Spreadsheets are the lifeblood of finance departments everywhere. Whether you are an analyst with a Wall Street firm or an entrepreneur doing cost project analysis, you’ll have to use Microsoft Excel. Beginners, meanwhile, will benefit greatly from this free course on Excel.
Make working with spreadsheets a little easier with these Excel keyboard shortcuts that will have you working like the pros in no time:
Note: This article assumes you are using Excel on a Windows PC. If you are using a Mac, these shortcuts will change slightly. Here is a complete list of all Excel keyboard shortcuts on Mac.
Adding/Deleting Cells and Data
1. CTRL + SHIFT + PLUS SIGN (+)
Action: Inserts new cell
Whether it’s a row, a column, or a single cell, keep this shortcut handy to speed up data entry.
2. ALT + ENTER
Action: Inserts a new line within a cell
Excel isn’t Word, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be dealing with plenty of text in Excel. This shortcut makes entering comments ridiculously fast and easy.
3. SHIFT + F2
Action: Inserts a comment within a cell
Speaking of comments, just press SHIFT + F2 to add an explanatory pop-up note to a cell to make sure that your data won’t be misinterpreted.
4. CTRL + K
Action: Adds a hyperlink to the selected data
A shortcut you’ll turn to often when using external references.
5. CTRL + R
Action: Fills a cell with data from the adjoining cell to the left
Working with a lot of similar data? Then you’ll love this shortcut which makes data entry dramatically faster. No more CTRL-C, CTRL-V!
6. CTRL + D
Action: Fills a cell with data from the above cell
Another shortcut meant to ease data entry. It works exactly like the above, except, you know, in a different direction.
7. CTRL + ENTER
Action: Fills the entire selected cell range with the current entry
Few shortcuts are going to save you more time than this one. Using it is pretty simple as well: select a range, enter data into any one cell, and press this shortcut to populate the entire range with this data.
8. F11
Action: Creates a chart with the selected range
Microsoft has made it relatively easy to create charts with its Ribbon interface starting with Office 2007. This shortcut makes the process even smoother by creating a chart instantly with the given data.
9. CTRL + T
Action: Adds a table to the worksheet
Tables are a wonderful way to create flexible data structure that can expand or shrink dynamically. This shortcut makes adding tables a little easier, which will hopefully encourage you to use this feature more often.
10. SHIFT + F11
Action: Inserts a new worksheet
Pretty straightforward: use this shortcut to bypass the ‘insert worksheet’ button at the bottom. You’re going to use it pretty often if you work with big projects.
Also read 10 Excel Data Entry Tips Everyone Should Know
Selecting Cells and Data
1. F8
Action: Makes an extended selection of cells or data
This is similar to using the mouse to make a selection, except that you use the arrow keys. To use this shortcut, simply press F8 and press the arrow keys in the appropriate direction to make a precise selection.
2. CTRL + PageUp
Action: Switches active window to the next worksheet
Quite straightforward: instead of navigating from the buttons at the bottom, you can just press CTRL + PageUp to switch to the next worksheet.
3. CTRL + PageDown
Action: Switches active window to previous worksheet
Same as above, except it takes you back one step to the previous worksheet. Use the two shortcuts in conjunction to navigate through worksheets.
4. SHIFT + F5
Action: Opens the Find dialog box
Another shortcut you’re going to use very often is the Find dialog box, especially if you work with large spreadsheets where data can get lost easily.
5. CTRL + SHIFT + Space
Action: Selects the complete table
This shortcut is pretty straightforward: it selects all the cells within a table. There’s only one caveat though: the active cell must be within range of the table.
6. CTRL + ~
Action: Reveals the formulas across the entire spreadsheet
This shortcut will reveal all the formulas used across the worksheet – a great tool for scanning new and unfamiliar spreadsheets.
Also read Excel Formulas: 10 Formulas That Helped Me Keep My Job
Editing and Formatting Cells and Data
1. F2
Action: Edits a cell
A simple shortcut you’ll turn to very often.
