CapCut

CapCut Keyboard Shortcuts

A searchable CapCut desktop cheat sheet for Windows and Mac — Ctrl/Cmd+B to split, Q and W to trim, Space to play, and the shortcut panel when a key has been remapped. Pair with Photoshop shortcuts, Figma shortcuts, and OBS Studio shortcuts.

Desktop defaults · Last checked 27 September 2026

What's in this CapCut cheat sheet

These keys are for the CapCut desktop app. CapCut on iPhone and Android has no keyboard shortcuts. The browser editor only keeps a subset, and Chrome or Safari may take Ctrl/Command chords before CapCut sees them.

The split, trim, and tool keys below match CapCut’s own desktop shortcut walkthrough: Command+B to split one clip, Command+Shift+B to split every track, B for split mode, A to return to select, Q and W to delete left or right of the playhead. The rest is the default desktop map editors see in the keyboard panel. Open that panel if a key on your install differs — CapCut lets you rebind almost everything, and a reset puts the defaults back.

The seven keys to learn first

Ctrl+B splits the selected clip. Q deletes everything left of the playhead. W deletes everything right of it. Space plays and pauses. The arrow keys step one frame or jump to the next cut. Shift+Z fits the whole timeline on screen. On Mac, Ctrl becomes Command. Q, W, and Space stay the same.

Start here

Split the selected clip at the playhead
CtrlB
Split every track at the playhead
CtrlShiftB
Delete everything left of the playhead
Q
Delete everything right of the playhead
W
Play or pause
Space
Step one frame back or forward
←/→
Jump to the previous or next cut
↑/↓
Fit the whole timeline on screen
ShiftZ

Cut, select, and group

Select mode (leave split mode)
A
Split mode — every click cuts
B
Select clips to the left or right
[/]
Delete the selected clip
Backspace
Enable or disable the selected clip
V
Group clips
CtrlG
Ungroup clips
CtrlShiftG
Create a compound clip
AltG
Undo a compound clip
AltShiftG
Match cut
CtrlJ
Mark in / mark out
I/O
Select an area by clip
ShiftX
Clear the selected area
AltX

Timeline and preview

Jump several frames back or forward
Shift←/→
First or last frame of the project
Home/End
Zoom the timeline in or out
Ctrl+/Ctrl-
Zoom the timeline with the mouse wheel
CtrlScroll
Scroll the timeline horizontally
AltScroll
Full screen preview (confirm in the shortcut panel)
CtrlShiftF
Leave full screen preview
Esc
Fit the preview to the window
AltShiftZ
Temporarily ignore alignment guides
Ctrlhold

Audio, speed, and snapping

Extract or restore audio
CtrlShiftS
Open the speed panel
CtrlR
Switch to curve speed
ShiftB
Nudge volume up or down
Ctrl./,
Toggle main-track magnet
P
Toggle auto snapping
N
Toggle audio and video linkage
~
Switch preview axis
S
Show or hide the keyframe panel
AltK

Project, copy, and captions

New project
CtrlN
Import media
CtrlI
Undo
CtrlZ
Redo
CtrlShiftZ
Copy
CtrlC
Cut
CtrlX
Paste
CtrlV
Cycle the material panel
Tab
Back to the edit page
CtrlAltQ
Quit CapCut
CtrlQ
Split a caption into two
Enter
Line break inside a caption
CtrlEnter
Resize a text box from its center
Altdrag

Start here

Split the selected clip at the playhead
CommandB
Split every track at the playhead
CommandShiftB
Delete everything left of the playhead
Q
Delete everything right of the playhead
W
Play or pause
Space
Step one frame back or forward
←/→
Jump to the previous or next cut
↑/↓
Fit the whole timeline on screen
ShiftZ

Cut, select, and group

Select mode (leave split mode)
A
Split mode — every click cuts
B
Select clips to the left or right
[/]
Delete the selected clip
Delete
Enable or disable the selected clip
V
Group clips
CommandG
Ungroup clips
CommandShiftG
Create a compound clip
OptionG
Undo a compound clip
OptionShiftG
Match cut
CommandJ
Mark in / mark out
I/O
Select an area by clip
ShiftX
Clear the selected area
OptionX

Timeline and preview

Jump several frames back or forward
Shift←/→
First or last frame (Fn+arrow on laptop keyboards)
Home/End
Zoom the timeline in or out
Command+/Command-
Zoom the timeline with the mouse wheel
CommandScroll
Scroll the timeline horizontally
OptionScroll
Full screen preview
CommandControlF
Leave full screen preview
Esc
Fit the preview to the window
OptionShiftZ
Temporarily ignore alignment guides
Commandhold

