Tableau Desktop has a keyboard shortcut for a lot of what you click every day. Here are 38 that work on Windows, grouped by what you’re trying to do.
We checked every one against Tableau Help: Keyboard Shortcuts on October 21, 2026.
Workbooks and Sheets
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + N | Create a new workbook |
| Ctrl + M | Create a new worksheet |
| Ctrl + O | Open a file |
| Ctrl + S | Save the file |
| Ctrl + Shift + S | Save to Tableau Public |
| F12 | Revert the workbook to its last saved state |
| Ctrl + Tab | Cycle forward through open worksheets |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Cycle backward through open worksheets |
| Ctrl + E | Describe the sheet |
| F7 | Switch Presentation Mode on or off |
| Ctrl + P | |
| Alt + F4 | Close the current workbook |
| F1 | Open Help |
Data
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + D | Connect to a data source |
| Ctrl + F | Find a field in the Data pane |
| F5 | Refresh the data source |
| F9 | Run data updates on a view |
| F10 | Turn automatic data updates on or off |
Building Views
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + 1 | Open Show Me |
| Alt + Shift + C | Put the selected field on the Columns shelf |
| Alt + Shift + R | Put the selected field on the Rows shelf |
| Alt + Shift + F | Put the selected field on the Filters shelf |
| Alt + Shift + O | Put the selected field on Color |
| Ctrl + W | Swap rows and columns |
| Alt + Shift + Backspace | Clear the current worksheet |
| Ctrl + B | Make cells smaller |
| Ctrl + Shift + B | Make cells bigger |
Editing
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo |
| Ctrl + X | Cut selected text (captions, titles, formulas) |
| Ctrl + C | Copy the selected data |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
Marks and Dashboards
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select all data |
| Ctrl + Click | Add individual marks to the selection |
| Esc | Clear the mark selection |
| Shift + Drag | Pan around the view |
| G | Turn the dashboard grid on or off |
| T | Switch between the Dashboard and Layout tabs |
Good to know: These are Tableau Desktop keys. Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud use some different ones (for example Alt + F5 to refresh data).
Good to know: Mac uses Cmd instead of Ctrl for most shortcuts.
Get the Excel and PDF Version
Everything above is free. Bookmark this page and use it anytime.
If you’d rather have it on your desk, the download below is a sortable Excel file plus a printable one-page PDF of all 38 shortcuts, for $0.99.
Want One Key to Do More?
Built-in shortcuts only work while Tableau Desktop is the active window, and you can’t add new ones. These tools let you pick your own hotkeys:
- Prompt Assistant: paste a calculated field you reuse, like IF [Profit] < 0 THEN “Loss” ELSE “Gain” END, with a hotkey you pick
- Data Analyst Tools: more of our picks for people who build charts and dashboards
- Second Keyboard Manager: put the shelf shortcuts you use most on a number keypad, one key each
