Microsoft Excel Shortcut Keys

Microsoft Excel Shortcut Keys : Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet application that can significantly boost your productivity when you know how to navigate it efficiently. Learning and using the right shortcut keys in Excel is like having a secret weapon in your arsenal. These shortcuts can save you time and effort while working on spreadsheets, helping you become a more proficient Excel user. In this guide, we’ll explore essential Microsoft Excel shortcut keys that will streamline your work, enhance your data manipulation skills, and make you a spreadsheet pro. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced Excel user, these shortcuts are invaluable for creating, formatting, and analyzing your data with ease. Let’s dive into the world of Microsoft Excel shortcut keys and unlock the potential of this versatile application. Microsoft Excel Shortcut Keys Source Link.

Frequently used shortcuts
Press	To do this
Ctrl+W	Close a workbook.
Ctrl+O	Open a workbook.
Alt+H	Go to the Home tab.
Ctrl+S	Save a workbook.
Ctrl+C	Copy selection.
Ctrl+V	Paste selection.
Ctrl+Z	Undo recent action.
Delete	Remove cell contents.
Alt+H, H	Choose a fill color.
Ctrl+X	Cut selection.
Alt+N	Go to the Insert tab.
Ctrl+B	Apply bold formatting.
Alt+H, A, C	Center align cell contents.
Alt+P	Go to the Page Layout tab.
Alt+A	Go to the Data tab.
Alt+W	Go to the View tab.
Shift+F10 or Windows Menu key	Open the context menu.
Alt+H, B	Add borders.
Alt+H, D, C	Delete column.
Alt+M	Go to the Formula tab.
Ctrl+9	Hide the selected rows.
Ctrl+0	Hide the selected columns.
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
Alt+Q, then enter the search term.	Move to the Tell me or Search field on the ribbon and type a search term for assistance or Help content.
Alt+F	Open the File menu.
Alt+H	Open the Home tab and format text and numbers and use the Find tool.
Alt+N	Open the Insert tab and insert PivotTables, charts, add-ins, Sparklines, pictures, shapes, headers, or text boxes.
Alt+P	Open the Page Layout tab and work with themes, page setup, scale, and alignment.
Alt+M	Open the Formulas tab and insert, trace, and customize functions and calculations.
Alt+A	Open the Data tab and connect to, sort, filter, analyze, and work with data.
Alt+R	Open the Review tab and check spelling, add notes and threaded comments, and protect sheets and workbooks.
Alt+W	Open the View tab and preview page breaks and layouts, show and hide gridlines and headings, set zoom magnification, manage windows and panes, and view macros.
Work in the ribbon with the keyboard
Alt or F10. To move to a different tab, use access keys or the arrow keys.	Select the active tab on the ribbon and activate the access keys.
Tab key or Shift+Tab	Move the focus to commands on the ribbon.
Arrow keys	Move down, up, left, or right, respectively, among the items on the ribbon.
Ctrl+Shift+F10	Show the tooltip for the ribbon element currently in focus.
Spacebar or Enter	Activate a selected button.
Down arrow key	Open the list for a selected command.
Alt+Down arrow key	Open the menu for a selected button.
Down arrow key	When a menu or submenu is open, move to the next command.
Ctrl+F1	Expand or collapse the ribbon.
Shift+F10 Or, on a Windows keyboard, the Windows Menu key (usually between the Alt Gr and right Ctrl keys)	Open a context menu.
Left arrow key	Move to the submenu when a main menu is open or selected.
Ctrl+Left or Right arrow key	Move from one group of controls to another.
Keyboard shortcuts for navigating in cells
Shift+Tab	Move to the previous cell in a worksheet or the previous option in a dialog box.
Up arrow key	Move one cell up in a worksheet.
Down arrow key	Move one cell down in a worksheet.
Left arrow key	Move one cell left in a worksheet.
Right arrow key	Move one cell right in a worksheet.
Ctrl+Arrow key	Move to the edge of the current data region in a worksheet.
End, Arrow key	Enter the End mode, move to the next nonblank cell in the same column or row as the active cell, and turn off End mode. If the cells are blank, move to the last cell in the row or column.
Ctrl+End	Move to the last cell on a worksheet, to the lowest used row of the rightmost used column.
Ctrl+Shift+End	Extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner).
Home+Scroll lock	Move to the cell in the upper-left corner of the window when Scroll lock is turned on.
Ctrl+Home	Move to the beginning of a worksheet.
Page down	Move one screen down in a worksheet.
Ctrl+Page down	Move to the next sheet in a workbook.
Alt+Page down	Move one screen to the right in a worksheet.
Page up	Move one screen up in a worksheet.
Alt+Page up	Move one screen to the left in a worksheet.
Ctrl+Page up	Move to the previous sheet in a workbook.
Tab key	Move one cell to the right in a worksheet. Or, in a protected worksheet, move between unlocked cells.
Alt+Down arrow key	Open the list of validation choices on a cell that has data validation option applied to it.
Ctrl+Alt+5, then the Tab key repeatedly	Cycle through floating shapes, such as text boxes or images.
Esc	Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal navigation.
Ctrl+Shift, then scroll your mouse wheel up to go left, down to go right	Scroll horizontally.
Ctrl+Alt+Equal sign ( = )	Zoom in.
Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign (-)	Zoom out.
Keyboard shortcuts for formatting cells
Ctrl+1	Open the Format Cells dialog box.
Ctrl+Shift+F or Ctrl+Shift+P	Format fonts in the Format Cells dialog box.
F2	Edit the active cell and put the insertion point at the end of its contents. Or, if editing is turned off for the cell, move the insertion point into the formula bar. If editing a formula, toggle Point mode off or on so you can use the arrow keys to create a reference.
Shift+F2	Insert a note.
