WPS Presentation Shortcuts (Alignment, Playback, Formatting)

👤 Ben Parker
📅 November 3, 2025

If you build slides often, keyboard shortcuts save minutes on every deck—and keep you in flow while presenting. This guide compiles high‑impact shortcuts for WPS Presentation, organized by what you actually do: align objects and text, control your slideshow, and format content fast. Windows and macOS are listed side by side where applicable.

Note on versions and Mac keys: Some defaults vary by WPS build and system settings (especially F‑keys on macOS). If a shortcut doesn’t work on your setup, open WPS Presentation and go to Menu → Options → Customize Ribbon → Keyboard Shortcuts to check or assign a key.

Alignment shortcuts (text + objects)

These help you arrange text in placeholders and objects on your slide with precision. Where a default isn’t officially documented in WPS, you’ll see “verify/customize” guidance.

  1. Align selected text: Left / Center / Right / Justify
  • Windows: Ctrl + L / Ctrl + E / Ctrl + R / Ctrl + J
  • macOS: Command + L / Command + E / Command + R / Command + J
  • When to use: Quickly set paragraph alignment inside a text box or shape.
  • Notes: Common office-suite conventions that typically work in WPS Presentation; if they don’t in your build, verify or customize in Keyboard Shortcuts.
  1. Group / Ungroup (and Regroup) objects
  • Windows: Ctrl + G (Group) / Ctrl + Shift + G (Ungroup) / Ctrl + Shift + J (Regroup; verify)
  • macOS: Command-based equivalents commonly apply; verify in Keyboard Shortcuts if not responding.
  • When to use: Build complex diagrams that move as one, then ungroup to edit pieces.
  • Evidence: WPS outlines grouping in its tutorial on combining shapes, which shows using Ctrl+G and Ctrl+Shift+G in practice; see the WPS Blog guide on grouping objects effectively.
  1. Align and distribute multiple objects (no default key by WPS)
  • Access path: Home → Arrange → Align (Align to Slide vs Align Selected Objects) and Distribute.
  • Tip: Select two or more objects to enable alignment and distribution options; “Align to Slide” is best for placing items against slide edges or center.
  • Verify/customize: If your build supports it, assign personal shortcuts via Menu → Options → Customize Ribbon → Keyboard Shortcuts. WPS demonstrates the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog in an Academy tutorial on assigning highlight actions—use the same dialog to bind Align/Distribute commands: see the WPS Academy walkthrough on assigning keyboard shortcuts.
  1. Arrange order: Bring to Front/Back (no default key by WPS)
  • Access path: Home → Arrange → Bring to Front/Send to Back (including “Bring Forward”/“Send Backward”).
  • When to use: Layer photos, shapes, and text boxes without nudging everything around.
  • Verify/customize: Use the same Keyboard Shortcuts dialog to assign your own keys if available in your version.

Slideshow playback and presenter control

These keys help you launch, navigate, and keep attention during a live presentation.

  1. Start slideshow from the beginning
  • Windows: F5
  • macOS: F5 (you may need to hold Fn depending on your Mac settings)
  • Evidence: The WPS Academy tutorial “How to start a slide show” explains that F5 starts from the beginning and Shift+F5 starts from the current slide (2023): see the WPS Academy guide on starting a slide show.
  1. Start slideshow from the current slide
  • Windows: Shift + F5
  • macOS: Shift + F5 (Fn may be required)
  • Tip: Ideal when rehearsing a specific section—no need to restart from slide 1. Also available from the Slide Show tab.
  1. Navigate during your show (next/previous, jump, and end)
  • Next animation/slide: N, Enter, Page Down, Right Arrow, Down Arrow, Spacebar
  • Previous animation/slide: P, Page Up, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, Backspace
  • Jump to a slide chooser: Ctrl + S
  • End show: Esc
  • Evidence: WPS summarizes these in its Presenter View overview, including navigation and in‑show commands; see the WPS Blog guide to Presenter View and live controls.
  1. Control the screen for emphasis (black/white) and pointer modes
  • Black screen toggle: B or . (period)
  • White screen toggle: W or , (comma)
  • Pointer modes: Ctrl + L (laser), Ctrl + P (pen), Ctrl + A (arrow pointer)
  • Tip: Use B to pause visual input during Q&A, then press any key to resume.
  • Note: These in‑show controls are also covered in WPS’s Presenter View guide cited above.

Formatting shortcuts (text and lists)

These are your day‑to‑day accelerators when polishing slide content.

  1. Copy / Cut / Paste and Undo / Redo
  • Windows: Ctrl + C / X / V and Ctrl + Z / Y
  • macOS: Command + C / X / V and Command + Z / Shift + Command + Z (or Command + Y in some builds)
  • When to use: Rapidly duplicate or move elements; fix mistakes instantly.
  • Evidence: WPS Academy’s quick tutorial highlights copy/paste/cut as suite‑standard shortcuts (2023): see the WPS Academy overview of Copy, Paste, and Cut.
  1. Bold / Italic / Underline
  • Windows: Ctrl + B / Ctrl + I / Ctrl + U
  • macOS: Command + B / Command + I / Command + U
  • When to use: Emphasize key words in titles and callouts.
  • Notes: These are common conventions. If your build behaves differently, confirm or assign them in Keyboard Shortcuts.
  1. Superscript / Subscript
  • Windows: Ctrl + Shift + + (Superscript) / Ctrl + = (Subscript)
  • macOS: Command + Shift + + (Superscript) / Command + = (Subscript)
  • When to use: Footnotes, math expressions, and chemical formulas.
  • Evidence: The WPS Blog’s how‑to on superscript/subscript provides these shortcut pairs and shows WPS usage; see the WPS guide to superscript and subscript.
  1. Promote/demote bullet levels and adjust indent
  • Increase indent / demote level: Tab
  • Decrease indent / promote level: Shift + Tab
  • When to use: Structure talking points without leaving the keyboard.
  • Evidence: WPS explains bullet indentation behavior (including Tab/Shift+Tab) in its list‑formatting overview; see the WPS Blog primer on bullet point indentation.

Quick troubleshooting and customization tips

  • macOS function keys: If F‑keys don’t trigger slideshow commands, try holding Fn with the F‑key or adjust your Mac’s keyboard settings to treat function keys as standard.
  • Confirm availability: Open Menu → Options → Customize Ribbon → Keyboard Shortcuts to inspect current bindings. Not all commands have default shortcuts in WPS Presentation, but you can often assign your own.
  • Test in context: Some keys only work inside Slide Show mode (e.g., B/W screen, laser/pen) or when a text box is active (e.g., Bold, Superscript).
  • Align vs distribute: Alignment requires two or more objects selected; “Align to Slide” uses the slide canvas as reference, while “Align Selected Objects” uses your selection’s bounding box.

How to practice these efficiently

  • Rehearse like you present: Use Shift+F5 to jump straight into a live section, then N/P and B/W toggles to simulate audience flow.
  • Build layout muscle memory: Group elements (Ctrl+G) once a section feels right; use alignment commands via the ribbon until you decide which ones deserve custom keys.
  • Tidy text fast: Apply Bold/Italic sparingly, use Tab/Shift+Tab to shape bullet hierarchies, and apply Superscript/Subscript for technical notation without reaching for the mouse.

If a shortcut here doesn’t respond on your device, check Keyboard Shortcuts under Options and bind a key that fits your workflow. A few minutes of setup pays off every time you build or present a deck.

Back to List