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SQL Server Management Studio keyboard shortcuts

SQL Server Management Studio takes most of its editing keys from Visual Studio, then adds its own for running queries, execution plans and the results pane. These are the default scheme's keys, which Microsoft calls the SQL Server or Standard scheme: you can switch scheme or rebind a command under Tools > Options > Environment > Keyboard. SSMS runs on Windows only.

155 shortcutsWindowsChecked 27 September 2026

Checked against Microsoft Learn — SQL Server Management Studio keyboard shortcuts, Microsoft Learn — Options (Environment - Keyboard page), Microsoft Learn — Customize menus and shortcut keys, Microsoft Learn — Use the GitHub Copilot Chat experience in SQL Server Management Studio, Microsoft Learn — Use Completions in SQL Server Management Studio and Microsoft Learn — Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio 22. Version: SQL Server Management Studio 22 (22.10.1), default keyboard scheme.

155 shortcuts

The top 19 are the SSMS shortcuts this page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear here. The drill asks the marked ones first too, shuffled. Or tick your own and print those.

The 19 to learn first: the shortcuts the SSMS page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear on it.

Your own sheet: the SSMS shortcuts you ticked.

Running queries

The keys SSMS adds on top of Visual Studio's, and the ones worth learning first.

Practise these
Run the query # Runs the selected part of the query, or the whole query when nothing is selected. Microsoft gives Alt+Break for cancelling a query that is running.F5
Check the query's syntax without running it # Parses the selected part, or the whole query when nothing is selected.Control plusF5
Open a new query with the current connection #Control plusN
Show the estimated execution plan #Control plusL
Include the actual execution plan in the results #Control plusM
Send the results to a grid #Control plusD
Send the results as text #Control plusT
Send the results to a file #Control plusShift plusF
Show or hide the results pane # Works from the execution plan tab too, restored in SSMS 22.3.Control plusR
Switch between the query and the results pane #F6
Copy the results grid with its headers #Control plusShift plusC
Fill in the template's parameters #Control plusShift plusM
Run sp_help # One of the Query Shortcuts. More can be set up under Tools > Options > Keyboard > Query Shortcuts, which SSMS 22.6 moved into the new Unified Settings.Alt plusF1
Run sp_who # A Query Shortcut. In the Query Designer, Ctrl+1 shows or hides the diagram pane instead.Control plus1
Run sp_lock # A Query Shortcut. In the Query Designer, Ctrl+2 shows or hides the criteria pane instead.Control plus2
Open the Query Designer # From a query editor window.Control plusShift plusQ
Show or hide the Query Designer's diagram pane # In the Query Designer or the View Designer.Control plus1
Show or hide the Query Designer's criteria pane # In the Query Designer or the View Designer.Control plus2
Show or hide the Query Designer's SQL pane # In the Query Designer or the View Designer.Control plus3
Open SQL Server Profiler #Control plusAlt plusP

Windows and tool windows

Practise these
Show Object Explorer # In a tree control, the numeric keypad's minus collapses tree nodes and its asterisk expands them all.F8
Show Object Explorer Details # F6 then switches between its list and its property pane.F7
Show Registered Servers #Control plusAlt plusG
Show Template Explorer #Control plusAlt plusT
Show Solution Explorer #Control plusAlt plusL
Show the Properties window #F4
Show the Output window #Control plusAlt plusO
Show the Error List # Transact-SQL editor only.Control plusBackslashthenControl plusE
Go to the next entry in the Error List # Transact-SQL editor only.Control plusShift plusF12
Show the Task List #Control plusBackslashthenTorControl plusBackslashthenControl plusT
Show the Toolbox #Control plusAlt plusX
Show the Bookmarks window #Control plusKthenControl plusW
Cycle through the open documents # Microsoft calls the open documents MDI child windows.Control plusF6orControl plusShift plusF6
Cycle through the open documents with the IDE navigator # The navigator opens with the first document selected.Control plusTaborControl plusShift plusTab
Open the navigator with the first tool window selected #Alt plusF7
List every open document in a pop-up #Control plusAlt plusDown arrow
Move to the next tool window #Alt plusF6
Move to the previous tool window #Alt plusShift plusF6
Move to the next pane of a split document #F6
Move to the previous pane of a split document #Shift plusF6
Move to the current tool window's toolbar #Alt plusShift plus
Open the dock menu # Microsoft lists the same keys for a tool component's own menu.Alt plusMinus
Turn full screen on or off #Alt plusShift plusEnter
Close the current document #Control plusF4
Close the current tool window #Shift plusEscape
Cancel, or go back to the document window # Closes a menu or dialog, cancels an operation in progress, or puts focus back on the current document.Escape

