Microsoft Excel Keyboard Shortcuts

 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts – 200+ Shortcuts to Work Faster

1. Most Useful Excel Keyboard Shortcuts

Start with these shortcuts if you don't want to memorize the entire list.

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + N

Create a new workbook

Ctrl + O

Open workbook

Ctrl + S

Save workbook

Ctrl + P

Print

Ctrl + W

Close workbook

Ctrl + C

Copy

Ctrl + X

Cut

Ctrl + V

Paste

Ctrl + Z

Undo

Ctrl + Y

Redo

Ctrl + F

Find

Ctrl + H

Find and Replace

Ctrl + A

Select data/current region

Ctrl + G

Go To

F2

Edit active cell

F4

Repeat action / toggle absolute references while editing formulas

F5

Go To

F9

Calculate formulas

F11

Create chart

Alt + =

AutoSum

Ctrl + ;

Enter current date

Ctrl + Shift + ;

Enter current time

2. Workbook Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + N

New workbook

Ctrl + O

Open workbook

Ctrl + S

Save workbook

F12

Save As

Ctrl + W

Close workbook

Ctrl + P

Print

Ctrl + F4

Close workbook window

Ctrl + F6

Switch between open workbook windows

Ctrl + Tab

Switch between open workbooks

Alt + F

Open File menu

Ctrl + Shift + S

Open Save As in supported versions

Alt + F, I

Open file-related options in some Excel versions

3. Basic Editing Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + C

Copy

Ctrl + X

Cut

Ctrl + V

Paste

Ctrl + Z

Undo

Ctrl + Y

Redo

Delete

Clear cell contents

Backspace

Delete/edit selected cell content depending on context

F2

Edit active cell

Esc

Cancel cell entry

Enter

Complete entry and move down

Shift + Enter

Complete entry and move up

Tab

Complete entry and move right

Shift + Tab

Complete entry and move left

Ctrl + Enter

Fill selected cells with current entry

Alt + Enter

Insert line break inside a cell

4. Navigation Shortcuts

These shortcuts are extremely useful when working with large Excel files.

Shortcut

Action

Arrow Keys

Move one cell

Ctrl + Arrow Key

Jump to edge of data region

Home

Move to beginning of row

Ctrl + Home

Go to cell A1

Ctrl + End

Go to last used cell

Page Up

Move one screen up

Page Down

Move one screen down

Alt + Page Up

Move one screen left

Alt + Page Down

Move one screen right

Ctrl + Page Up

Previous worksheet

Ctrl + Page Down

Next worksheet

F5

Open Go To

Ctrl + G

Open Go To

Ctrl + Backspace

Scroll active cell into view

5. Selecting Cells

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + A

Select current data region/all data

Shift + Arrow

Extend selection by one cell

Ctrl + Shift + Arrow

Extend selection to edge of data

Shift + Space

Select entire row

Ctrl + Space

Select entire column

Ctrl + Shift + Space

Select current region in applicable contexts

Ctrl + A twice

Select entire worksheet in many contexts

Shift + Page Down

Extend selection one screen down

Shift + Page Up

Extend selection one screen up

Ctrl + Shift + Home

Select to beginning of worksheet

Ctrl + Shift + End

Select to last used cell

6. Entering Data Faster

Shortcut

Action

Enter

Enter data and move down

Tab

Enter data and move right

Shift + Enter

Enter and move up

Shift + Tab

Enter and move left

Ctrl + Enter

Enter same value into all selected cells

Alt + Enter

New line within a cell

Ctrl + D

Fill Down

Ctrl + R

Fill Right

Ctrl + ;

Insert current date

Ctrl + Shift + ;

Insert current time

Ctrl + Shift + "

Copy value from cell above

Ctrl + '

Copy formula from cell above

7. Formula Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

=

Start a formula

Alt + =

Insert AutoSum

F2

Edit formula

F4

Toggle absolute/relative references

F9

Calculate formulas

Shift + F9

Calculate active worksheet

Ctrl + Alt + F9

Force calculation of all formulas

Ctrl + Shift + Enter

Enter legacy array formula

Ctrl + `

Show/hide formulas

Alt + M

Open Formulas tab

Ctrl + [

Select cells referenced by formula

Ctrl + ]

Select cells containing references to active cell

Example

Suppose you have:

=A1*B1

Place the cursor on a cell reference and press:

F4

Excel can cycle the reference through:

A1

$A$1

A$1

$A1

This is extremely useful when creating formulas that need mixed references.

8. Formatting Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + B

Bold

Ctrl + I

Italic

Ctrl + U

Underline

Ctrl + 5

Strikethrough

Ctrl + 1

Format Cells dialog

Ctrl + Shift + ~

General format

Ctrl + Shift + $

Currency format

Ctrl + Shift + %

Percentage format

Ctrl + Shift + ^

Scientific format

Ctrl + Shift + #

Date format

Ctrl + Shift + @

Time format

Ctrl + Shift + !