Shift+F2	Open and edit a cell note.
Ctrl+Shift+F2	Insert a threaded comment.
Ctrl+Shift+F2	Open and reply to a threaded comment.
Ctrl+Shift+Plus sign (+)	Open the Insert dialog box to insert blank cells.
Ctrl+Minus sign (-)	Open the Delete dialog box to delete selected cells.
Ctrl+Shift+Colon (:)	Enter the current time.
Ctrl+Semicolon (;)	Enter the current date.
Ctrl+Grave accent (`)	Switch between displaying cell values or formulas in the worksheet.
Ctrl+Apostrophe (‘)	Copy a formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the formula bar.
Ctrl+X	Move the selected cells.
Ctrl+C	Copy the selected cells.
Ctrl+V	Paste content at the insertion point, replacing any selection.
Ctrl+Alt+V	Open the Paste Special dialog box.
Ctrl+I or Ctrl+3	Italicize text or remove italic formatting.
Ctrl+B or Ctrl+2	Bold text or remove bold formatting.
Ctrl+U or Ctrl+4	Underline text or remove underline.
Ctrl+5	Apply or remove strikethrough formatting.
Ctrl+6	Switch between hiding objects, displaying objects, and displaying placeholders for objects.
Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand sign (&)	Apply an outline border to the selected cells.
Ctrl+Shift+Underscore (_)	Remove the outline border from the selected cells.
Ctrl+8	Display or hide the outline symbols.
Ctrl+D	Use the Fill Down command to copy the contents and format of the topmost cell of a selected range into the cells below.
Ctrl+Shift+Tilde sign (~)	Apply the General number format.
Ctrl+Shift+Dollar sign ($)	Apply the Currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers in parentheses).
Ctrl+Shift+Percent sign (%)	Apply the Percentage format with no decimal places.
Ctrl+Shift+Caret sign (^)	Apply the Scientific number format with two decimal places.
Ctrl+Shift+Number sign (#)	Apply the Date format with the day, month, and year.
Ctrl+Shift+At sign (@)	Apply the Time format with the hour and minute, and AM or PM.
Ctrl+Shift+Exclamation point (!)	Apply the Number format with two decimal places, thousands separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values.
Ctrl+K	Open the Insert hyperlink dialog box.
F7	Check spelling in the active worksheet or selected range.
Ctrl+Q	Display the Quick Analysis options for selected cells that contain data.
Ctrl+L or Ctrl+T	Display the Create Table dialog box.
Ctrl+Shift+G	Open the Workbook Statistics dialog box.
Keyboard shortcuts for making selections and performing actions
Ctrl+A or Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar	Select the entire worksheet.
Ctrl+Shift+Page down	Select the current and next sheet in a workbook.
Ctrl+Shift+Page up	Select the current and previous sheet in a workbook.
Shift+Arrow key	Extend the selection of cells by one cell.
Ctrl+Shift+Arrow key	Extend the selection of cells to the last nonblank cell in the same column or row as the active cell, or if the next cell is blank, to the next nonblank cell.
F8	Turn extend mode on and use the arrow keys to extend a selection. Press again to turn off.
Shift+F8	Add a non-adjacent cell or range to a selection of cells by using the arrow keys.
Alt+Enter	Start a new line in the same cell.
Ctrl+Enter	Fill the selected cell range with the current entry.
Shift+Enter	Complete a cell entry and select the cell above.
Ctrl+Spacebar	Select an entire column in a worksheet.
Shift+Spacebar	Select an entire row in a worksheet.
Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar	Select all objects on a worksheet when an object is selected.
Ctrl+Shift+Home	Extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
Ctrl+A or Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar	Select the current region if the worksheet contains data. Press a second time to select the current region and its summary rows. Press a third time to select the entire worksheet.
Ctrl+Shift+Asterisk sign (*)	Select the current region around the active cell.
Home	Select the first command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.
Ctrl+Y	Repeat the last command or action, if possible.
Ctrl+Z	Undo the last action.
While hovering over the collapsed items, press and hold the Shift key and scroll down.	Expand grouped rows or columns.
While hovering over the expanded items, press and hold the Shift key and scroll up.	Collapse grouped rows or columns.
Keyboard shortcuts for working with data, functions, and the formula bar
Ctrl+Alt+P	Turn on or off tooltips for checking formulas directly in the formula bar or in the cell you’re editing.
F2	Edit the active cell and put the insertion point at the end of its contents. Or, if editing is turned off for the cell, move the insertion point into the formula bar. If editing a formula, toggle Point mode off or on so you can use the arrow keys to create a reference.
Ctrl+Shift+U	Expand or collapse the formula bar.
Esc	Cancel an entry in the cell or formula bar.
Enter	Complete an entry in the formula bar and select the cell below.
Ctrl+End	Move the cursor to the end of the text when in the formula bar.
Ctrl+Shift+End	Select all text in the formula bar from the cursor position to the end.
F9	Calculate all worksheets in all open workbooks.
Shift+F9	Calculate the active worksheet.
Ctrl+Alt+F9	Calculate all worksheets in all open workbooks, regardless of whether they have changed since the last calculation.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F9	Check dependent formulas, and then calculate all cells in all open workbooks, including cells not marked as needing to be calculated.
Alt+Shift+F10	Display the menu or message for an Error Checking button.
Ctrl+A	Display the Function Arguments dialog box when the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula.
Ctrl+Shift+A	Insert argument names and parentheses when the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula.
