CapCut Desktop keyboard shortcuts
CapCut Desktop is a free video editor popular with short-form creators on TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Its default shortcut set is deliberately small compared with pro NLEs, but the split and trim keys alone can double your cutting speed. All bindings can be viewed and remapped from the keyboard shortcuts panel inside the editor. This cheat sheet covers 19 default shortcuts for Windows and Mac.
Project & Files
| Save project | Ctrl+SCmd+S |
| Import media | Ctrl+ICmd+I |
| Export video | Ctrl+ECmd+E |
Editing
| Undo | Ctrl+ZCmd+Z |
| Redo | Ctrl+Shift+ZCmd+Shift+Z |
| Cut | Ctrl+XCmd+X |
| Copy | Ctrl+CCmd+C |
| Paste | Ctrl+VCmd+V |
| Duplicate selected clip | Ctrl+DCmd+D |
| Delete selected clip | DeleteDelete |
| Select all | Ctrl+ACmd+A |
Cutting & Trimming
| Split clip at playhead | Ctrl+BCmd+B |
| Delete left part (trim clip start to playhead) | |
| Delete right part (trim clip end to playhead) | WW |
Playback & Timeline
| Play or pause | SpaceSpace |
| Previous frame | Left ArrowLeft Arrow |
| Next frame | Right ArrowRight Arrow |
| Zoom in on timeline | Ctrl+=Cmd+= |
| Zoom out on timeline | Ctrl+-Cmd+- |
Put your top CapCut Desktop shortcuts on real keys
The five CapCut Desktop actions most worth binding to a physical macropad key:
Ctrl+BCmd+B Split clip at playhead The core action of short-form editing; a dedicated key turns cutting into a one-tap rhythm.
QQ Delete left part Instantly trims dead air before the moment you want, the fastest way to tighten talking-head footage.
WW Delete right part Pairs with Q for one-tap top-and-tail trimming at the playhead.
Ctrl+ECmd+E Export video Creators exporting many variants per day save a chord on every render.
Ctrl+ZCmd+Z Undo The universal safety net; a single physical key makes experimenting free.
I hand-build small-batch programmable macropads (QMK/VIA) in Barcelona. One press, any shortcut, any app.
CapCut Desktop shortcut FAQs
How do I split a clip in CapCut Desktop?
Move the playhead to the cut point, select the clip and press Ctrl+B on Windows or Cmd+B on Mac. The Q and W keys then delete everything left or right of the playhead in one press.
Can I change keyboard shortcuts in CapCut?
Yes. Click the keyboard icon in the editor (or open the menu and choose Shortcuts) to see the shortcut panel, where you can switch between CapCut and Premiere Pro presets or remap keys individually.
Why does CapCut have fewer shortcuts than Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve?
CapCut targets fast social-media editing, so it ships a compact default set focused on splitting, trimming and playback. The shortcut panel includes a Premiere Pro compatibility preset if you want more familiar pro bindings.
How do I move frame by frame in CapCut?
Press the Left and Right arrow keys to step the playhead one frame at a time, which is the precise way to find a cut point before pressing Ctrl+B to split.