Keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are keys or combinations of keys that provide an alternative way to do something you would normally do with the mouse and these keyboard shortcuts are used to perform tasks faster and effectively.
For users with mobility or vision disabilities, keyboard shortcuts may be easier than using a touchscreen and are a necessary alternative to using a mouse.
Excel has a set of shortcuts to perform tasks quickly and efficiently and increase productivity. Instead of accessing toolbars with the mouse, two or three keystrokes are used to perform important tasks. Various operations can be achieved with a few simple keyboard strokes. Using Excel shortcuts significantly increases speed, and thus reduces work-time.
Now the question is that if you have to remember these shortcuts then the answer is no. However, it would be an advantage if you can remember some of them. With regular practice, you will be able to remember most of the common Excel shortcuts.
Let’s take an in-depth look at Excel shortcuts that can help us work better on Excel spreadsheets.
Notes:
A plus sign (+) in a shortcut means that you need to press multiple keys at the same time.
A comma sign (,) in a shortcut means that you need to press multiple keys in order. Means press next key after pressing current key and release it.
Some useful keyboard shortcuts at a Glance.
Useful keyboard Shortcuts for Cell Formating
| Keyboard Press | Description | Keyboard Press | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTRL+Grave accent (`) | Alternates between displaying cell values and displaying formulas in the worksheet. | CTRL+SHIFT+Tilde sign (~) | Applies the General number format. |
| CTRL+1 | Displays the Format Cells dialog box. | CTRL+SHIFT+Exclamation point (!) | Applies the Number format with two decimal places, thousands separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values. |
| CTRL+2 | Applies or removes bold formatting. | CTRL+SHIFT+At sign (@) | Applies the Time format with the hour and minute, and AM or PM. |
| CTRL+3 | Applies or removes italic formatting. | CTRL+SHIFT+Number sign (#) | Applies the Date format with the day, month, and year. |
| CTRL+4 | Applies or removes underlining. | CTRL+SHIFT+Dollar sign ($) | Applies the Currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers in parentheses). |
| CTRL+5 | Applies or removes strikethrough. | CTRL+SHIFT+Percent sign (%) | Applies the Percentage format with no decimal places. |
| CTRL+6 | Alternates between hiding objects, displaying objects, and displaying placeholders for objects. | CTRL+SHIFT+Caret sign (^) | Applies the Exponential number format with two decimal places. |
| CTRL+SHIFT+Ampersand sign (&) | Applies the outline border to the selected cells. | ||
| CTRL+8 | Displays or hides the outline symbols. | CTRL+SHIFT+* | Selects the current region around the active cell (the data area enclosed by blank rows and blank columns). In a PivotTable, it selects the entire PivotTable report. |
| CTRL+9 | Hides the selected rows. | CTRL+SHIFT+( | Unhide any hidden rows within the selection. |
| CTRL+0 | Hides the selected columns. | CTRL+SHIFT+) | Unhide any hidden columns within the selection. |
| CTRL+Minus (-) | Displays the Delete dialog box to delete the selected cells. If entire row/columm selected then insert a row/column. | CTRL+SHIFT+Underscore (_) | Removes the outline border from the selected cells. |
| CTRL+SHIFT+Plus (+) | Displays the Insert dialog box to insert blank cells. If entire row/columm selected then insert a row/column. | ||
| CTRL+Semicolon (;) | Enters the current date. | CTRL+SHIFT+Colon (:) | Enters the current time. |
| CTRL+Apostrophe (') | Copies a formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the Formula Bar. | CTRL+SHIFT+" | Copies the value from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the Formula Bar. |
| CTRL+A | Selects the entire worksheet. CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the current region and its summary rows. Pressing CTRL+A a third time selects the entire worksheet. When the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula, displays the Function Arguments dialog box. | CTRL+SHIFT+A | Inserts the argument names and parentheses when the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula. |
| CTRL+C | Copies the selected cells. CTRL+C followed by another CTRL+C displays the Clipboard. | ||
| CTRL+X | Cuts the selected cells. | ||
| CTRL+V | Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the insertion point and replaces any selection. Available only after you have cut or copied an object, text, or cell contents. | CTRL+ALT+V | Displays the Paste Special dialog box. Available only after you have cut or copied an object, text, or cell contents on a worksheet or in another program. |
| CTRL+Z | Uses the Undo command to reverse the last command or to delete the last entry that you typed. | CTRL+SHIFT+Z | Uses the Undo or Redo command to reverse or restore the last automatic correction when AutoCorrect Smart Tags are displayed. |
| CTRL+Y | Repeats the last command or action, if possible. | ||
| CTRL+B | Applies or removes bold formatting. | ||
| CTRL+I | Applies or removes italic formatting. | ||
| CTRL+U | Applies or removes underlining. | CTRL+SHIFT+U | Switches between expanding and collapsing of the formula bar. |
| CTRL+F/ SHIFT+F5 | Displays the Find and Replace dialog box, with the Find tab selected. | CTRL+SHIFT+F | Opens the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab selected. |
| CTRL+H | Displays the Find and Replace dialog box, with the Replace tab selected. | ||
