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How to copy and paste keyframes in After Effects

Keyframes are reusable — copy them from one layer and paste them onto another without animating from scratch each time.

Steps to copy and paste keyframes

Select the property with the keyframes you want, highlight them in the timeline, and press Ctrl+C (Windows) / Command+C (Mac).

Copying keyframes in After Effects using Ctrl C and Ctrl V shortcuts

Move the playhead to where you want them, select the same property on another layer, and press Ctrl+V / Command+V.

Timeline in After Effects showing keyframes pasted onto another layer

The animation is now copied over and applied to the new layer.

Composition viewer in After Effects showing duplicated animation from pasted keyframes

One more thing

You can even paste Position keyframes onto a Shape Path — After Effects will interpret them as motion paths and apply them correctly.

Related how-tos

How to add keyframes in After Effects
How to stretch keyframes in time in After Effects
How to use the graph editor in After Effects

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