Menus, files and help

Practise these
Move to the menu bar # Then a menu's letter: Alt+E opens the Edit menu.Alt plus
Open the context menu #Shift plusF10
Open the New File dialog #Control plusAlt plusN
Open the New Project dialog #Control plusShift plusN
Open a file #Control plusO
Open a project #Control plusShift plusO
Add a new item to the project #Control plusShift plusA
Add an existing item to the project #Alt plusShift plusA
Rename the selected object # In Solution Explorer.F2
Save #Control plusS
Save everything #Control plusShift plusS
Print #Control plusP
Open help # Shift+F1 opens help for the current editor window.F1orShift plusF1
Exit SSMS #Alt plusF4

Editing T-SQL

Microsoft notes that not every shortcut works in every type of code editor.

Practise these
Comment out the selection #Control plusKthenControl plusC
Uncomment the selection #Control plusKthenControl plusU
Make the selection upper case #Control plusShift plusU
Make the selection lower case #Control plusShift plusL
Undo #Control plusZorAlt plusBackspace
Redo #Control plusShift plusZorControl plusYorAlt plusShift plusBackspace
Go to a line number #Control plusG
Indent # Inserts the number of spaces set under Tools > Options > Text Editor > All Languages > Tabs.Tab
Outdent the selected lines #Shift plusTab
Insert a blank line above #Control plusEnter
Insert a blank line below #Control plusShift plusEnter
Move the line below the next one #Alt plusShift plusT
Delete the word to the right #Control plusDelete
Delete the word to the left #Control plusBackspace
Delete the white space # In the selection, or next to the cursor when nothing is selected.Control plusKthenControl plusBackslash
Delete all the text in the file #Control plusShift plusDelete
Switch between insert and overtype #Insert
Expand or collapse this outline #Control plusMthenControl plusM
Expand or collapse every outline # In the active query editor.Control plusMthenControl plusL
Turn outlining off # Removes all outlining information from the active query editor.Control plusMthenControl plusP

Moving and selecting

Practise these
Go to the start of the line #Home
Go to the end of the line #End
Go to the start of the document #Control plusHome
Go to the end of the document #Control plusEnd
Move a word left or right #Control plusLeft arroworControl plusRight arrow
Move up or down a screen #Page UporPage Down
Scroll the text up or down a line #Control plusUp arroworControl plusDown arrow
Go back to where you were # To the previous document or window in the navigation history.Control plusMinus
Go forward again #Control plusShift plusMinus
Select the word at the cursor # Or the closest word.Control plusW
Select the whole document #Control plusA
Select to the start of the line #Shift plusHome
Select to the end of the line #Shift plusEnd
Select to the start of the document #Control plusShift plusHome
Select to the end of the document #Control plusShift plusEnd
Extend the selection a character #Shift plusLeft arroworShift plusRight arrow
Extend the selection a line #Shift plusUp arroworShift plusDown arrow
Extend the selection a page #Shift plusPage UporShift plusPage Down
Extend the selection to the top or bottom of the window #Control plusShift plusPage UporControl plusShift plusPage Down
Select back to where you were # From the cursor to the location Ctrl+- would take you back to.Control plusEquals
Swap the two ends of the selection #Control plusKthenControl plusA
Extend a column selection a character #Alt plusShift plusLeft arroworAlt plusShift plusRight arrow
Extend a column selection to the start of the line #Alt plusShift plusHome
Extend a column selection to the end of the line #Alt plusShift plusEnd
Move up or down a line and extend the selection #Alt plusShift plusUp arroworAlt plusShift plusDown arrow
Move a word and extend the selection #Control plusAlt plusShift plusLeft arroworControl plusAlt plusShift plusRight arrow

