Adobe InDesign is a premier publication design software that is widely used to create a variety of print and digital publications. Publishers, graphic designers, and marketing professionals typically use InDesign to create books, brochures, flyers, newsletters, reports, interactive PDFs, posters, and magazines. Key features included enhanced tools for typography, layout, styles, interactivity, and integration with other Adobe services and products.

The list of documents, XML, indexing, and character keyboard shortcuts shown below will assist you to be even more efficient with Adobe InDesign on your computer.

Viewing Documents and Document Workspaces Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Temporarily select Hand tool  Spacebar (with no text insertion point), Option–drag (with text insertion point), or Option+spacebar (in both text and nontext modes)
• Temporarily select Zoom In tool  Command+spacebar
• Temporarily select Zoom Out tool  Option+Command+spacebar or Option+Zoom In tool      
• Zoom to 50%, 200%, or 400%  Command+5, 2, or 4
• Redraw screen  Shift+F5
• Open new default document  Command+Option+N
• Switch between current and previous zoom levels  Option+Command+2
• Switch to next/previous document window  Command+F6 or Command+~ (tilde)/ Command+Shift+~ (tilde)
• Scroll up/down one screen  Page Up/Page Down
• Go back/forward to last-viewed page  Command+Page Up/ Command+Page Down
• Go to previous/next spread  Option+Page Up/ Option+Page Down
• Fit spread in window  Double-click Hand tool
• Activate the Go To command  Command+J
• Fit selection in window  Command+Option+(+) (plus sign)
• Display the entire object  Command+Option+(+) Keyboard Shortcuts
• Go to parent page while Pages panel is closed  Command+J, type prefix of parent, press Return
• Cycle through units of measurement  Shift+Option+Command+U
• Snap guide to ruler increments  Shift–drag guide
• Switch between page and spread guides (creation only)  Command–drag guide
• Temporarily turn on/off snap to  Control-drag object
• Create vertical and horizontal ruler guides for the spread  Command–drag from zero point
• Select all guides  Option+Command+G
• Lock or unlock zero point  Control–click zero point and choose an option
• Use current magnification for view threshold of new guide  Option–drag guide
• Select buttons in alert dialog boxes  Press first letter of button name
• Show information on installed plug ins and InDesign components  Command+InDesign menu > About InDesign

XML  Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Expand/Collapse element  Right Arrow/Left Arrow
• Expand/Collapse element and child elements  Option+Right Arrow/ Option+Left Arrow
• Extend XML selection up/down  Shift+Up Arrow/ Shift+Down Arrow
• Move XML selection up/down  Up Arrow/ Down Arrow
• Scroll structure pane up/down one screen  Page Up/ Page Down
• Select first/last XML node  Home/ End
• Extend selection to first/last XML node   Shift+Home/ Shift+End
• Go to previous/next validation error  Command+Left Arrow/ Command+Right Arrow
• Automatically tag text frames and tables  Command+Option+Shift+F7

Indexing Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Create index entry without dialog box (alphanumeric only)  Shift+Command+Option+[
• Open index entry dialog box  Command+7
• Create proper name index entry (last name, first name)  Shift+Command+Option+]

Character and Paragraph Styles Keyboard Shortcuts

This list is not a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. It lists only those shortcuts that aren’t displayed in menu commands or tool tips.

• Make character style definition match text  Select text and press Shift+Option+Command+C
• Make paragraph style definition match text  Select text and press Shift+Option+Command+R
• Change options without applying style  Shift+Option+Command-double-click style
• Remove style and local formatting  Option-click paragraph style name
• Clear overrides from paragraph style  Option+Shift-click paragraph style name
• Show/hide Paragraph and Character Styles panels, respectively  Command+F11, Command+Shift+F11