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SQL Server Management Studio keyboard shortcuts

Queries, results, explorers, bookmarks, and editing in SSMS.

56 shortcuts Windows checked September 14, 2026

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

Everything Code editing Comments and review Editing Files and printing Formulas and data Navigation Paragraphs and lists Search Selection Tabs and windows View and zoom
Matching shortcuts
Action Keys Row actions
Open a new query window Anywhere Windows CtrlN Source
Open the new project dialog Anywhere Windows CtrlShiftN Source
Open a file Anywhere Windows CtrlO Source
Show Object Explorer Anywhere Windows F8 Source
Show Object Explorer details Anywhere Windows F7 Source
Show registered servers Anywhere Windows CtrlAltG Source
Show Template Explorer Anywhere Windows CtrlAltT Source
Show Solution Explorer Anywhere Windows CtrlAltL Source
Show the properties window Anywhere Windows F4 Source
Show the output window Anywhere Windows CtrlAltO Source
Show the toolbox Anywhere Windows CtrlAltX Source
Open the query designer Query editor Windows CtrlShiftQ Source
Switch full screen mode Anywhere Windows ShiftAltEnter Source
Close the current document Document open Windows CtrlF4 Source
Close the current tool window Tool window focused Windows ShiftEsc Source
Run the query Query editor Windows F5 Source
Parse the query Query editor Windows CtrlF5 Source
Show the estimated execution plan Query editor Windows CtrlL Source
Cancel the running query Query running Windows AltBreak Source
Include the actual execution plan Query editor Windows CtrlM Source
Show results in a grid Query editor Windows CtrlD Source
Show results as text Query editor Windows CtrlT Source
Send results to a file Query editor Windows CtrlShiftF Source
Show or hide the results pane Query editor Windows CtrlR Source
Switch between the query and the results Query editor Windows F6 Source
Copy the result grid with headers Results grid Windows CtrlShiftC Source
Open SQL Server Profiler Anywhere Windows CtrlAltP Source
Describe the selected object with sp_help Query editor Windows AltF1 Source
Fill in template parameter values Query editor Windows CtrlShiftM Source
Comment out the selection Query editor Windows CtrlKCtrlC Source

About SQL Server Management Studio and its shortcuts

SQL Server Management Studio is where a lot of database work still happens, and its keyboard matters because the loop is so repetitive: execute, read the result, edit, execute again. Beyond that it offers commands for the object explorer, query windows, and switching how results are displayed.

SSMS is Windows only. It inherits its editor from Visual Studio, including the option to switch keyboard schemes, so an installation set up by someone else can differ.

Where the SQL Server Management Studio keys came from

Read from 1 documentation page published by the makers of SQL Server Management Studio. Report a key that is wrong

To see how one action is done in other apps as well as SQL Server Management Studio, browse the shortcuts by task. Shortcuts by task