| CTRL+D | Uses the Fill Down command to copy the contents and format of the topmost cell of a selected range into the cells below. | ||
| CTRL+R | Uses the Fill Right command to copy the contents and format of the leftmost cell of a selected range into the cells to the right. | ||
| CTRL+N | Creates a new, blank workbook. | ||
| CTRL+O | Displays the Open dialog box to open or find a file. | CTRL+SHIFT+O | Selects all cells that contain comments. |
| CTRL+P | Displays the Print dialog box. | CTRL+SHIFT+P | Opens the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab selected. |
| Ctrl+Q | Display the Quick Analysis options for selected cells that contain data. | SHIFT+F4 | Repeats the last Find action. |
| CTRL+S | Saves the active file with its current file name, location, and file format. | CTRL+W | Closes the selected workbook window. |
| CTRL+G/ F5 | Displays the Go To dialog box. | ||
| Ctrl+L or Ctrl+T | Displays the Create Table dialog box. | CTRL+K | Displays the Insert Hyperlink dialog box for new hyperlinks or the Edit Hyperlink dialog box for selected existing hyperlinks. |
Functions key & Its Combination
| Keyboard Press | Description | Keyboard Press | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Displays the Microsoft Office Excel Help task pane. | CTRL+F1 | Displays or hides the Ribbon, a component of the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface. |
| ALT+F1 | Creates a chart of the data in the current range. | ||
| ALT+SHIFT+F1 | Inserts a new worksheet. | ||
| F2 | Edits the active cell and positions the insertion point at the end of the cell contents. It also moves the insertion point into the Formula Bar when editing in a cell is turned off. | CTRL+F2 | Displays the Print Preview window. |
| SHIFT+F2 | Adds or edits a cell comment. | ||
| F3 | Displays the Paste Name dialog box. | SHIFT+F3 | Displays the Insert Function dialog box. |
| F4 | Repeats the last command or action, if possible. | CTRL+F4 | Closes the selected workbook window. |
| SHIFT+F4 | Repeats the last Find action. | ||
| F5 | Displays the Go To dialog box. | CTRL+F5 | Restores the window size of the selected workbook window. |
| F6 | Switches between the worksheet, Ribbon, task pane, and Zoom controls. In a worksheet that has been split (View menu, Manage This Window, Freeze Panes, Split Window command), F6 includes the split panes when switching between panes and the Ribbon area. | CTRL+F6 | Switches to the next workbook window when more than one workbook window is open. |
| SHIFT+F6 | Switches between the worksheet, Zoom controls, task pane, and Ribbon. | ||
| F7 | Displays 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 | Turns extend mode on or off. In extend mode, Extended Selection appears in the status line, and the arrow keys extend the selection. | CTRL+F8 | Performs the Size command (on the Control menu for the workbook window) when a workbook is not maximized. |
| SHIFT+F8 | Enables you to add a nonadjacent cell or range to a selection of cells by using the arrow keys. | ||
| ALT+F8 | Displays the Macro dialog box to create, run, edit, or delete a macro. | ||
| F9 | Calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks. | CTRL+F9 | Minimizes a workbook window to an icon. |
| 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. | ||
| F10 | Turns key tips on or off. | CTRL+F10 | Maximizes or restores the selected workbook window. |
| SHIFT+F10 | Displays the shortcut menu for a selected item. | ||
| ALT+SHIFT+F10 | Displays the menu or message for a smart tag. If more than one smart tag is present, it switches to the next smart tag and displays its menu or message. | ||
| F11 | Creates a chart of the data in the current range. | SHIFT+F11 | Inserts a new worksheet. |
| ALT+F11 | Opens the Microsoft Visual Basic Editor, in which you can create a macro by using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). | ||
| F12 | Displays the Save As dialog box. |
Keyboard shortcut keys for navigating in cells
| Keyboard Press | Description | Keyboard Press | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 (data region: A range of cells that contains data and that is bounded by empty cells or datasheet borders.) 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 ARROW or RIGHT ARROW | 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 ARROW or UP ARROW | 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. | |||
| ALT+DOWN ARROW | Opens a selected drop-down list. | ||
| BACKSPACE | Deletes one character to the left in the Formula Bar. Also 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 or comments. In cell editing mode, it deletes the character to the right of the insertion point. |
| END | Moves to the cell in the lower-right corner of the window when SCROLL LOCK is turned on. 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, in 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, selects all text in the formula bar from the cursor position to the end—this does not affect the height of the formula bar. |
||
| 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. | CTRL+HOME | Moves to the beginning of a worksheet. |
| Selects the first command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible. | CTRL+SHIFT+HOME | Extends the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet. | |
| 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. | ALT+ENTER | Starts a new line in the same cell. |
| Opens a selected menu (press F10 to activate the menu bar) or performs the action for a selected command. | CTRL+ENTER | Fills the selected cell range with the current entry. | |
