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Every video editor knows that the key to efficient editing isn't just about knowing the software, but mastering the shortcuts that come with it. In the world of DaVinci Resolve, these keyboard shortcuts aren't just conveniences; they're essential tools that can drastically speed up your workflow, allowing for quicker edits, faster reviews, and more streamlined project management.
Keyboard shortcuts in DaVinci Resolve empower you to perform complex tasks with simple key combinations. They're the secret weapon of many professional editors, enabling them to make precise edits, navigate their timeline effortlessly, and even manage their clips and effects with ease.
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Spacebar
Want a quick way to preview your edits? The Spacebar is your go-to. Tap it once to play and again to stop. It's the most basic yet essential shortcut for any editor.
J
Reviewing a scene in reverse can offer a fresh perspective. Instead of dragging your playhead backward, just hit J. It's perfect for checking reverse transitions or simply reviewing a scene from end to beginning.
K
In the midst of playback and need to halt immediately? K is your universal stop button. Positioned centrally, it's easily accessible for those quick pauses.
L
Just as J plays in reverse, L propels your footage forward. It's the counterpart to J, and together they make scrubbing through your timeline a breeze.
Shift + J
Want to rewind at a faster pace? Shift + J increases the reverse playback speed, letting you quickly scrub backward through your footage.
Shift + L
Similarly, Shift + L accelerates the forward playback speed. It's perfect for quickly scanning through long clips to find a specific moment.
I
Found the perfect starting point for a clip? Press I to set an in-point. This tells Resolve where you want your clip to begin during playback or when added to the timeline.
O
Once you've decided where a clip should end, hit O to set an out-point. This, combined with the in-point, defines the portion of the clip you want to use.
X
Want to quickly mark an entire clip without manually setting in and out points? X is your shortcut. It's great for when you know you'll use the full clip and don't want to waste time marking it manually.
G
Lost your place in a long clip? If you've set an in-point, pressing G will instantly take you back to it. It's a quick way to reference the beginning of your selected portion.
Shift + I
Navigating between multiple marked sections? Shift + I will take you to the in-point of the previous marked clip. It's a lifesaver when comparing multiple selections.
Shift + O
Just as you can go to the previous in-point, Shift + O will take you to the out-point of the next marked clip. It's essential for quickly navigating between selections.
Cmd/Ctrl + Z
Everyone makes mistakes, but with Cmd/Ctrl + Z, they're easily reversible. It's your safety net, allowing you to step back from any recent changes.
Cmd/Ctrl + Y
Reconsidered that undo? Cmd/Ctrl + Y lets you redo the action, essentially moving forward again.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L
Working with video and audio separately? Use this shortcut to link or unlink them. It's crucial when you need to adjust video without affecting its paired audio or vice versa.
Cmd/Ctrl + A
Need to move, delete, or apply an effect to everything? Cmd/Ctrl + A selects all elements in your timeline or bin.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + A
After selecting all, you might need to deselect everything to focus on a specific clip. Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + A clears all selections, giving you a clean slate.
Cmd/Ctrl + C
Found the perfect effect or adjustment and want to apply it elsewhere? Cmd/Ctrl + C copies it, ready to be pasted onto another clip.
Cmd/Ctrl + V
After copying, Cmd/Ctrl + V lets you paste that effect, adjustment, or even entire clip wherever you need it.
Cmd/Ctrl + X
Need to move a clip or remove it entirely? Cmd/Ctrl + X cuts it out, ready to be pasted elsewhere or discarded.
A
Ever find yourself constantly clicking to select different parts of your timeline? Simply press A to switch to Selection Mode, allowing you to easily select clips, adjust in and out points, and move clips around your timeline.
B
Need to make a cut? Instead of navigating through menus, hit B to switch to Blade Edit Mode and slice through clips like butter, making your editing process smoother and more efficient.
T
Trimming clips can be tedious, but not with the T shortcut. Switch to Trim Edit Mode to easily adjust the start and end of your clips, ensuring a perfect fit every time.
P
Craving more control over your trims? P activates Dynamic Trim Mode, allowing you to trim clips in real-time while playing back, giving you precision and saving you time.