IntelliSense and snippets

Refresh the IntelliSense cache # Microsoft calls it Refresh local cache.Control plusShift plusR
List the members #Control plusJ
Complete the word #EnterorTab
Turn IntelliSense on or off #Control plusBthenControl plusI
Insert a snippet # Opens the code snippet picker.Control plusKthenControl plusX
Surround the selection with a snippet #Control plusKthenControl plusS
Open the Code Snippet Manager #Control plusKthenControl plusB

Activity Monitor and replication

Practise these
Open Activity Monitor #Control plusAlt plusA
Close Activity Monitor #Shift plusEscape
Refresh Activity Monitor #F5
Cycle through Activity Monitor's panels #F6
Copy the whole selected row # In an Activity Monitor grid.Control plusC
Copy the cell # In an Activity Monitor grid.Control plusShift plusC
Open the filter list for a grid column # In an Activity Monitor grid.Alt plusDown arrow
Scroll Activity Monitor up or down #Control plusAlt plusUp arroworControl plusAlt plusDown arrow
Refresh Replication Monitor #F5
Open a detail window from a grid # In Replication Monitor.Enter
Define a filter # In the Replication Conflict Viewer.F6
Apply the filter # In the Replication Conflict Viewer.F7
Show all the columns # In the Replication Conflict Viewer.F8

GitHub Copilot in SSMS

Chat and code completions, from Microsoft's GitHub Copilot pages for SSMS.

Practise these
Open Copilot's inline chat in the editor #Alt plusSlash
Send the prompt # In the chat window or the inline chat.Enter
Apply Copilot's suggested change # In the diff view Copilot shows its change in.Tab
Discard Copilot's suggested change # In the diff view.Alt plusDelete
Close the inline chat #Escape
Start a new chat thread # In the chat window, which opens from View > GitHub Copilot Chat.Control plusN
Go to the next chat thread #Control plusPage Down
Go to the previous chat thread #Control plusPage Up
Open the list of chat threads #Control plusShift plusT
Accept the code completion # Completions are off by default since SSMS 22.5.2: turn them on under Tools > Options > Text Editor > Inline Suggestions > General.Tab
Reject the code completion # Or keep typing.Escape
Ask for a completion now # For when Invocation is set to Manual.Alt plusFull stoporAlt plusComma
Show the next or previous completion # Alt+. for the next, Alt+, for the previous.Alt plusFull stoporAlt plusComma
Accept the next word of the completion #Control plusRight arrow
Accept the next line of the completion # From SSMS 22.5 the three accept keys can be rebound under Tools > Options > Environment > Keyboard.Control plusDown arrow

Next

Visual Studio

Visual Studio, Microsoft's full IDE for Windows, leans on two-step chords: press Ctrl+K, then Ctrl+C, to comment out a selection.

129 shortcuts · Windows

Power BI

Power BI Desktop runs on Windows only, and its keys reach past the report canvas into visuals, table cells, the model diagram and the DAX formula bar.

133 shortcuts · Windows

Report Builder

Report Builder moves and sizes report items with the arrow keys, and inserts tables, charts and maps with a run of ribbon letters starting at Alt+I.

72 shortcuts · Windows

VS Code

VS Code has more shortcuts than anyone can hold in their head, so this page is ordered by how often you would actually reach for one.

82 shortcuts · Windows and Mac

SQL Server Management Studio keyboard shortcuts — comboshelf.com. Checked 27 September 2026 against Microsoft Learn — SQL Server Management Studio keyboard shortcuts.