Tired of spending hours navigating through Excel spreadsheets? You’re not alone! It’s time to sharpen up your Excel skills with these 50+ Excel shortcuts. It’s time to #WorkSmarterNotHarder!
This ultimate guide aims to teach you the most helpful and time-saving Excel shortcuts to maximize your productivity. With a wide range of tips and tricks, you’ll quickly transform from a spreadsheet novice to a seasoned expert. Leave your boss, colleagues, and clients thoroughly impressed.
Get ready to boost your Excel skills and give your mouse some much-deserved rest.
Understanding Excel Shortcuts And Their Benefits
Different Types of Shortcuts
In Excel, there are keyboard shortcuts that allow you to perform various tasks efficiently. This is especially true for tasks you complete regularly.
Here are some of the types of Excel shortcuts that you’ll come across (and likely need):
- Navigation shortcuts: Move across cells or sheets quickly
- Formatting shortcuts: Style your spreadsheets and data
- Formula shortcuts: Speed up calculations and data processing
Time-Saving Impact
Embracing Excel shortcuts can significantly reduce the time spent on routine tasks.
For example, pressing Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V allows you to copy and paste data. This is much faster than using clicking around the Home tab or the right-click menu.
Using shortcuts boosts your productivity in data analysis, manipulation, and presentation. As you master more shortcuts, you’ll find yourself breezing through your tasks. This will leave you more time for the important activities, i.e. understanding the spreadsheet!
One of the first things I always tell my new graduates is to become proficient in Excel shortcuts. Some of them have become absolute Excel machines!
Basic Excel Keyboard Shortcuts
This batch of Excel shortcuts should be the bare minimum if you open Excel at least a couple of times a week. It’ll help you move around the spreadsheet and speed up your workflow.
I’ve included Windows and Mac shortcuts for reference.
Navigating Spreadsheets
| Shortcut Name | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go to cell A1 | Ctrl + Home | Fn + Ctrl + ← | Moves the cursor to cell A1. |
| Go to last cell | Ctrl + End | Fn + Ctrl + → | Moves the cursor to the last cell with content. |
| Scroll to next sheet | Ctrl + PgDn | Fn + Ctrl + ↓ | Scrolls to the next sheet in the workbook. |
| Scroll to previous sheet | Ctrl + PgUp | Fn + Ctrl + ↑ | Scrolls to the previous sheet in the workbook. |
| Move to next cell | Tab | Tab | Moves the cursor to the next cell. |
| Move to previous cell | Shift + Tab | Shift + Tab | Moves the cursor to the previous cell. |
| Select entire column | Ctrl + Space | Ctrl + Space | Selects the entire column. |
| Select entire row | Shift + Space | Shift + Space | Selects the entire row. |
You can find more navigation shortcuts here.
Data Entry
Entering and manipulating data is a core part of your spreadsheet tasks.
| Shortcut Name | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl + C | ⌘ + C | Copies the selected cells. |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | ⌘ + V | Pastes copied content. |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | ⌘ + X | Cuts the selected cells. |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | ⌘ + Z | Undoes the last action. |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | ⌘ + Shift + Z | Redoes the last undone action. |
| Delete cell content | Del | ⌘ + Delete | Deletes the content of the selected cell. |
| Fill Down | Ctrl + D | ⌘ + D | Copies content of the first cell to all selected cells below. |
| Fill Right | Ctrl + R | ⌘ + R | Copies content of the first cell to all selected cells right. |
Formatting
A well-formatted spreadsheet makes data easier to understand and interpret. Use these shortcuts for a cleaner and more polished look:
| Shortcut Name | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl + B | ⌘ + B | Bolds the content of the selected cells. |
| Italic | Ctrl + I | ⌘ + I | Italicizes the content of the selected cells. |
| Underline | Ctrl + U | ⌘ + U | Underlines the content of the selected cells. |
| Strike Through | Ctrl + 5 | ⌘ + Shift + X | Applies strike-through to the content of selected cells. |
| Open Format Cells dialog | Ctrl + 1 | ⌘ + 1 | Opens the ‘Format Cells’ dialog box. |
| Apply General format | Ctrl + Shift + ~ | ⌘ + Shift + ~ | Applies the General number format. |
| Apply Currency format | Ctrl + Shift + $ | ⌘ + Shift + $ | Applies the Currency format. |
| Apply Date format | Ctrl + Shift + # | ⌘ + Shift + # | Applies the Date format. |
Intermediate Excel Shortcuts
In this section, we’ll explore intermediate shortcuts that can truly elevate your spreadsheet skills. We’ll cover Formula and Function Shortcuts, as well as Data Manipulation Shortcuts – all tailored for both Windows and Mac users.