Cmd/Ctrl + [
Lost in a sea of clips? Navigate instantly to the start of your timeline with Cmd/Ctrl + [, saving you the hassle of scrolling.
Cmd/Ctrl + ]
Similarly, Cmd/Ctrl + ] will whisk you away to the end of your timeline, making navigation a breeze.
Cmd/Ctrl + /
Tired of adjusting the zoom manually? Cmd/Ctrl + / will fit your timeline to the screen, giving you an optimal view of your masterpiece.
Cmd/Ctrl + +
Need a closer look at a specific section? Cmd/Ctrl + + lets you zoom in for a detailed view, making fine-tuning your edits easier.
Cmd/Ctrl + -
Finished with the details and want to see the bigger picture? Cmd/Ctrl + - zooms out, letting you see more of your timeline.
U
Want to replace a clip and shift subsequent clips accordingly? U is your go-to for a Ripple Overwrite, ensuring a seamless transition without any gaps.
Q
Need to trim the start of a clip and shift everything else? Q is your shortcut, making Top Tailing quick and keeping your timeline in order.
W
Just like Top Tailing, W will trim the end of a clip and shift the rest, ensuring a tight and orderly timeline.
E
Found the perfect spot and need to extend a clip to it? E will extend your clip to the playhead, making sure you don’t miss any important moments.
R
Need to select a specific range on your timeline? R activates Range Selection, allowing you to highlight and adjust specific sections with ease.
Shift + X
Realized two clips would be better in each other's places? Shift + X will swap them around, keeping transitions intact and saving you the drag-and-drop hassle.
Cmd/Ctrl + B
Need to split a clip into two? Cmd/Ctrl + B will cut it right at the playhead, giving you two separate clips to work with.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + K
Want to mark a specific point on your timeline? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + K adds a marker, so you can easily find it later.
Cmd/Ctrl + M
Need to adjust or add notes to your marker? Cmd/Ctrl + M lets you modify it to suit your needs.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + M
Marked the wrong spot? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + M will remove any unwanted markers, keeping your timeline clean.
Cmd/Ctrl + D
Working with multiple nodes and need to isolate effects? Use Cmd/Ctrl + D to quickly enable or disable a node, allowing you to see the impact of individual adjustments without affecting the final output.
Alt + S
Building a grade layer by layer? Alt + S quickly adds a serial node, letting you sequentially stack adjustments for a refined look.
Alt + P
Want to apply multiple corrections simultaneously? Alt + P adds a parallel node, allowing different adjustments to work in tandem without affecting each other.
Alt + L
Looking for more control over how your nodes blend? Alt + L adds a layer node, giving you the power to combine nodes using blend modes, similar to layers in graphic design software.
Cmd/Ctrl + Y
Need to analyze your footage's color and luminance? Cmd/Ctrl + Y toggles the scopes on and off, providing you with essential tools like waveform, vectorscope, and histogram.
Cmd/Ctrl + G
Working on a scene that shares the same adjustments? Cmd/Ctrl + G lets you group clips together, ensuring consistent grading across similar footage.
Cmd/Ctrl + T
Starting a new grade or correction? Cmd/Ctrl + T adds a corrector node, the foundation for most grading workflows in Resolve.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + S
Applied a mask and want to grade outside of it? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + S adds an outside node, letting you adjust everything outside your mask without affecting the inside.
Cmd/Ctrl + R
Made too many adjustments and need a fresh start? Cmd/Ctrl + R resets the current node, wiping the slate clean for a new grade.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R
Want to start over completely? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + R resets all nodes and grades, giving you a blank canvas to begin anew.
Cmd/Ctrl + F
Want an unobstructed view of your footage? Cmd/Ctrl + F toggles full screen for the viewer, immersing you in your project without any distractions.
Cmd/Ctrl + K
Animating adjustments over time? Cmd/Ctrl + K opens the keyframe editor, allowing you to fine-tune your animation for dynamic effects.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F
Found the perfect grade and want to reference it later? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F grabs a still, saving it for future use or comparison.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + V
Want to apply a grade from a saved still? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + V does just that, ensuring consistent looks across different clips or projects.
