Skip to the main content
Shortivo

Microsoft Access keyboard shortcuts

Views, datasheets, records, and design tools in Access desktop databases.

40 shortcuts Windows checked September 14, 2026

Print all 40 shortcuts One sheet with every shortcut in this app, ready for the printer or a PDF.

This app has a Windows catalog in Shortivo. No other operating system is published for it yet.

Everything Editing Files and printing Formulas and data Navigation Paragraphs and lists Selection Tabs and windows View and zoom
Matching shortcuts
Action Keys Row actions
Show or hide the navigation pane Anywhere Windows F11 Source
Show or hide the property sheet Design or layout view Windows F4 Source
Switch between edit and navigation modes Datasheet or design view Windows F2 Source
Switch from design view to form view Form in design view Windows F5 Source
Open an existing database Anywhere Windows CtrlO Source
Create a new database Anywhere Windows CtrlN Source
Save the database object Object open Windows CtrlS Source
Open the Save As dialog Object open Windows F12 Source
Print the current object Object open Windows CtrlP Source
Find text in a datasheet or form Datasheet or form view Windows CtrlF Source
Open the help window Anywhere Windows F1 Source
Close the active database window Object open Windows CtrlW Source
Switch to the Visual Basic editor Anywhere Windows AltF11 Source
Open the selected object in design view Navigation pane Windows CtrlEnter Source
Show the immediate window Visual Basic editor Windows CtrlG Source
Show or hide the field list Design or layout view Windows AltF8 Source
Go to the Home tab Ribbon Windows AltH Source
Go to the Create tab Ribbon Windows AltC Source
Go to the External Data tab Ribbon Windows AltX Source
Go to the first field of the first record Datasheet view Windows CtrlHome Source
Go to the last field of the last record Datasheet view Windows CtrlEnd Source
Go to a specific record Datasheet or form view Windows AltF5 Source
Select the current column Datasheet navigation mode Windows CtrlSpace Source
Select every record Datasheet view Windows CtrlA Source
Insert the current date Entering data Windows Ctrl; Source
Insert the current time Entering data Windows CtrlShift: Source
Insert the default value for the field Entering data Windows CtrlAltSpace Source
Copy the value from the previous record Entering data Windows Ctrl' Source
Add a new record Datasheet or form view Windows Ctrl Source
Delete the current record Datasheet view Windows Ctrl- Source

About Microsoft Access and its shortcuts

Microsoft Access is a desktop database, and its keyboard spans several interfaces in one program: the navigation pane, datasheets, forms, queries and the design views behind them. The datasheet commands feel like a spreadsheet, while the design views follow older Office conventions.

Access is Windows only, so there is no Mac column. Commands depend heavily on which object and which view you are in, and a form can override them with its own.

Where the Microsoft Access keys came from

Read from 1 documentation page published by the makers of Microsoft Access. Report a key that is wrong

To see how one action is done in other apps as well as Microsoft Access, browse the shortcuts by task. Shortcuts by task