| 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). | SHIFT+ENTER | Completes a cell entry and selects the cell above. | |
| 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. | ||
| SPACEBAR | In a dialog box, performs the action for the selected button, or selects or clears a check box. | CTRL+SPACEBAR | Selects an entire column in a worksheet. |
| CTRL+SHIFT+ SPACEBAR | Selects the entire worksheet. | SHIFT+SPACEBAR | Selects an entire row in a 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 Microsoft Office Excel window. | |
| TAB | Moves one cell to the right in a worksheet. | SHIFT+TAB | Moves to the previous cell in a worksheet or the previous option in a dialog box. |
| Moves between unlocked cells in a protected worksheet. | CTRL+TAB | Switches to the next tab in dialog box. | |
| Moves to the next option or option group in a dialog box. | CTRL+SHIFT+TAB | Switches to the previous tab in a dialog box. | |
| ESC | Cancels an entry in the cell or Formula Bar. Closes an open menu or submenu, dialog box, or message window. It also closes full screen mode when this mode has been applied, and returns to normal screen mode to display the Ribbon and status bar again. | Ctrl+Shift, then scroll your mouse wheel | Scroll horizontally. Scroll your mouse wheel up to go left, down to go right. |
| Ctrl+Alt+Equal sign(=) | Zoom in. | Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign(-) | Zoom out. |
Ribbon keyboard shortcuts
| Keyboard Press | Description |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Alt+L | Open the Developer menu if it is activated from Excel Option > customize ribbon tab. |
| Tab key or Shift+Tab | Move the focus to commands on the ribbon. |
| Alt or F10 | Select the active tab on the ribbon and activate the access keys. To move to a different tab, use access keys or the arrow keys. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F10 | Show the tooltip for the ribbon element currently in focus. |
| Spacebar or Enter | Activate a selected button. |
| Arrow keys | Move down, up, left, or right, respectively, among the items on the ribbon. |
| Down arrow key | Open the list for a selected command. When a menu or submenu is open, move to the next command. |
| Alt+Down arrow key | Open the menu for a selected button. |
| Ctrl+F1 | Expand or collapse the ribbon. |
| Shift+F10 | Open a context menu. |
| Left arrow key | Move to the submenu when a main menu is open or selected. |
| Ctrl+Left/Right arrow key | Move from one group of controls to another. |
| 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. |
Keyboard shortcuts in the Paste Special dialog box
| Keyboard Press | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Alt+V, or Alt+E+S | Open the Paste Special dialog box. |
| Paste: | |
| Alt+E+S, A | Paste all cell contents and formatting. |
| Alt+E+S, F | Paste only the formulas as entered in the formula bar. |
| Alt+E+S, V | Paste only the values (not the formulas). |
| Alt+E+S, T | Paste only the copied formatting. |
| Alt+E+S, C | Paste only comments and notes attached to the cell. |
| Alt+E+S, N | Paste only the data validation settings from copied cells. |
| Alt+E+S, H | Paste all cell contents and formatting from copied cells of source. |
| Alt+E+S, X | Paste all cell contents without borders. |
| Alt+E+S, W | Paste only column widths from copied cells. |
| Alt+E+S, R | Paste only formulas and number formats from copied cells. |
| Alt+E+S, U | Paste only the values (not formulas) and number formats from copied cells. |
| Operation Shortcuts: | |
| Alt+E+S, O | None |
| Alt+E+S, D | Add |
| Alt+E+S, S | Substract |
| Alt+E+S, M | Multiply |
| Alt+E+S, I | Divide |
| Others: | |
| Alt+E+S, B | Skip Blanks |
| Alt+E+S, E | Transpose |
Keyboard shortcuts in the Go To Special dialog box
| Keyboard Press | Description |
|---|---|
| CTRL+G/F5 | Displays the Go To dialog box. |
| CTRL+G/F5, Alt+S or Special | Displays the Go To Special dialog box appears |
| After open Go To Special dialog box, you can select below key to find and select cells of a specific type within your worksheet | |
| C | Comments - Excel selects all cells with comments in selected range. |
| O | Constants - Excel selects all cells with constants values. |
| F | Formulas - Excel selects all cells with formulas. |
| K | Blanks - Excel selects all blank cells in the selected ranges. |
| R | Current region - Excel selects all cells in the current region. It is more common to click in the desired data range and then to press Ctrl + * or Ctrl + A. |
| A | Current array - Excel selects the entire array if the active cell is within the array. |
| B | Objects - Excel selects all objects such as shapes, images and charts. This would be a good way to select all objects and delete them. |
| W | Row differences - Excel selects all cells that are different from the active cell in the selected row. |
| M | Column Differences - Excel selects all cells that are different from the active cell in the selected column. |
| P | Precedents - Excel selects the cells that are referenced by the formula in the active cell. |
| D | Dependents - Excel selects the cells that are affected by changes in the active cell. |
| S | Last cell - Excel selects the last cell that contains data or formatting. |
| Y | Visible cells only - Excel selects only the visible cells in a selection where there are hidden cells. |
| T | Conditional formats - Excel selects only the cells that have conditional formats applied. |
| V | Data validation - Excel selects all cells that have data validation applied. |