see its current shortcut, and reassign it. You can also save and export custom shortcut profiles.
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