How to Set Up Custom Keyboard Shortcuts in Word

You want to assign a keyboard shortcut to a command you use often in Word, saving time over repeated mouse clicks. Word lets you customize nearly any built-in command, macro, font, or style with a key combination of your choice. This article explains how to access the Customize Keyboard dialog, assign new shortcuts, and remove or reset existing ones. You will learn the exact steps to create shortcuts for commands like Insert Comment, Paste Special, or your favorite macro.

What Are Custom Keyboard Shortcuts in Word

Word includes hundreds of built-in keyboard shortcuts, but you may need a shortcut for a command that does not have one or want to replace an existing combination with something easier to reach. The Customize Keyboard feature in Word allows you to assign or reassign keyboard shortcuts to any command listed in the Categories and Commands list. You can also assign shortcuts to macros, fonts, AutoText entries, styles, and common symbols.

Before you begin, understand that changes are saved to a template file. The default template is Normal.dotm, which stores global settings for all documents. You can choose to save the shortcut only in the current document if you want the shortcut to apply only to that file. No special permissions or add-ins are required to use the customization dialog. Any user with a standard Word installation on Windows can follow these steps.

Steps to Set Up a Custom Keyboard Shortcut

1. Open the Customize Keyboard dialog
   Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon. At the bottom of the dialog, next to Keyboard shortcuts, click the Customize button. The Customize Keyboard dialog opens.
2. Select a category
   In the Categories list, choose the group that contains your command. For example, choose Home Tab for paragraph formatting commands, Insert Tab for objects, or Macros for recorded macros. The Commands list updates to show only items in that category.
3. Select the command
   Scroll the Commands list and click the command you want. For commands without a current shortcut, the Current keys box shows [none]. For commands with existing shortcuts, the box lists them.
4. Type your new shortcut
   Click inside the Press new shortcut key box, then press the key combination on your keyboard. For example, press Alt+Shift+D. The dialog shows whether that combination is currently assigned to another command. If it is already assigned, you can type a different combination or accept the reassignment.
5. Assign the shortcut
   Click the Assign button. The new combination appears in the Current keys list. If you are replacing an existing shortcut, the old one remains until you remove it manually.
6. Choose where to save the change
   In the Save changes in drop-down list, select Normal.dotm to make the shortcut available in all documents. Select the current document name to limit the shortcut to that file only.
7. Close the dialog
   Click Close to return to the Options dialog, then click OK. Your new shortcut is now active.

Assigning a Shortcut to a Macro

To assign a shortcut to a macro you recorded or wrote in VBA, follow the same steps above but choose Macros in the Categories list. The Commands list shows all available macros by name. Select the macro, press the key combination, and click Assign. Macros saved in Normal.dotm are available globally; macros saved in the current document are available only when that document is open.

Assigning a Shortcut to a Style

Styles such as Heading 1, Normal, or a custom style you created can also have shortcuts. In the Customize Keyboard dialog, choose Styles from the Categories list. Select the style from the Commands list, then press and assign the shortcut. This is useful for applying styles without clicking the Styles pane or using the ribbon.

Removing or Resetting a Keyboard Shortcut

If you assigned a shortcut you no longer want, you can remove it without affecting other shortcuts. Open the Customize Keyboard dialog again. In the Categories list, select the category that contains the command. In the Commands list, select the command. In the Current keys list, click the shortcut you want to remove, then click the Remove button. Click Close and OK to save.

To reset all keyboard shortcuts to their default values, click the Reset All button in the Customize Keyboard dialog. Word prompts you to confirm. This action removes all custom shortcuts and restores the factory settings for all commands. Use this only when you want a clean start.

Common Issues and Things to Avoid

My custom shortcut does not work

The most common cause is that the shortcut conflicts with a system-wide shortcut or an add-in shortcut. For example, Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys are used by Windows for display orientation on some systems. Try a combination that includes Shift or Ctrl+Shift to avoid conflicts. Also verify that you saved the change to Normal.dotm and not only to a document that is now closed.

The shortcut I assigned is not shown in the Current keys list

This happens if you did not click the Assign button after typing the combination. The dialog does not save the shortcut until you click Assign. Repeat the steps and make sure Assign is clicked before closing.

I cannot remove a built-in shortcut

Word does not allow you to delete built-in shortcuts. You can only remove custom shortcuts that you added. To stop using a built-in shortcut, assign a different command to the same key combination. The built-in shortcut is then overwritten for that combination.

My custom shortcut works in one document but not another

This occurs when you saved the shortcut to a specific document instead of Normal.dotm. Open the document where you originally assigned the shortcut, or re-assign the shortcut and choose Normal.dotm in the Save changes in list.

Custom Keyboard Shortcuts vs Built-in Shortcuts: Key Differences

Item	Custom Shortcut	Built-in Shortcut
Definition	Assigned by the user via Customize Keyboard dialog	Predefined by Word and cannot be deleted
Storage location	Normal.dotm template or current document	Word program files (not user-editable)
Availability	Global or document-specific based on Save changes in setting	Always available in all documents
Removal method	Select command in Customize Keyboard dialog and click Remove	Cannot be removed; can be overwritten by assigning a different command to the same keys
Reset option	Reset All button removes all custom shortcuts	Reset All restores built-in shortcuts to factory defaults

Now you can create keyboard shortcuts for any command, macro, or style in Word. Start with one or two of your most-used commands to see how much faster your workflow becomes. For advanced use, consider recording a macro for a multi-step action and then assigning a shortcut to that macro. You can also export and import shortcut settings by copying the Normal.dotm file between computers.