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How to add keyframes in After Effects

Keyframes are the foundation of animation in After Effects — they mark when and how properties change over time for any layer.

Steps to add keyframes

Select a layer and press P, S, R, or T to reveal Position, Scale, Rotation, or Opacity.

Layer properties in After Effects

Click the stopwatch next to whichever property you want to animate to set your first keyframe.

Toggle Animation stopwatch button enabled for a property in After Effects

Move the playhead forward, change the property value, and After Effects automatically adds another keyframe. The animation happens between those two points.

Composition viewer in After Effects with a layer animated using keyframes

One more thing

Press U to reveal all keyframes on your selected layer. Press UU (double U) to see all modified properties at once — super useful for complex animations.

Related how-tos

How to use the wiggle expression in After Effects
How to copy and paste keyframes in After Effects
How to reverse animations in After Effects

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