Alt+Equal sign ( = )	Insert the AutoSum formula
Ctrl+E	Invoke Flash Fill to automatically recognize patterns in adjacent columns and fill the current column
F4	Cycle through all combinations of absolute and relative references in a formula if a cell reference or range is selected.
Shift+F3	Insert a function.
Ctrl+Shift+Straight quotation mark (“)	Copy the value from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the formula bar.
Alt+F1	Create an embedded chart of the data in the current range.
F11	Create a chart of the data in the current range in a separate Chart sheet.
Alt+M, M, D	Define a name to use in references.
F3	Paste a name from the Paste Name dialog box (if names have been defined in the workbook).
Enter	Move to the first field in the next record of a data form.
Alt+F8	Create, run, edit, or delete a macro.
Alt+F11	Open the Microsoft Visual Basic For Applications Editor.
Alt+F12	Open the Power Query Editor
Keyboard shortcuts for refreshing external data
Esc	top a refresh operation.
Ctrl+F5	Refresh data in the current worksheet.
Ctrl+Alt+F5	Refresh all data in the workbook.
Power Pivot keyboard shortcuts
Shift+F10	Open the context menu for the selected cell, column, or row.
Ctrl+A	Select the entire table.
Ctrl+C	Copy selected data.
Ctrl+D	Delete the table.
Ctrl+M	Move the table.
Ctrl+R	Rename the table.
Ctrl+S	Save the file.
Ctrl+Y	Redo the last action.
Ctrl+Z	Undo the last action.
Ctrl+Spacebar	Select the current column.
Shift+Spacebar	Select the current row.
Shift+Page down	Select all cells from the current location to the last cell of the column.
Shift+Page up	Select all cells from the current location to the first cell of the column.
Shift+End	Select all cells from the current location to the last cell of the row.
Shift+Home	Select all cells from the current location to the first cell of the row.
Ctrl+Page up	Move to the previous table.
Ctrl+Page down	Move to the next table.
Ctrl+Home	Move to the first cell in the upper-left corner of selected table.
Ctrl+End	Move to the last cell in the lower-right corner of selected table.
Ctrl+Left arrow key	Move to the first cell of the selected row.
Ctrl+Right arrow key	Move to the last cell of the selected row.
Ctrl+Up arrow key	Move to the first cell of the selected column.
Ctrl+Down arrow key	Move to the last cell of selected column.
Ctrl+Esc	Close a dialog box or cancel a process, such as a paste operation.
Alt+Down arrow key	Open the AutoFilter Menu dialog box.
F5	Open the Go To dialog box.
F9	Recalculate all formulas in the Power Pivot window. For more information, see Recalculate Formulas in Power Pivot.
Function keys
Key	Description
F1	F1 alone: displays the Excel Help task pane.
	Ctrl+F1: displays or hides the ribbon.
	Alt+F1: creates an embedded chart of the data in the current range.
	Alt+Shift+F1: inserts a new worksheet.
	Ctrl+Shift+F1: toggles full screen mode
F2	F2 alone: edit the active cell and put the insertion point at the end of its contents. Or, if editing is turned off for the cell, move the insertion point into the formula bar. If editing a formula, toggle Point mode off or on so you can use the arrow keys to create a reference.
	Shift+F2: adds or edits a cell note.
	Ctrl+F2: displays the print preview area on the Print tab in the Backstage view.
F3	F3 alone: displays the Paste Name dialog box. Available only if names have been defined in the workbook.
	Shift+F3: displays the Insert Function dialog box.
F4	F4 alone: repeats the last command or action, if possible.
	When a cell reference or range is selected in a formula, F4 cycles through all the various combinations of absolute and relative references.
	Ctrl+F4: closes the selected workbook window.
	Alt+F4: closes Excel.
F5	F5 alone: displays the Go To dialog box.
	Ctrl+F5: restores the window size of the selected workbook window.
F6	F6 alone: switches between the worksheet, ribbon, task pane, and Zoom controls. In a worksheet that has been split, F6 includes the split panes when switching between panes and the ribbon area.
	Shift+F6: switches between the worksheet, Zoom controls, task pane, and ribbon.
	Ctrl+F6: switches between two Excel windows.
	Ctrl+Shift+F6: switches between all Excel windows.
F7	F7 alone: Opens the Spelling dialog box to check spelling in the active worksheet or selected range.
	Ctrl+F7: performs the Move command on the workbook window when it is not maximized. Use the arrow keys to move the window, and when finished press Enter, or Esc to cancel.
F8	F8 alone: turns extend mode on or off. In extend mode, Extended Selection appears in the status line, and the arrow keys extend the selection.
	Shift+F8: enables you to add a non-adjacent cell or range to a selection of cells by using the arrow keys.
	Ctrl+F8: performs the Size command when a workbook is not maximized.
	Alt+F8: displays the Macro dialog box to create, run, edit, or delete a macro.
F9	F9 alone: calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks.
	Shift+F9: calculates the active worksheet.
	Ctrl+Alt+F9: calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks, regardless of whether they have changed since the last calculation.
	Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F9: rechecks dependent formulas, and then calculates all cells in all open workbooks, including cells not marked as needing to be calculated.
	Ctrl+F9: minimizes a workbook window to an icon.
F10	F10 alone: turns key tips on or off. (Pressing Alt does the same thing.)
	Shift+F10: displays the context menu for a selected item.
	Alt+Shift+F10: displays the menu or message for an Error Checking button.
	Ctrl+F10: maximizes or restores the selected workbook window.
F11	F11 alone: creates a chart of the data in the current range in a separate Chart sheet.
	Shift+F11: inserts a new worksheet.