M
Dealing with a noisy track or just need silence? Press M to mute the selected track, allowing you to focus on other elements of your mix without distraction.
S
Want to hear only one track in isolation? Hit S to solo the track, ensuring that you can focus on refining its details without interference from other audio sources.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + U
Need to adjust audio levels or apply effects? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + U toggles the mixer panel, giving you full control over your audio tracks and their properties.
Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + N
Got a track that's too quiet or too loud? Use Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + N to normalize its levels, ensuring consistent volume across your project.
Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + G
Working with multiple clips that you want to treat as one? Cmd/Ctrl + Option/Alt + G toggles them into a compound clip, allowing for unified adjustments and edits.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F
Want a smooth transition between two audio clips? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F applies a crossfade, ensuring a seamless blend from one clip to the next.
Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Click
Animating audio or effects over time? Use Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + Click on the desired parameter to add a keyframe, marking the start or end of an animated change.
Cmd/Ctrl + Drag
Need to fine-tune the value of a keyframe? Cmd/Ctrl + Drag lets you adjust the level of a keyframe, ensuring precise control over your animations or audio adjustments.
Cmd/Ctrl + I
Starting a new project or adding more footage? Press Cmd/Ctrl + I to quickly import media, streamlining the process of bringing in your files.
Cmd/Ctrl + W
Finished with the media pool and need more screen real estate? Use Cmd/Ctrl + W to close the media pool, decluttering your workspace.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + W
Have multiple media pools open and want a clean slate? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + W will close all media pools, ensuring a focused and tidy workspace.
Cmd/Ctrl + F
Looking for a specific clip or media file? Cmd/Ctrl + F activates the search in the media pool, helping you quickly locate the assets you need.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I
Need to manage or review your project's media? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + I takes you straight to the Media Page, centralizing all your assets for easy access.
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E
Ready to dive into editing? Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E switches you to the Edit Page, where the magic of crafting your story truly happens.
In my opinion, the ability to tailor your software to your unique workflow is a game-changer. To start, you'll want to pinpoint the exact command or tool you're aiming to customize. Look, it might seem daunting with the extensive list in front of you, but no worries. Most software, including DaVinci Resolve and After Effects, provides a search bar. Just type in the name or function of the command, and it'll pop right up. Think of it like searching for a song in a vast music library; you wouldn't scroll through every song, right? You'd just use the search bar.
Now, here's where you get to make the tool truly yours. Once you've located the command, you'll notice there's already a default key or combination assigned to it. If that doesn't suit your workflow or if it's something you'll never remember, you bet you can change it. Simply delete the existing shortcut. Then, input your preferred key or combination. If you're not keen on removing the original, you can add an additional shortcut using the “+” sign. It's like having two phone numbers for the same person; either will reach them.
All in all, once you've made all your desired changes, it's time to save them. At the end of the day, you don't want to lose all that hard work. In the top right corner, there's a dropdown menu. Here, you have a choice. If you ask me, you can either overwrite the default keyboard layout (not always recommended unless you're sure) or, on the other hand, save your layout as a new preset. Select “Save As New Preset”. It's like saving a new document rather than overwriting the original. This way, you can always revert to the default if needed.
Davinci Resolve also gives you the option to use a different set of shortcuts from a third party software. Here's how to do it:
In the top right corner of the DaVinci Resolve window, you'll find a dropdown menu. By default, it's set to “DaVinci Resolve.” Think of this dropdown as a library of different editing software languages. Just as a multilingual person might switch between languages, this dropdown allows DaVinci Resolve to "speak" the language of other editing software. So, if you've transitioned from another program, this feature is a godsend. It's like having a universal remote that you can set to work with various devices.
Now, here's where things get interesting. When you click on the dropdown, you'll be presented with a list of different editing software options, such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Avid Media Composer. If you ask me, this is akin to selecting a preferred language on a website. You're telling DaVinci Resolve, "Hey, I'm more familiar with this software's layout, can we use that instead?"