2. CTRL + 1
Action: Shows the Format Cells dialog box
Plain spreadsheets with black text in Arial look pretty dull. Pep things up with this shortcut to format, align and color the spreadsheet.
3. Data Formatting Shortcuts
These clutch of shortcuts will come in handy for quickly formatting cells to a desired data type:
- CTRL + SHIFT + 1: Formats the selected data as number format with two decimal places (12000 to 12,000).
- CTRL + SHIFT + 2: Formats the data in your chosen time format.
- CTRL + SHIFT + 3: Formats the data in your chosen date format.
- CTRL + SHIFT + 4: Formats the data in your chosen currency value (12,000 to $12,000).
- CTRL + SHIFT + 5: Formats the data as percentage value (1 to 100%).
- CTRL + SHIFT + 6: Formats the data into exponential value or scientific form (12000 to 1.20E+04).
There are countless other shortcuts in Excel, but these 24 should be more than enough to help you get things done faster. Remember: you can always view commonly used shortcuts in the Ribbon interface by pressing ALT. You can also see a comprehensive list of all the shortcuts on the official Office website
Advanced users to Excel will love this course on advanced Excel topics such as VLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH and CHOOSE functions.
Also read
- Complete List of Excel Keyboard Shortcuts By Category
- How to Decide Which Excel Lookup Formula to Use
Courtesy: udemy.com
Excel keyboard shortcuts for Mac OS
| To | Press |
| Open the Formula Builder | SHIFT + F3 or FN + SHIFT + F3 |
| Repeat the last Find (Find Next) | SHIFT + F4 or FN + SHIFT + F4 |
| Close the window |  or FN + |
| Display the Go To dialog box | F5 |
| Display the Find dialog box | SHIFT + F5 |
| Move to the next pane in a workbook that has been split | F6 |
| Move to the previous pane in a workbook that has been split | SHIFT + F6 |
| Move to the next workbook window | |
| Move to the previous workbook window | |
| Check spelling | F7 or FN + F7 |
| Add to the selection | SHIFT + F8 |
| Display the Macro dialog box | OPTION + F8 or FN + OPTION + F8 |
| Calculate all sheets in all open workbooks. | F9 |
| Calculate the active sheet. | SHIFT + F9 |
| Display a contextual menu. | SHIFT + F10 |
| Insert a new chart sheet. | F11 |
| Insert a new sheet. | SHIFT + F11 |
| Insert an Excel 4.0 macro sheet | or FN + |
| Display the Save As dialog box. | F12 |
| Display the Open dialog box | or FN + |
Moving and scrolling in a sheet or workbook
| To | Press |
| Move one cell up, down, left, or right | An arrow key |
| Move to the edge of the current data region | CONTROL + arrow key |
| Move to the beginning of the row | HOME |
| Move to the beginning of the sheet | CONTROL + HOME |
| Move to the last cell in use on the sheet, which is the cell at the intersection of the rightmost column and the bottom row (in the lower-right corner); or the cell opposite the home cell, which is typically A1 | CONTROL + END |
| Move down one screen | PAGE DOWN |
| Move up one screen | PAGE UP |
| Move one screen to the right | OPTION + PAGE DOWN |
| Move one screen to the left | OPTION + PAGE UP |
| Move to the next sheet in the workbook | CONTROL + PAGE DOWN |
| Move to the previous sheet in the workbook | CONTROL + PAGE UP |
| Move to the next workbook or window | CONTROL + TAB |
| Move to the previous workbook or window | CONTROL + SHIFT + TAB |
| Move to the next pane in a workbook that has been split | F6 |
| Move to the previous pane in a workbook that has been split | SHIFT + F6 |
| Scroll to display the active cell | CONTROL + DELETE |
| Display the Go To dialog box | CONTROL + G |
| Display the Find dialog box | |
| Repeat the last Find action (same as Find Next) | |
| Move between unlocked cells on a protected sheet | TAB |
Previewing and printing
| To | Press |
| Display the Print dialog box | |
Entering data on a sheet
| To | Press |
| Complete a cell entry and move forward in the selection | RETURN |
| Start a new line in the same cell | CONTROL + OPTION + RETURN |
| Fill the selected cell range with the text that you type | CONTROL + RETURN |
