A list of Keyboard shortcuts for QuickBooks Desktop functions.
QuickBooks Desktop has many keyboard shortcuts to help speed you through common tasks and workflows. Use your keyboard instead of a mouse or trackpad to save you time.
Quick Tip: When inside a transaction, any letter that is underlined is a shortcut to tab between fields. To use, just hold down Alt + the corresponding letter.
Editing Transactions / Lists
Keys | Action |
Ctrl + Del | Delete the selected line in a transaction |
Ctrl + Ins | Insert a blank detail line in a transaction |
Ctrl + N | Create a new transaction or list item |
Ctrl + D | Delete the current transaction or list item |
Ctrl + E | Edit an item in an item list or in a register |
Ctrl + O | Check in the write checks windows or in the check register: Use Ctrl + O to copy the check. You can then use Ctrl + V (paste) to create a copy of that check if you are in the check register. |
F5 | Refresh list. You only see this if you are in multi-user mode, when you have a list open. This will force QuickBooks to go back to the database server and retrieve the latest copy of the list. If multiple users are editing the list, this may be useful. Note that all open lists at the same time should be refreshed. |
Ctrl + H | Transaction history (used inside a transaction) |
Ctrl + I | Create Invoices |
Opening Windows/ Lists
Keys | Action |
Ctrl + W | Write Checks |
Ctrl + Q | Quick Report |
Ctrl + Y | Transaction Journal (used inside a transaction) |
Ctrl + J | Customer Center |
Ctrl + A | Chart of Accounts |
Ctrl + I | Create Invoices |
Ctrl + L | Open a list – if the cursor is in a field that has a dropdown list, such as selecting the item in an invoice details line, this will open the list associated with that dropdown |
Ctrl + U | Use the list item if you have just used Ctrl + L to open the list from a transaction |
Ctrl + R | Use Register |
Ctrl + G | If you are in a register for an account, entering Ctrl + G will take you to the register for the “transfer” account associated with the line you have selected |
Ctrl + F | Find |
F1 | QuickBooks Help |
F2 or Ctrl + 1 | Product Information screen |
F3 | Search. If you have the Product Information window open (by pressing F2), pressing F3 here will open the tech help window. This provides a wide range of system and diagnostic information, as well as being a quick way to view (and possibly edit, if you are careful) a number of support and technical files that relate to QuickBooks operations (Ctrl-2 is an alternate) |
F4 | QuickBooks Technical Support helper |
Esc or Ctrl + F4 | Close active window |
Ctrl + F6 | Move to the next open window and make it active. Note: Some windows, such as the Accountant Center, does not allow this. |
Maneuvering
Keys | Action |
+ | Increase a number in a form, such as a check number or invoice number |
– | Decrease a number in a form, such as a check number or invoice number |
Alt + S | Save transaction |
Alt +N | Save transaction and go to next transaction |
Alt +P | Go to the previous transaction |
Tab | Go to the next field |
Shift + Tab | Go to the prior field |
Up arrow (↑) | Go to the previous line in a form |
Down arrow (↓) | Go to the next line in a form |
Page Up | Move to the previous page in a form area or report |
Page Down | Move to the next page in a form area or report |
Ctrl + Page Up | Move to the first item in a list or register |
Ctrl + Page Down | Move to the last item in a list or register |
Enter | Record (when black border is around OK, Save and Close, Save and New or Record). If you are viewing a report this will “quick zoom” – Open a register or detailed report. In other windows, this will often select the highlighted button/operation |
Ctrl + Enter | Record |
Opening/ Closing QuickBooks
Keys | Action |
Ctrl | To start QuickBooks without a company file |
Alt | To suppress the desktop windows (at Open Company window) |
Alt + F4 | Exit |
Date Shortcuts
Keys | Action |
+ | (plus key) Advance to the next day |
– | (minus key) Previous day |
T | Today |
W | First day of the Week |
K | Last day of the week |
M | First day of the Month |
H | Last day of the Month |
Y | First day of the Year |
R | Last day of the Year |
[ | (left bracket) Same day in previous week |
] | (right bracket) Same day in next week |
; | Same date last month |