Once you've made your selection, it's crucial to lock in your choice. At the bottom of the window, there's a “Save” button. Clicking this is like setting a default language on a website; it ensures that every time you return, the software "speaks" the layout you're most comfortable with.
The shortcuts above cover the genuine essentials most editors reach for constantly, but DaVinci Resolve has grown considerably since this guide was first written, now up through version 21, and a handful of genuinely powerful shortcuts and workflows tend to get overlooked even by editors who already know the basics covered so far. This addition focuses specifically on the things most guides skip entirely, the actual professional dynamic trimming workflow, how to switch your entire keyboard layout if you're coming from a different editor, and the specific shortcuts that live outside the Edit page most editors never think to look for.
F9 and F10 are two of the most frequently used shortcuts in Resolve, and they're also two of the most frequently mixed up, since their behavior differs in a way that's genuinely easy to forget under pressure. Pressing F9 performs an Insert edit, taking your selected clip and physically making room for it on the timeline, rippling everything after the insertion point later to accommodate it. Pressing F10 performs an Overwrite edit instead, placing your selected clip directly on top of whatever was already there at that position, replacing it entirely rather than making room. Confusing the two mid edit is a genuinely common source of accidentally destroyed footage on a timeline, so it's worth deliberately building the habit of pausing for half a second to confirm which specific behavior you actually want before hitting either key, particularly on a timeline you can't easily undo your way back out of.
This is genuinely one of Resolve's most powerful editing capabilities, and it's also one of the least documented in most beginner focused shortcut guides, including many otherwise thorough ones. Dynamic trimming lets you resize, ripple, roll, slip, or slide a selected edit point in real time while your timeline is actively playing, rather than stopping playback, dragging an edit point with your mouse, and previewing the result afterward.
The actual workflow starts by moving your playhead near the specific edit point you want to adjust and pressing V to select it. From there, pressing U cycles through which specific side of that edit point you're actually trimming, letting you choose whether you're rippling or rolling the cut, and holding Option while pressing U, Alt on Windows, lets you additionally choose whether your trim affects video and audio together, video only, or audio only. Once your selection is set correctly, pressing J or L begins dynamically trimming that exact point during live playback, adjusting your edit continuously while you watch and listen to the actual result rather than guessing and checking afterward.
Professional editors who have built genuine muscle memory around this specific sequence, navigate with JKL, hit V to grab the nearest cut, hit U until the correct side is selected, then dynamically trim with J or L until it feels right, can often cut and refine an entire sequence without their hand ever leaving the home row of the keyboard. This is worth deliberately practicing on a throwaway project specifically, since it genuinely changes how fast trimming feels once it becomes automatic rather than something you have to consciously think through each time.
Once you're inside an active dynamic trim specifically, pressing the comma key nudges your trim point back by a single frame, while the period key nudges it forward by a single frame, giving you genuinely precise, frame accurate control beyond what J, K, and L alone provide. Holding Shift while pressing either key extends this same nudge to ten frames at a time instead of one, useful for making a larger adjustment quickly before switching back to single frame precision for the final, exact placement.
This is genuinely one of the most underused capabilities in all of Resolve, and it deserves far more attention than it typically gets in shortcut roundups. Beyond simply remapping individual shortcuts one at a time, Resolve ships with entire importable keyboard layout presets built to match Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro 7, and Avid Media Composer specifically. For editors migrating to Resolve from one of these other systems, importing the matching preset lets you keep your existing, already automatic muscle memory intact rather than needing to relearn an entirely new set of shortcuts from scratch on top of learning a genuinely different piece of software.
Accessing this is done through Keyboard Customization, opened with Command plus Option plus K on Mac or Control plus Alt plus K on Windows, where a dropdown in the top right corner lets you browse between Resolve's own default layout, a layout specifically optimized for the Cut page and Blackmagic's physical Speed Editor hardware, and the imported presets matching other editing software. This same panel is also where you can build and save your own genuinely custom layout from scratch, useful once you've been working in Resolve long enough to have specific, personal preferences about which actions deserve their own dedicated key.