	Alt+F11: opens the Microsoft Visual Basic For Applications Editor, in which you can create a macro by using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
F12	F12 alone: displays the Save As dialog box.
Other useful shortcut keys
Alt	Alt, W, P switches the worksheet to Page Layout view.
	Alt, W, L switches the worksheet to Normal view.
	Alt, W, I switches the worksheet to Page Break Preview view.
Arrow keys	Move one cell up, down, left, or right in a worksheet.
	Ctrl+Arrow key moves to the edge of the current data region in a worksheet.
	Shift+Arrow key extends the selection of cells by one cell.
	Ctrl+Shift+Arrow key extends the selection of cells to the last nonblank cell in the same column or row as the active cell, or if the next cell is blank, extends the selection to the next nonblank cell.
	Left or Right arrow key selects the tab to the left or right when the ribbon is selected. When a submenu is open or selected, these arrow keys switch between the main menu and the submenu. When a ribbon tab is selected, these keys navigate the tab buttons.
	Down or Up arrow key selects the next or previous command when a menu or submenu is open. When a ribbon tab is selected, these keys navigate up or down the tab group.
	In a dialog box, arrow keys move between options in an open drop-down list, or between options in a group of options.
	Down or Alt+Down arrow key opens a selected drop-down list.
Backspace	Deletes one character to the left in the formula bar.
	Clears the content of the active cell.
	In cell editing mode, it deletes the character to the left of the insertion point.
Delete	Removes the cell contents (data and formulas) from selected cells without affecting cell formats, threaded comments, or notes.
	In cell editing mode, it deletes the character to the right of the insertion point.
End	End turns End mode on or off. In End mode, you can press an arrow key to move to the next nonblank cell in the same column or row as the active cell. End mode turns off automatically after pressing the arrow key. Make sure to press End again before pressing the next arrow key. End mode is shown in the status bar when it is on.
	If the cells are blank, pressing End followed by an arrow key moves to the last cell in the row or column.
	End also selects the last command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.
	Ctrl+End moves to the last cell on a worksheet, to the lowest used row of the rightmost used column. If the cursor is in the formula bar, Ctrl+End moves the cursor to the end of the text.
	Ctrl+Shift+End extends the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner). If the cursor is in the formula bar, Ctrl+Shift+End selects all text in the formula bar from the cursor position to the end—this does not affect the height of the formula bar.
Enter	Completes a cell entry from the cell or the formula bar and selects the cell below (by default).
	In a data form, it moves to the first field in the next record.
	Opens a selected menu (press F10 to activate the menu bar) or performs the action for a selected command.
	In a dialog box, it performs the action for the default command button in the dialog box (the button with the bold outline, often the OK button).
	Alt+Enter starts a new line in the same cell.
	Ctrl+Enter fills the selected cell range with the current entry.
	Shift+Enter completes a cell entry and selects the cell above.
Esc	Cancels an entry in the cell or formula bar.
	Closes an open menu or submenu, dialog box, or message window.
Home	Moves to the beginning of a row in a worksheet.
	Moves to the cell in the upper-left corner of the window when Scroll lock is turned on.
	Selects the first command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.
	Ctrl+Home moves to the beginning of a worksheet.
	Ctrl+Shift+Home extends the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.
Page down	Moves one screen down in a worksheet.
	Alt+Page down moves one screen to the right in a worksheet.
	Ctrl+Page down moves to the next sheet in a workbook.
	Ctrl+Shift+Page down selects the current and next sheet in a workbook.
Page up	Moves one screen up in a worksheet.
	Alt+Page up moves one screen to the left in a worksheet.
	Ctrl+Page up moves to the previous sheet in a workbook.
	Ctrl+Shift+Page up selects the current and previous sheet in a workbook.
Shift	Hold the Shift key while you drag a selected row, column, or selected cells to move the selected cells and drop to insert them in a new location.
Spacebar	In a dialog box, performs the action for the selected button, or selects or clears a checkbox.
	Ctrl+Spacebar selects an entire column in a worksheet.
	Shift+Spacebar selects an entire row in a worksheet.
	Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar selects the entire worksheet.
	If the worksheet contains data, Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar selects the current region. Pressing Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar a second time selects the current region and its summary rows. Pressing Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar a third time selects the entire worksheet.
	When an object is selected, Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar selects all objects on a worksheet.
	Alt+Spacebar displays the Control menu for the Excel window.
Tab key	Moves one cell to the right in a worksheet.
	Moves between unlocked cells in a protected worksheet.
	Moves to the next option or option group in a dialog box.
	Shift+Tab moves to the previous cell in a worksheet or the previous option in a dialog box.
	Ctrl+Tab switches to the next tab in a dialog box, or (if no dialog box is open) switches between two Excel windows.
	Ctrl+Shift+Tab switches to the previous tab in a dialog box, or (if no dialog box is open) switches between all Excel windows.