‘ | (apostrophe) Same date next month |
Alt + Down arrow | Opens the calendar for date selection (the small date calendar, not the “Calendar” feature) |
Memorized Transactions
>Keys | Action |
Ctrl + M | Memorize the current transaction. This opens the memorize transaction window |
Ctrl + T | Memorized Transaction List |
Misc Shortcuts
Keys | Action |
Ctrl + P | |
Ctrl + R + P | If you have been trying to register QuickBooks, and you have been given a “validation code”, you can easily get to the registration window where it asks you for this code without having to go through all the normal steps for registration. Open QuickBooks, select Help and then About QuickBooks. When the product splash screen shows, press Ctrl+R+P (hold the Ctrl key down then press R and P in succession). This opens the window that lets you enter your validation code |
Ctrl + K | QuickBooks Service Keys (Payroll) |
Ctrl + Alt + Y | Select “Help” from the QuickBooks menu, then select the About QuickBooks option that you should see at the bottom of that menu. This opens the “splash screen ”that shows your license and other info. At this point, press Ctrl-Alt-Y and you will get a window that lets you “enter year-to-date amounts for payroll”. |
Standard Text Editing
Keys | Action |
Ctrl + Z | Undo |
Ctrl + X | Cut |
Ctrl + C | Copy |
Ctrl + V | Paste |
Del | Delete a character to the right |
Backspace | Delete a character to the left |
Home | Go to the first character in the field |
End | Go to the last character in the field |
Ctrl + Right arrow | Move to the next word in a current text field |
Ctrl + Left arrow | Move to the previous word in a current text field |
QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
General
Keys | Action |
Command + ,(comma) | QuickBooks > Preferences |
Command + H | QuickBooks > Hide QuickBooks |
Option + Command + H | QuickBooks > Hide Others |
Command + Q | QuickBooks > Quit QuickBooks |
Option + Command + N | File > New Company |
Command + O | File > Open Company |
Option + Command + W | File > Close Company |
Command + W | File > Close window |
Command + P | File > Print |
Command + M | Window>Minimize |
Command + ? | Help>QuickBooks Help |
Control + Click | Display Contextual menu. |
Command + 1 | Display product and File info. |
Editing
Keys | Action |
Command + Z | Edit > Undo |
Command + X | Edit > Cut |
Command + C | Edit > Copy |
Command + V | Edit > Paste |
Command + Y | Edit > Insert Line |
Command + B | Edit > Delete Line |
Command + E | Edit > Edit |
Command + N | Edit > New |
Command + D | Edit > Delete |
Command + +(plus) | Edit > Memorize |
Command + U | Edit > Transaction History |
Option + Command + C | Edit > Copy Transaction |
Command + G | Edit > Go to Transfer |
Command + L | Edit > Show List |
Command + R | Edit > Use Register |
Command + F | Edit > Find |
Delete | Delete character to left of insertion point |
Activities
Keys | Action |
Shift + Command + A | List > Chart of account |
Shift + Command + J | Edit > Customer Jobs |
Shift + Command + E | List > Employees |
Shift + Command + I | Items |
Shift + Command + M | List > Memorized Transaction |
Shift + Command + V | Edit > Vendors |
Command + I | Customers > Create Invoices |
Command + K | Banking > Write Checks |
Command + T | Reports > Transaction Journal |
Maneuvering
Keys | Action |
PgDn | Down one screen |
PgUp | Up one screen |
Command + PgUp | First item on list or first transaction of a month in register |
Command + PgDn | Last item on list or first transaction of a month in register |
Command + Home | First transaction in register |
Command + End | Last transaction in register |
Shift + Click the close box | Close all windows in QuickBooks |
Tab | Next field |
Shift + Tab | Previous field |
Right Arrow | Report column to the right |
Left Arrow | Report column to the left |
Down Arrow | Report row below or line below in form detail area |
Up Arrow | Report row above or line above in form detail area |
Dates
Keys | Action |
+ | Next day |
– | Previous day |
T | Today |
W | First day of the week |
K | Last day of the week |
M | First day of the month |
H | Last day of the month |
Y | First day of the year |
R | Last day of the year |
Source: https://community.intuit.com/articles/1373490-keyboard-shortcuts-for-quickbooks-desktop-functions