How to Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts in Word – Office 2019 or Microsoft 365 Tutorial

Microsoft 365 or the Office 2019 version of Word allows you to create your own customized keyboard shortcuts for carrying out various commands. You can use the key combinations to carry out various tasks like applying a style to your text, insert symbols, carry out macros, etc. In this tutorial, I am going to show you how to create custom keyboard shortcuts in Word. Just follow these steps, and whether you have Office 2019 or Microsoft 365, you will be able to create your own list of commands.

Custom Keyboard Shortcuts Settings

With these two versions of Word, you can modify any existing shortcuts and even remove them if you wish. I am going to show you how to create shortcuts, remove shortcuts and reset shortcut settings.

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

Step-1: Open Microsoft Word.

Step-2: Click on File.

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
Step-3: Click on Options at the bottom left corner of the window.

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
Step-4: Click on Customize Ribbon.

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
• There is another way to access these settings. Right-click on the ribbon in Word and select the Customize the Ribbon option.

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
Step-5: In the Customize the Ribbon and keyboard shortcuts section, click on Customize at the bottom of the window next to Keyboard shortcuts.

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
Step-6: In the Categories section, select the category you want to customize. [I selected Insert tab]

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
Step-7: When you click on a category, you will notice that the Commands section options will change. From this section, select the item for which you want to add a shortcut for. [I want to add a shortcut for the excel table]

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
Step-8: In the new shortcut key section, add the keys you want to allot for this particular command. You can use combinations using Alt, Ctrl, Shift, and other alphabet or numeric keys. You can also use a single function key.

Key combos
[If you use a combination that is already allotted to another function, then you can no longer use the keys for the previous function. The combo keys will be allotted to the new function. For example, if I use Ctrl + S to insert tables, I will no longer be able to use Ctrl + S to save files as it did before]

Step-9: In the Save changes in the drop-down menu, select Normal to apply the changes to all word documents. Otherwise, select the document.

Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

Step-10: Click Assign.

Assign changes

Step-11: Click Close.

Finalize changes

Remove Custom Shortcuts

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Click on File.
3. Click on Customize Ribbon. (You can also right-click on the ribbon in Word and select the Customize the Ribbon option.)
4. In the Customize the Ribbon and keyboard shortcuts section, click on Customize at the bottom of the window next to Keyboard shortcuts.
5. Select the Category in which you want the change.
6. Select the command from the Commands section for which you want to remove the shortcut.
7. In the Current Keys section, click on the shortcut keys you want to remove.
8. Select Remove.
9. Click Close.

Reset Custom Shortcuts Settings

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Click on File.
3. Click on Customize Ribbon. (Right-click on the ribbon in Word and select the Customize the Ribbon option.)
4. In the Customize the Ribbon and keyboard shortcuts section, click on Customize at the bottom of the window next to Keyboard shortcuts.
5. Click on Reset All. [This button will be greyed out if you have not added any custom shortcut keys before. You can only reset if you have added your own shortcuts]