I’ve been gradually building up my Excel shortcut knowledge over time, and it has genuinely helped me work with spreadsheets more efficiently. Once you start incorporating shortcuts into your daily workflow, there’s honestly no going back to the old way.
6Navigation Shortcuts
Help Quickly Move Around Spreadsheets
Moving around large spreadsheets used to feel like a chore until I started using navigation shortcuts. Instead of scrolling endlessly or clicking through countless rows, you can jump to exactly where you need to be.
Arrow keys are essential for basic navigation, but they sometimes stop working properly in Excel. If you’re experiencing this issue, there areways to fix the arrow keys not working in Excelthat can help you get back on track quickly.
Jump to the beginning of the worksheet (A1)
Ctrl + Home
Jump to the last used cell
Ctrl + End
Move to the edge of the data in any direction
Ctrl + Arrow Keys
Go to a specific cell or range
Ctrl + G or F5
Move to the beginning of the current row
Switch between worksheets
Ctrl + Page Up/Down
Jump to the top of the current column
Ctrl + Up Arrow
Jump to the bottom of the current column
Ctrl + Down Arrow
These shortcuts are handy when working with datasets that span hundreds or thousands of rows. Along with using navigation shortcuts, you canmonitor key data points with Excel’s Watch Windowwhile navigating between different sections of your spreadsheet.
TheCtrl + Endshortcut deserves special mention as it instantly takes you to the last cell containing data, which is perfect for quickly assessing the size of your dataset.
IfCtrl + Endtakes you further than expected, you might have invisible formatting in empty cells. Clear the formatting in those areas to fix this behavior.
5Data Selection Shortcuts
Speed Up Range Selection
Selecting data ranges manually can be tedious, especially when dealing with large datasets. These selection shortcuts eliminate the need to drag your mouse across hundreds of cells.
The shift key becomes your best friend for extending selections. Hold it down while using any navigation shortcut, and you’ll select everything between your starting point and destination.
Select the entire row
Shift + Space
Select the entire column
Ctrl + Space
Select the entire worksheet
Select the end of the data in any direction
Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys
Extend the selection of one cell
Shift + Arrow Keys
Select from the current cell to the beginning
Ctrl + Shift + Home
Select from the current cell to the end
Ctrl + Shift + End
These shortcuts work perfectly when you need touse Excel’s CHOOSE function to select data based on criteriaor apply formatting to specific ranges.
When selecting multiple non-adjacent ranges, holdCtrlwhile clicking on each additional range. This technique works with both mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts.
4Formatting Shortcuts
Make Spreadsheets Look Professional
Well-formatted spreadsheets make a significant difference in how your data is perceived. Basic text formatting shortcuts are worth learning for emphasizing important data, as bold headers and italic notes can change a plain spreadsheet into something that looks professionally designed.
The following formatting shortcuts help you quickly polish your work without needing to look into ribbon menus.
Apply bold formatting
Apply italic formatting
Apply underline formatting
Format as currency
Ctrl + Shift + $ (Dollar)
Format as percentage
Ctrl + Shift + % (Percent)
Add borders around the selection
Ctrl + Shift + & (Ampersand)
Remove borders
Ctrl + Shift + _ (Underscore)
Open Format Cells dialog
Increase font size
Ctrl + Shift + > (Greater than)
Decrease font size
Ctrl + Shift +
Copy formatting only
Alt + Ctrl + C
Paste formatting only
Alt + Ctrl + V
The Format Cells dialogCtrl + 1is a powerful shortcut, as it gives you access to every formatting option available. This shortcut saves countless clicks when you need precise control over number formats, alignment, or cell appearance.
You can useAlt + Ctrl + CandAlt + Ctrl + Vto copy formatting from one cell and apply it to others quickly. This way, you can maintain consistency across your spreadsheet without having to manually adjust each cell.
How to Disable Excel’s Annoying Auto-Formatting
Excel’s auto-formatting has a mind of its own, but you can take back control with a few simple tweaks.
3Formula Shortcuts
Get More Done
Understandingwhat Excel formulas areis just the beginning—knowing how to work with them efficiently is where real productivity gains happen.
Working with formulas becomes much faster once you know the right keyboard combinations. These shortcuts eliminate the tedious process of clicking through menus or manually typing repetitive functions.
Insert AutoSum formula
Alt + = (Equals)
Edit the active cell formula
Toggle absolute/relative references
Insert current date
Ctrl + ; (Semicolon)
Insert current time
Ctrl + Shift + ; (Semicolon)
Calculate all worksheets
Show/hide all formulas
Ctrl + ` (Grave accent)
Fill formula down
Fill in the formula right
Cancel formula entry
TheF4key is useful when building formulas; it cycles through different reference types ($A$1, A$1, $A1, A1) without manual typing. This saves time when creating complex formulas that need mixed references.
If you pressCtrl + `(grave accent), it toggles to formula view mode. If your spreadsheet suddenly shows formulas instead of values, press this combination again to return to normal view.
2Data Management Shortcuts
Keep Information Organized
Productive workflows require you to keep your data organized and well-structured. Whether you’re usingExcel spreadsheet templates to manage financesor tracking project information, these shortcuts maintain structure efficiently.
These management shortcuts help you sort, filter, and structure information without needing to constantly switch between ribbon tabs.
Apply AutoFilter to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + L
Open the Find & Replace dialog
Insert a new row above the current one
Ctrl + Shift + + (Plus)
Insert a new column to the left
Delete selected rows
Ctrl + - (Minus)
Delete selected columns
Group selected rows/columns
Alt + Shift + Right Arrow
Ungroup rows/columns
Alt + Shift + Left Arrow
Hide selected rows
Hide selected columns
Unhide rows
Ctrl + Shift + 9
Unhide columns
Ctrl + Shift + 0
The AutoFilter shortcutCtrl + Shift + Linstantly adds dropdown arrows to your headers, making data filtering effortless. you’re able to combine it with Find & ReplaceCtrl + Hto quickly clean and organize messy datasets.
When inserting or deleting rows and columns, make sure you’ve selected the entire row or column first, as partial selections can disrupt your data structure.
1Time-Saving Shortcuts
Handle the Boring Stuff
These shortcuts tackle the mundane tasks that eat up your time without adding much value. While they might seem basic, mastering these everyday operations makes Excel work feel effortless.
Copy selection
Cut selection
Undo the last action
Redo the last action
Save workbook
Open a new workbook
Open the existing file
Close the current workbook
Find text or values
The undo shortcut is probably the most-used shortcut in any application. Combined with redo, you can experiment freely, knowing you can always backtrack.
I would recommend getting into the habit of pressingCtrl + Sfrequently while working. Yes, auto-save features help, but manual saving ensures that you never lose important work during unexpected crashes or power outages.
These shortcuts genuinely help how you work with Excel once they become second nature. I started with a few favorites and gradually added more. Although the learning curve exists, the time investment pays off quickly.