| Complete a cell entry and move back in the selection | SHIFT + RETURN |
| Complete a cell entry and move to the right in the selection | TAB |
| Complete a cell entry and move to the left in the selection | SHIFT + TAB |
| Cancel a cell entry | ESC |
| Delete the character to the left of the insertion point, or delete the selection | DELETE |
| Delete the character to the right of the insertion point, or delete the selection |  |
| Delete text to the end of the line | CONTROL + |
| Move one character up, down, left, or right | An arrow key |
| Move to the beginning of the line | HOME |
| Repeat the last action | |
| Edit a cell comment | SHIFT + F2 |
| Fill down | CONTROL + D |
| Fill to the right | CONTROL + R |
| Define a name | CONTROL + L |
Working in cells or the Formula bar
| To | Press |
| Edit the active cell and then clear it, or delete the preceding character in the active cell as you edit the cell contents | DELETE |
| Complete a cell entry | RETURN |
| Enter a formula as an array formula | CONTROL + SHIFT + RETURN |
| Cancel an entry in the cell or formula bar | ESC |
| Display the Formula Builder after you type a valid function name in a formula | CONTROL + A |
| Insert a hyperlink | |
| Edit the active cell and position the insertion point at the end of the line | CONTROL + U |
| Open the Formula Builder | SHIFT + F3 or FN + SHIFT + F3 |
| Calculate all sheets in all open workbooks | |
| Calculate the active sheet | |
| Start a formula | = |
| Toggle the formula reference style between absolute, relative, and mixed | |
| Insert the AutoSum formula | |
| Enter the date | CONTROL + SEMICOLON (;) |
| Enter the time | |
| Copy the value from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the formula bar | CONTROL + SHIFT + INCH MARK (“) |
| Alternate between displaying cell values and displaying cell formulas | CONTROL + GRAVE ACCENT (`) |
| Copy a formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the formula bar | CONTROL + APOSTROPHE (‘) |
| Display the AutoComplete list | CONTROL + OPTION + DOWN ARROW |
| Define a name | CONTROL + L |
Formatting and editing data
| To | Press |
| Display the Style dialog box | |
| Display the Format Cells dialog box | |
| Apply the general number format | CONTROL + SHIFT + ~ |
| Apply the currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers appear in red with parentheses) | CONTROL + SHIFT + $ |
| Apply the percentage format with no decimal places | CONTROL + SHIFT + % |
| Apply the exponential number format with two decimal places | CONTROL + SHIFT + ^ |
| Apply the date format with the day, month, and year | CONTROL + SHIFT + # |
| Apply the time format with the hour and minute, and indicate A.M. or P.M. | CONTROL + SHIFT + @ |
| Apply the number format with two decimal places, thousands separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values | CONTROL + SHIFT + ! |
| Apply the outline border around the selected cells | |
| Add an outline border to the right of the selection | |
| Add an outline border to the left of the selection | |
| Add an outline border to the top of the selection | |
| Add an outline border to the bottom of the selection | |
| Remove outline borders | |
| Apply or remove bold formatting | |
| Apply or remove italic formatting | |
| Apply or remove underscoring | |
| Apply or remove strikethrough formatting | |
| Hide rows | CONTROL + 9 |
| Unhide rows | CONTROL + SHIFT + ( |
| Hide columns | CONTROL + ZERO |
| Unhide columns | CONTROL + SHIFT + ) |
| Add or remove the shadow font style | |
| Add or remove the outline font style | |
| Edit the active cell | CONTROL + U |
| Cancel an entry in the cell or the formula bar | ESC |
| Edit the active cell and then clear it, or delete the preceding character in the active cell as you edit the cell contents | DELETE |
| Paste text into the active cell | |
| Complete a cell entry | RETURN |
| Enter a formula as an array formula | CONTROL + SHIFT + RETURN |
| Display the Formula Builder after you type a valid function name in a formula | CONTROL + A |
