You undid one move too many in Adobe Illustrator, and now the edit you needed is gone. Redo usually brings it back right away, but the right fix depends on whether you are using the desktop app, iPad, History, or a cloud document version.
Redo the last edit fast
This restores the last action you canceled with Undo.
On Windows, press Shift + Ctrl + Z.
On Mac, press Shift + Command + Z.
To use the menu, choose Edit > Redo.
Undo a mistake on desktop
Use Undo when the most recent Illustrator action needs to go away.
- 1.On Windows, press Ctrl + Z.
- 2.On Mac, press Command + Z.
- 3.To use the menu, choose Edit > Undo.
When Redo does nothing
Redo only restores actions canceled with Undo in the current working session. After you save or reopen a document, Illustrator cannot undo or redo those earlier changes with the regular commands.
For a cloud document, use version history instead of regular Redo. For a regular open document, use the History panel while the state is still available.
If this method fails, try File > Version History for a cloud document. File > Revert returns the document to its last saved version, but it works only while the document has stayed open since that save. Revert does not work once you reopen the file or document.
Jump to a specific point in History
This helps when one Undo or Redo shortcut is too blunt and you need a specific recent state.
Choose Window > History.
Select the state you want in the History panel.
Open the History panel menu and click Step Backward to undo the selected change.
Use Step Forward from the same panel menu to redo the selected change.
The History panel clears after you close and reopen the document, and it does not show application-level changes such as panels, color settings, actions, or preferences.
Keep more undo steps available
Choose Window > History.
Open the History panel menu.
Click Set History Limit.
Select the number of states from History States.
You can also open Preferences > Performance and adjust History States.
Illustrator uses 100 history states by default, so raise the limit before a long editing session when you need more steps available.
Revert to the last saved version
Use Revert when you want to discard every edit made since the file was last saved.
- 1.Open the document that still contains the unwanted changes.
- 2.Choose File > Revert.
- 3.Press F12 to use the same revert command from the keyboard.
Undo and redo on Illustrator for iPad
This handles the same Undo and Redo flow in the iPad document workspace.
Tap Undo in the top navigation bar to cancel the most recent action.
Tap Redo in the top navigation bar to restore an action canceled with Undo.
Use a 2-finger tap to Undo.
Use a 3-finger tap to Redo.
With a hardware keyboard connected, press Command + Z to Undo.
Press Command + Shift + Z to Redo.
Recover an older cloud document version
This applies to Illustrator cloud documents when normal Undo and Redo history is gone. Version history rolls the document back to a saved cloud version, not one recent edit.
In Illustrator desktop, select File > Version History.
In Illustrator on the web beta, select the document name in the title bar, then select Version history.
In the Version History panel, click the icon next to a marked version, then choose Revert to this version.
From the Creative Cloud website, go to Files > Cloud documents.
Open the cloud document, click Timeline, click the version icon, and select Revert to this version.
On iPad, go to Home screen > Your files.
Tap the icon below the cloud document thumbnail, choose View version history, select a version, tap the icon, and choose Revert to this version.
Change the Undo and Redo shortcuts
Select Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts.
Choose Menu Commands from the dropdown above the shortcut list.
Locate the Undo or Redo command you want to customize.
Press your preferred key combination in the Shortcut and Symbol column.
Select OK.
Use a unique shortcut with a modifier key such as Ctrl or Command.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Redo shortcut in Adobe Illustrator?
On Windows, Redo is Shift + Ctrl + Z. On Mac, Redo is Shift + Command + Z.
Is Ctrl + Y Redo in Illustrator?
Adobe lists Shift + Ctrl + Z on Windows and Shift + Command + Z on Mac for Redo in the current Illustrator shortcut table.
Why can’t I undo after reopening an Illustrator file?
Illustrator’s regular Undo and Redo history works only in the current working session. Once the document is saved or reopened, use Version History for a cloud document. File > Revert returns a document to its last saved version, but it works only while the document has stayed open since that save; Revert does not work once you reopen the file.
Can I restore an older Illustrator cloud document?
Yes. Open Version History for the cloud document and choose Revert to this version for the version you want to restore.