How to Select All Vertices on a Mesh in Blender

Selecting all vertices on a mesh in Blender is a fundamental skill essential for 3D modeling, mesh editing, and UV unwrapping. This guide covers the primary keyboard shortcut to select every vertex instantly, as well as alternative methods for selecting linked components or working in different view modes.

The Fastest Method: Use the "A" Key

The quickest way to select every vertex on a mesh is by using the universal select shortcut in Blender's Edit Mode.

  1. Select your object in the 3D Viewport.
  2. Switch to Edit Mode by pressing the Tab key.
  3. Switch to Vertex Select Mode by pressing 1 on your main keyboard (not the numpad), or by clicking the vertex icon in the top-left corner of the viewport.
  4. Press A on your keyboard.

All vertices on the active mesh will instantly highlight in orange, indicating they are selected.

To deselect all vertices, press Alt + A (or quickly double-tap A).

Selecting All Vertices Using the Top Menu

If you prefer using the graphical user interface instead of keyboard shortcuts:

  1. Enter Edit Mode (Tab).
  2. Click on Select in the top-left menu bar of the 3D Viewport.
  3. Click All from the dropdown menu.

How to Select All Connected Vertices (Linked Selection)

If your object consists of multiple separate mesh pieces and you only want to select all vertices connected to a specific piece:

  1. Hover your mouse cursor over any part of the target mesh piece.
  2. Press L on your keyboard to select all linked vertices.

Alternatively, you can select a single vertex on the mesh piece and press Ctrl + L to select all vertices connected to it.

Selecting Hidden Vertices with Box Select

If you are using manual selection tools like Box Select (B) or Circle Select (C) instead of the A key shortcut, Blender will only select visible, front-facing vertices by default.

To select all vertices—including those on the back side of the mesh—toggle on X-Ray Mode by pressing Alt + Z (or by clicking the dual-square icon in the top-right corner of the viewport) before performing your selection. Note that pressing A will always select all vertices regardless of whether X-Ray Mode is turned on.