Audio, speed, and snapping

Extract or restore audio
CommandShiftS
Open the speed panel
CommandR
Switch to curve speed
ShiftB
Nudge volume up or down
Command./,
Toggle main-track magnet
P
Toggle auto snapping
N
Toggle audio and video linkage
~
Switch preview axis
S
Show or hide the keyframe panel
OptionK

Project, copy, and captions

New project
CommandN
Import media
CommandI
Undo
CommandZ
Redo
CommandShiftZ
Copy
CommandC
Cut
CommandX
Paste
CommandV
Cycle the material panel
Tab
Back to the edit page
CommandOptionQ
Quit CapCut
CommandQ
Split a caption into two
Return
Line break inside a caption
CommandReturn
Resize a text box from its center
Optiondrag

Ctrl+B vs B, and why Q is not insert

Ctrl+B (Command+B on Mac) cuts the selected clip once and stays in select mode. B switches the timeline into split mode, so the next clicks keep cutting. Press A to get the pointer back. If Ctrl+B seems broken, the clip is not selected, or a text box still has focus.

Q and W are ripple-style trims: they throw away everything left or right of the playhead on that clip. Premiere and some other editors use Q and W for insert and overwrite. CapCut does not. Undo is one key away if the trim lands in the wrong place.

Desktop, browser, and phone

Learn these on the desktop app. The phone apps ignore the keyboard. CapCut in a browser keeps play, arrows, and undo, then loses the rest to the browser. Export is the binding that moves between builds — search Export in the keyboard panel instead of memorizing a chord from an old list. Import stays Ctrl+I / Command+I, and a new project stays Ctrl+N / Command+N.

CapCut next to the rest of a creator setup

Thumbnails and stills usually happen in Photoshop or Figma. Recording the screen or a camera happens in OBS Studio, where hotkeys are custom under Settings → Hotkeys. CapCut’s own list lives behind the keyboard icon in the top toolbar of an open project.

Also see: Photoshop • Figma • OBS Studio • Windows • macOS

CapCut Shortcuts — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CapCut split shortcut?

Ctrl+B on Windows or Command+B on Mac splits the selected clip at the playhead and leaves you in select mode. Ctrl+Shift+B or Command+Shift+B splits every track. Press B alone to enter split mode, where every click cuts, then press A to go back to select mode. The clip must be selected or Ctrl+B appears to do nothing.

What do Q and W do in CapCut?

Q deletes everything on the clip to the left of the playhead. W deletes everything to the right. They cut immediately, with no confirm dialog. Undo with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac. They are not insert and overwrite, which is how some other editors use Q and W.

What is the difference between B and Ctrl+B in CapCut?

B turns on split mode, so each click on the timeline cuts a clip. Ctrl+B (Command+B on Mac) makes one split at the playhead and stays in select mode. Press A to leave split mode.

Why is Ctrl+B not splitting my CapCut clip?

CapCut splits the selected clip. If nothing is selected, Ctrl+B does nothing. Click the clip first, or use Ctrl+Shift+B (Command+Shift+B on Mac) to split every track at the playhead. Letter shortcuts also fail while a caption or text box is focused.

Do CapCut keyboard shortcuts work on mobile?

No. CapCut on iPhone and Android is touch only. This cheat sheet is for the CapCut desktop app on Windows and Mac. The browser editor supports a smaller set, and the browser may capture Ctrl or Command chords before CapCut sees them.

Are CapCut shortcuts the same on Mac and Windows?

Single-letter keys such as Q, W, A, B, Space, and the arrow keys match. Command replaces Ctrl, and Option replaces Alt. On a Mac laptop without Home and End, Fn plus the left or right arrow jumps to the start or end of the timeline.

How do I see or change CapCut keyboard shortcuts?

Open a project and click the keyboard icon in the top toolbar, or open the shortcut panel from the menu next to Settings. Click a binding and press the new keys. CapCut warns you if that combination is already used. The same panel can reset every shortcut to the default.

What is the CapCut full screen shortcut?

CapCut’s own Mac walkthrough uses Command+Control+F to enter full screen preview, and Esc to leave it. Windows builds often bind full screen preview to Ctrl+Shift+F. If that chord does something else, search “Full screen” in the shortcut panel — that list matches your install.

Why do CapCut shortcuts stop working while I edit text?

A focused caption or text box treats every key as typing. Click the timeline or press Esc to leave the text box. Enter splits a caption into two. Ctrl+Enter (Command+Enter on Mac) inserts a line break inside the caption.

What is the CapCut export shortcut?

Export is bound in the shortcut panel, and the key differs by build. Search Export there rather than trusting a copied list. Import is Ctrl+I on Windows and Command+I on Mac. A new project is Ctrl+N or Command+N.

Explore more shortcuts

Editors and capture tools that sit next to CapCut