It's worth knowing that the Cut page operates on a meaningfully different editing philosophy than the Edit page, and several of its shortcuts and behaviors don't map directly onto what you've likely already learned above. The Cut page is specifically designed around a dual timeline view, showing your full sequence and your current edit point simultaneously without any horizontal or vertical scrolling required, paired with a feature called the smart indicator that automatically points to exactly where your next edit will actually land. This means many edits on the Cut page genuinely don't require manually setting in and out points at all, since the smart indicator handles that positioning logic automatically as you scroll and navigate.
This page was specifically designed with Blackmagic's physical Speed Editor keyboard and its dedicated search dial in mind, a hardware controller built to pair directly with this specific editing philosophy. Editors doing genuinely high volume cutting, news style editing, social content, or any workflow prioritizing raw speed over granular manual control, find the Cut page's approach considerably faster once its different underlying logic clicks, even though its specific shortcuts and workflow genuinely differ enough from the standard Edit page that switching between the two pages regularly can feel disorienting until you've built separate muscle memory for each.
Pressing F loads whichever clip is currently selected on your timeline directly into the separate Clip Viewer, letting you review additional footage from that same source clip, frames beyond what's currently placed on your timeline, without disturbing your actual edit in progress. This is genuinely useful for quickly checking whether a slightly earlier or later take from the same original clip might work better than what's currently cut in, without needing to navigate away from your timeline or lose your current playhead position to go searching through your media pool manually.
Pressing N toggles Snap on and off, a setting genuinely worth keeping enabled by default for the large majority of editing work, since it lets clips and the playhead snap cleanly to nearby edit points, markers, and the playhead itself rather than requiring pixel perfect manual precision with your mouse. For situations where you specifically need to temporarily disable this snapping behavior for a single drag operation without changing your global setting, holding N while dragging a clip with your mouse button already held down provides this same toggle temporarily, reverting back to your normal setting the moment you release.
Separately, holding Control and Shift, Command and Shift on Mac, while dragging a clip lets you rearrange footage within your timeline without leaving a gap behind at the clip's original position, genuinely useful for reordering scenes late in an edit without needing a separate cleanup pass afterward to close up the empty space your reordering would otherwise leave.
Resolve has continued advancing considerably since the original version of this guide was written for versions 17 and 18 specifically. The shortcuts and workflows covered in this addition remain accurate through the current 21.x release line, and the underlying logic behind Mac and Windows modifier keys remains consistent throughout, wherever you see Command referenced for Mac, substitute Control on Windows, and wherever you see Option, substitute Alt. The core shortcuts covered in the original guide above remain fully accurate across these newer versions as well, this addition simply extends coverage into workflows and pages that have either been introduced or refined since the original writing.
Once these shortcuts genuinely become automatic, pairing that faster workflow with quality assets speeds up your entire production considerably. Our own DaVinci Resolve templates library and free DaVinci Resolve presets are both worth exploring for a head start on your next project, and our DaVinci Resolve plugins guide is worth reading if you're looking to expand your toolkit further. For properly licensed music to pair with a project cut using these faster techniques, Artlist and Epidemic Sound both carry genuinely strong catalogues.
F9 performs an Insert edit, making room for your clip by rippling the timeline forward. F10 performs an Overwrite edit instead, replacing whatever was already at that position rather than making room for it.
Move your playhead near the edit point, press V to select it, press U to choose which side you're trimming, then use J or L to dynamically adjust that edit point during live playback rather than dragging with your mouse and previewing afterward.
Yes, Resolve ships with importable keyboard layout presets specifically matching Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro 7, and Avid Media Composer, accessible through Keyboard Customization, letting you keep existing muscle memory intact after switching software.
The Cut page uses a genuinely different editing philosophy built around a dual timeline and an automatic smart indicator, designed specifically to pair with Blackmagic's physical Speed Editor hardware, meaning many of its specific behaviors don't map directly onto standard Edit page shortcuts.
Yes, both the original shortcuts covered above and this addition remain accurate through the current 21.x release line, since Resolve's core shortcut logic has stayed consistent even as new features have been added across recent versions.
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