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OneNote Shortcuts You Wished You Knew Earlier

BY pp1cz
July 14, 2025
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OneNote Keyboard Shortcuts & Productivity Tips (Class Note)

Objective

Overview and explanation of essential OneNote shortcuts to boost note-taking efficiency and navigation, specifically for the OneNote version included with Windows 11.


High-Level Shortcuts

  • Add New Page: Ctrl + M
  • Add Page Below Selected: Ctrl + Alt + N
  • Add Subpage: Ctrl + Shift + Alt + N
  • Add New Section: Ctrl + T

Navigation Shortcuts

Pages

  • Move Down Pages: Ctrl + Page Down
  • Move Up Pages: Ctrl + Page Up

Sections

  • Move to Next Section: Ctrl + Tab
  • Move to Previous Section: Ctrl + Shift + Tab

Within Notes

  • Move One Word at a Time: Ctrl + Arrow keys
  • Jump to Line Start: Home
  • Jump to Line End: End
  • Rearrange Content:
    • Move Line Up: Alt + Shift + Up Arrow
    • Move Line Down: Alt + Shift + Down Arrow
  • Focus Mode (Full Screen): F11 (toggle)

Note Management

  • Mark as Unread/Read: Ctrl + Q
  • Select All: Ctrl + A (press multiple times to increase selection scope)
  • Copy: Ctrl + C
  • Paste: Ctrl + V

Text Formatting Shortcuts

  • Bold: Ctrl + B
  • Italic: Ctrl + I
  • Underline: Ctrl + U
  • Remove Formatting (Normal): Ctrl + Shift + N
  • Convert to Header 1, 2, etc.: Ctrl + Alt + [number]
  • Bulleted List: Ctrl + .
  • Numbered List: Ctrl + Shift + L or Ctrl + / (keyboard hash/number sign)
  • Delete Section/Text:
    • Highlight Line: Ctrl + A
    • Highlight Range: Ctrl + Shift + Arrow keys
    • Delete: Delete key

Table Shortcuts

  • Create Table: Press Tab while typing
  • Add New Row (at end of table): Enter
  • Add New Row (anywhere): Ctrl + Enter
  • Move Table Row Up/Down: Alt + Shift + Up/Down Arrow
  • Delete Table Row:
    • Select Entire Row: Press Ctrl + A multiple times
    • Delete: Backspace

Tagging & Task Management

  • To-Do Checkbox: Ctrl + 1
  • Important Tag: Ctrl + 2
  • Question Tag: Ctrl + 3
  • Highlight/Remember for Later Tag: Ctrl + 4
    • Tags are customizable via the Tag list in OneNote.
  • Flag Outlook Task: Ctrl + Shift + 1 (toggle as Done/Undone)
  • Flag for Later (e.g., Tomorrow): Ctrl + Shift + 2

Search Functionality

  • Search All Notes/Sections/Pages: Ctrl + E
  • Search on Current Page Only: Ctrl + F

Note: OneNote search finds text in typed notes, images, and handwriting, but not in password-protected sections.


Additional Tips

  • Use shortcuts for table management to avoid clutter and improve organization.
  • Tags help group content across notes, sections, or notebooks and are customizable.
  • Keyboard shortcuts are often similar to those found in other Microsoft Office applications.
  • Share your own favorite shortcuts in the comment section if you have additional suggestions.

Conclusion

These OneNote shortcuts can drastically improve efficiency and organization. Practice and pick your favorites to boost productivity!
Share these tips with your colleagues and explore customizing your workflow.


    OneNote Shortcuts You Wished You Knew Earlier