Formula and Function Shortcuts
| Shortcut Name | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start a new formula | = | = | Starts a new formula. |
| Autocomplete a formula | Tab | Return | No need to memorize formulas, type initial characters and press the shortcut |
| Insert function | Shift + F3 | Fn + Shift + F3 | Opens the ‘Insert Function’ dialog box. |
| Autosum selected cells | Alt + = | ⌘ + Shift + T | Sums the selected cells. |
| Calculate worksheets | F9 | Fn + F9 | Calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks. |
| Toggle cell references | F4 | ⌘ + T | Cycles through relative, absolute and mixed references. |
Data Manipulation Shortcuts
| Shortcut Name | Windows Shorcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Shortcut | Alt + A, S, A | ⌘ + Shift + A | Sorts selected cells in ascending order. |
| Sort Z to A | Alt + A, S, D | ⌘ + Shift + Z | Sorts selected cells in descending order. |
| Filter | Alt + D, F, F | ⌘ + Shift + F | Applies filter to the selected cells. |
| Remove duplicates | Alt + A, M | Ctrl + Shift + R | Opens the ‘Remove Duplicates’ dialog box. |
Advanced Excel Shortcuts
Ok, you’re now the go-to person at work for Excel queries. It’s time to step up the game to the most useful advanced Excel shortcuts.
We’ll cover shortcuts for formatting techniques, pivot tables, and charts, making it easy to navigate and manage data like a pro. I promise, your workday will never be the same!
Formatting Techniques
| Shortcut Name | Windows Shorcut | Mac Shorcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insert row | Alt + I, R | ⌘ + Shift + = | Menu to insert or shift new row |
| Insert column | Alt + I, C | ⌘ + Shift + = | Menu to insert or shift new column |
| Delete row | Ctrl + – | ⌘ + – | Deletes a row |
| Apply border to cells | Ctrl + Shift + & | ⌘ + Option + 0 | Applies border to selected cells. |
| Remove border from cells | Ctrl + Shift + _ | ⌘ + Option + _ | Removes border from selected cells. |
| Hide selected rows | Ctrl + 9 | ⌘ + 9 | Hides the selected rows. |
| Hide selected columns | Ctrl + 0 | ⌘ + 0 | Hides the selected columns. |
| Unhide rows in selected range | Ctrl + Shift + ( | ⌘ + Shift + ( | Unhides any hidden rows within the selection. |
| Unhide columns in selected range | Ctrl + Shift + ) | ⌘ + Shift + ) | Unhides any hidden columns within the selection. |
Pivot Tables And Charts
As a powerful data visualization tool, pivot tables, and charts can be a game-changer. Get acquainted with these shortcuts:
| Shortcut Name | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Pivot Table Wizard | Alt + D + P | ⌥ + D + P | Opens the Pivot Table Wizard |
| Select Entire Pivot Table | Ctrl + A | ⌘ + A | Selects the entire Pivot Table |
| Group Pivot Table Items | Alt + Shift + Right Arrow | ⌘ + Shift + Right Arrow | Groups selected items in the Pivot Table |
| Ungroup Pivot Table Items | Alt + Shift + Left Arrow | ⌘ + Shift + Left Arrow | Ungroups selected items in the Pivot Table |
| Create Pivot Chart on New Worksheet | Alt + F1 | Fn + ⌥ + F1 | Creates a new Pivot Chart on a new worksheet |
| Shortcut Name | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create Chart | Alt + F1 | Fn + ⌥ + F1 | Creates a new Chart with the selected data |
| Change Chart Type | Alt + F1, then Alt + J | Fn + ⌥ + F1, then ⌥ + J | Changes the type of the selected Chart |
| Add Data Labels | Ctrl + 1, then Alt + B + L | ⌘ + 1, then ⌥ + B + L | Adds data labels to the selected Chart |
| Select Data | Alt + E + S | ⌥ + E + S | Opens the Select Data Source dialog box for the chart |
| Move Chart | Ctrl + X, then Ctrl + V | ⌘ + X, then ⌘ + V | Cuts and pastes the selected chart (moves the chart) |
| Resize Chart | Arrow Keys with Shift | Arrow Keys with Shift | Resizes the selected chart |
By mastering these advanced Excel shortcuts, you’ll not only increase your efficiency but also gain a newfound appreciation for Excel’s capabilities. So, go on and put these shortcuts to work, and watch your skillset soar!
Customizing and Creating Your Own Shortcuts
You’ve been using Excel for a while now and you know how powerful it can be. But do you ever wish there were easier ways to access your most-used commands?
The good news is, Excel allows you to create your own custom keyboard shortcuts!
In this section, I’ll walk you through customizing Excel settings and creating shortcuts using macros.
Excel Options And Settings
First, you can customize Excel’s built-in shortcuts. This is done through Excel Options. Simply follow these steps:
- Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
- At the bottom, click on Customize.
- In the Save Changes in box, choose your current document or template.
By accessing the Customize Ribbon menu, you’ll find a list of commands with existing shortcuts. You can modify them to suit your needs, making your work in Excel more efficient.
Using Macros for Custom Shortcuts
Another way to create custom shortcuts is through Excel macros. Excel macros allow you to record a set of actions and assign them to a shortcut key combination.
Here’s how to create simple macros:
- Go to the View tab in Excel, and click on Macros.
- Choose the Record Macro option.
- Name your macro and assign it a shortcut key.
- Perform the actions you want the macro to capture.
- Click Stop Recording in the Macros menu.
Congratulations! You’ve created a macro and assigned a custom shortcut to it. Now, you can use that shortcut to perform your specific actions again and again.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found this helpful! Remember to #WorkSmarterNotHarder!