FAQs

Q1: What are Excel shortcut keys?

Shortcut keys in Microsoft Excel are a combination of keyboard strokes that allow you to perform various tasks quickly and efficiently. They help you navigate, format, and manipulate data in spreadsheets without using the mouse.

Q2: Why should I use Excel shortcut keys?

Excel shortcut keys can significantly improve your productivity by reducing the need to switch between the keyboard and mouse. They help you perform common actions more efficiently, saving time and minimizing errors.

Q3: Are there shortcut keys for common tasks like copy, paste, and undo in Excel?

Yes, Excel has standard shortcut keys for common tasks. For instance, you can copy text with Ctrl + C, paste with Ctrl + V, and undo an action with Ctrl + Z. These shortcuts work similarly to other applications in the Windows environment.

Q4: How can I learn Excel shortcut keys?

You can learn Excel shortcut keys by referring to online resources, Excel help documentation, or Excel courses. Microsoft also provides a list of commonly used shortcuts on their official website. Practice is key to becoming proficient with them.

Q5: Can I customize or create my own Excel shortcut keys?

Yes, you can customize or create your own Excel shortcut keys. To do this, you can use Excel’s built-in feature for customizing keyboard shortcuts. This can be especially useful for functions or actions you frequently use that don’t have pre-defined shortcuts.