Adobe After Effects is one of the most popular visual effects software used by movie producers, advertisement agencies, media companies, and personal videographers for post-production visual and motion effects. Key features include motion graphics creation, text animation, visual effects, compositing, animation, 3D creation, and integration with other Adobe services and products. Adobe After Effects is commonly used to complete post-production videos for social media content, advertisements, title sequences, broadcast graphics, film, and other general video post-production.

Adobe After Effects, due to its extensive features and capabilities, tends to be more difficult to learn compared to other creative software. Still, with the listed Footage, Effects, Animation Presets, and Layers keyboard shortcuts shown below, you will be up and running with Adobe After Effects in no time.

Footage Keyboard Shortcuts

• Import one file or image sequence  Ctrl + I
• Import multiple files or image sequences  Ctrl + Alt + I
• Open movie in an After Effects Footage panel  Double-click the footage item in the Project panel
• Add selected items to most recently activated composition  Ctrl + / (on main keyboard)
• Replace selected source footage for selected layers with footage item selected in Project panel  Ctrl + Alt + / (on main keyboard)
• Replace source for a selected layer  Alt-drag footage item from the Project panel onto selected layer
• Delete a footage item without a warning  Ctrl + Backspace
• Open Interpret Footage dialog box for selected footage item  Ctrl + Alt + G
• Remember footage interpretation  Ctrl + Alt + C
• Edit selected footage item in application with which it’s associated (Edit Original)  Ctrl + E
• Replace selected footage item  Ctrl + H
• Reload selected footage items  Ctrl + Alt + L
• Set proxy for selected footage item  Ctrl + Alt + P 

Effects and Animation Presets Keyboard Shortcuts

• Delete all effects from selected layers  Ctrl + Shift + E
• Apply most recently applied effect to selected layers  Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E
• Apply most recently applied animation preset to selected layers  Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F

Layers Keyboard Shortcuts

Note: Some operations do not affect shy layers.

• New solid layer  Ctrl + Y
• New null layer  Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Y
• New adjustment layer  Ctrl + Alt + Y
• Select layer (1-999) by its number (enter digits rapidly for two-digit and three-digit numbers)  0-9 on numeric keypad*
• Toggle selection of layer (1-999) by its number (enter digits rapidly for two-digit and three-digit numbers)  Shift + 0-9 on numeric keypad*
• Select next layer in stacking order  Ctrl + Down Arrow
• Select previous layer in stacking order  Ctrl + Up Arrow
• Extend selection to next layer in stacking order  Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow
• Extend selection to previous layer in stacking order  Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow
• Deselect all layers  Ctrl + Shift + A
• Scroll topmost selected layer to top of Timeline panel  X
• Show or hide Parent column  Shift + F4
• Show or hide Layer Switches and Modes columns  F4
• Setting the sampling method for selected layers (Best/Bilinear)  Alt + B
• Setting the sampling method for selected layers (Best/Bicubic)  Alt + Shift + B
• Turn off all other solo switches   Alt-click solo switch
• Turn Video (eyeball) switch on or off for selected layers  Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V
• Open settings dialog box for selected solid, light, camera, null, or adjustment layer  Ctrl + Shift + Y
• Paste layers at current time  Ctrl + Alt + V
• Split selected layers. (If no layers are selected, split all layers.)  Ctrl + Shift + D
• Precompose selected layers  Ctrl + Shift + C
• Open Effect Controls panel for selected layers  Ctrl + Shift + T
• Open layer in Layer panel (opens source composition for precomposition layer in Composition panel)  Double-click a layer
• Open source of a layer in Footage panel (opens precomposition layer in Layer panel)  Alt-double-click a layer
• Reverse selected layers in time  Ctrl + Alt + R
• Enable time remapping for selected layers  Ctrl + Alt + T
• Move selected layers so that their In point or Out point is at the current time  [ (left bracket) or ] (right bracket)
• Trim In point or Out point of selected layers to current time     Alt + [ (left bracket) or Alt + ] (right bracket)
• Add or remove expression for a property  Alt-click stopwatch
• Add an effect (or multiple selected effects) to selected layers  Double-click effect selection in the Effects & Presets panel
• Set In point or Out point by time-stretching  Ctrl + Shift + , (comma) or Ctrl + Alt + , (comma)
• Move selected layers so that their In point is at beginning of composition  Alt + Home
• Move selected layers so that their Out point is at end of composition Alt + End
• Lock selected layers Ctrl + L
• Unlock all layers  Ctrl + Shift + L
• Set Quality to Best, Draft, or Wireframe for selected layers  Ctrl + U, Ctrl + Shift + U, or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + U
• Cycle forward or backward through blending modes for selected layers  Shift + - (hyphen) or Shift + = (equal sign) on the main keyboard
• Find in Timeline panel  Ctrl + F

Note: Some shortcuts are marked with an asterisk (*) to remind you to make sure that Num Lock is on when you use the numeric keypad.