Working with a selection
| To | Press |
| Copy the selection | |
| Cut the selection | |
| Paste the selection | |
| Clear the contents of the selection | DELETE |
| Delete the selection | CONTROL + HYPHEN |
| Copy text or graphics to the Scrapbook | CONTROL + OPTION + C |
| Paste to the Scrapbook | CONTROL + OPTION + V |
| Undo the last action | |
| Move from top to bottom within the selection (down), or move in the direction that is selected in Edit in the Preferences dialog box (Excel menu, Preferences command) | RETURN |
| Move from bottom to top within the selection (up), or move opposite to the direction that is selected in Edit in the Preferences dialog box (Excel menu, Preferences command) | SHIFT + RETURN |
| Move from left to right within the selection, or move down one cell if only one column is selected | TAB |
| Move from right to left within the selection, or move up one cell if only one column is selected | SHIFT + TAB |
| Move clockwise to the next corner of the selection | CONTROL + PERIOD |
| Insert graphics using the Media Browser | |
Selecting cells, columns, or rows
Charts
| To | Press |
| Insert a new chart sheet. | F11 |
| Cycle through chart object selection | An arrow key |
Data forms
| To | Press |
| Move to the same field in the next record | DOWN ARROW |
| Move to the same field in the previous record | UP ARROW |
| Move to the next field that you can edit in the record | TAB |
| Move to the previous field that you can edit in the record | SHIFT + TAB |
| Move to the first field in the next record | RETURN |
| Move to the first field in the previous record | SHIFT + RETURN |
| Move to the same field 10 records forward | PAGE DOWN |
| Move to the same field 10 records back | PAGE UP |
| Move one character left within a field | LEFT ARROW |
| Move one character right within a field | RIGHT ARROW |
| Select the character to the left | SHIFT + LEFT ARROW |
| Select the character to the right | SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW |
Filters and PivotTable reports
| To | Press |
| Display the Filter list or PivotTable page field pop-up menu for the selected cell | OPTION + DOWN ARROW |
Outlining data
| To | Press |
| Display or hide outline symbols | CONTROL + 8 |
| Hide selected rows | CONTROL + 9 |
| Unhide selected rows | CONTROL + SHIFT + ( |
| Hide selected columns | CONTROL + ZERO |
| Unhide selected columns | CONTROL + SHIFT + ) |
Toolbars
| To | Press |
| Make the first button on a floating toolbar active | OPTION + F10 |
| When a toolbar is active, select the next button or menu on the toolbar | TAB |
| When a toolbar is active, select the previous button or menu on the toolbar | SHIFT + TAB |
| Perform the action assigned to the selected button | RETURN |
Windows
| To | Press |
| Expand or minimize the ribbon | |
| Switch to the next application | |
| Switch to the previous application | |
| Close the active workbook window | |
| Restore the active workbook window size | |
| Move to the next pane in a workbook that has been split | F6 |
| Move to the previous pane in a workbook that has been split | SHIFT + F6 |
| Switch to the next workbook window | |
| Switch to the previous workbook window | |
| Copy the image of the screen to the Clipboard | |
| Copy the image of the active window to the Clipboard (after pressing and releasing the key combination, click the window that you want to take a picture of). | |
Dialog boxes
| To | Press |
| Move to the next text box | TAB |
| Move to the previous box, option, control, or command | SHIFT + TAB |
| Exit a dialog box or cancel an action | ESC |
| Switch to the next tab | CONTROL + TAB |
| Switch to the previous tab | CONTROL + SHIFT + TAB |
| Perform the action assigned to the default command button (the button with the bold outline, often the OK button) |
RETURN |
| Cancel the command and close | ESC |
- Complete List of Excel Keyboard Shortcuts By Category – For Windows
- How to Decide Which Excel Lookup Formula to Use
Courtesy: support.office.com