Number format

Ctrl + Shift + &

Apply outline border

Ctrl + Shift + _

Remove outline border

9. Number Formatting Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + Shift + 1

Number format

Ctrl + Shift + 2

Time format

Ctrl + Shift + 3

Date format

Ctrl + Shift + 4

Currency format

Ctrl + Shift + 5

Percentage format

Ctrl + Shift + 6

Scientific format

Ctrl + Shift + 7

Apply border

Ctrl + Shift + ~

General format

10. Rows and Columns

Shortcut

Action

Shift + Space

Select row

Ctrl + Space

Select column

Ctrl + +

Insert cells/rows/columns

Ctrl + -

Delete cells/rows/columns

Ctrl + 9

Hide selected rows

Ctrl + 0

Hide selected columns

Ctrl + Shift + (

Unhide rows

Ctrl + Shift + )

Unhide columns

Alt + H, O, I

AutoFit column width

Alt + H, O, A

AutoFit row height

11. Worksheet Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + Page Up

Previous worksheet

Ctrl + Page Down

Next worksheet

Shift + F11

Insert new worksheet

Alt + H, O, R

Rename worksheet

Alt + H, O, M

Move or copy worksheet

Alt + H, D, S

Delete worksheet

Ctrl + Shift + Page Up

Select previous sheet with current sheet

Ctrl + Shift + Page Down

Select next sheet with current sheet

12. Find and Replace

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + F

Find

Ctrl + H

Find and Replace

Shift + F4

Find next

Ctrl + F

Search within worksheet/workbook

Ctrl + G

Go To

Useful Excel trick

Press:

Ctrl + H

You can quickly replace:

ABC

with:

XYZ

throughout a selected range or worksheet.

13. Filtering and Sorting

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + Shift + L

Turn filters on/off

Alt + Down Arrow

Open filter/drop-down menu

Alt + A, S, A

Sort A to Z in supported ribbon sequence

Alt + A, S, D

Sort Z to A in supported ribbon sequence

Ctrl + A

Select data/current region

Quick Filter Tip

Click anywhere inside your data and press:

Ctrl + Shift + L

Excel adds AutoFilter buttons to the headers.

Then press:

Alt + Down Arrow

on a header to open its filter menu.

14. Excel Tables

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + T

Create table

Ctrl + A

Select table/current data

Tab

Move to next table cell

Alt + Down Arrow

Open table/filter menu

Ctrl + Shift + L

Toggle filters

Create a table quickly

Select your data and press:

Ctrl + T

Then confirm the range and whether your table has headers.

15. PivotTable Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

Alt + N, V

Insert PivotTable in supported ribbon sequence

Alt + Down Arrow

Open field/filter menu

F5

Go To

Ctrl + A

Select current PivotTable region

Alt + F5

Refresh PivotTable

Ctrl + Alt + F5

Refresh all data/connections where supported

PivotTable shortcut behavior can vary between Excel versions and ribbon configurations.

16. Charts

Shortcut

Action

F11

Create chart on a chart sheet

Alt + F1

Create embedded chart

Ctrl + 1

Format selected chart element

Arrow Keys

Navigate chart elements

Delete

Delete selected chart element

Quick chart trick

Select your data and press:

Alt + F1

Excel immediately creates a chart using the selected data.

17. Paste Special Shortcuts

Paste Special is one of the most useful Excel features for advanced users.

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + C

Copy

Ctrl + Alt + V

Open Paste Special

V

Paste values in Paste Special dialog

F

Paste formulas in Paste Special dialog

T

Paste formats in applicable Paste Special dialog

Enter

Confirm selection

Example

If you have formulas but want only the results:

  1. Select cells
  2. Press Ctrl + C
  3. Press Ctrl + Alt + V
  4. Choose Values
  5. Press Enter

18. Insert and Delete

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + +

Insert cells/rows/columns

Ctrl + -

Delete cells/rows/columns

Ctrl + Shift + +

Insert cells/rows/columns depending on keyboard

Delete

Clear contents

Backspace

Clear/edit selected content depending on context

19. Freeze Panes

Excel does not have a single universal default shortcut for every Freeze Panes operation.

However, you can access the command through the Ribbon.

Use:

Alt + W

to access the View tab, then navigate to Freeze Panes using the displayed Ribbon key tips.

Freeze Panes is especially useful for large datasets where you need to keep headings visible while scrolling.

20. Hide and Unhide

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl + 9

Hide selected rows

Ctrl + 0

Hide selected columns

Ctrl + Shift + (

Unhide rows

Ctrl + Shift + )

Unhide columns

21. Comments and Notes

Depending on your Excel version and whether you are using comments or legacy notes:

Shortcut

Action

Shift + F2

Insert/edit note in supported Excel versions

Ctrl + Shift + F2

Comment-related shortcut may vary by version

Microsoft has changed the terminology and functionality around Comments and Notes, so these shortcuts can differ between versions.

22. Selection Tricks

These are particularly useful when working with thousands of rows.

Select entire column

Press:

Ctrl + Space

Select entire row

Press:

Shift + Space

Select data to the bottom

Press:

Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow

Select data to the right

Press:

Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow

Select from current cell to A1

Press:

Ctrl + Shift + Home

Select from current cell to last used cell

Press:

Ctrl + Shift + End

23. Navigation in Large Worksheets

If your worksheet contains 50,000 or 100,000 rows, don't scroll manually.

Click a cell and press:

Ctrl + Down Arrow

Excel jumps to the edge of the current data region.

Similarly:

Ctrl + Right Arrow

moves to the right edge.

For the entire worksheet:

Ctrl + Home

takes you to A1.

Ctrl + End

takes you to the last used cell.

24. Excel Go To Special

Press:

Ctrl + G

or:

F5

Then select Special.

Go To Special can help you select:

  • Blank cells
  • Formulas
  • Constants
  • Comments/Notes
  • Visible cells
  • Objects
  • Conditional formatting
  • Data validation

This is especially useful when cleaning large Excel datasets.

25. Workbook Calculation

Shortcut

Action

F9

Calculate formulas

Shift + F9

Calculate active worksheet

Ctrl + Alt + F9

Recalculate all formulas

Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F9

Recheck dependencies and recalculate

F2, Enter

Re-enter formula and calculate cell

These shortcuts can be useful when working with large workbooks containing many formulas.

26. Advanced Excel Shortcuts

Shortcut

Action

F4

Repeat last action / toggle references

F5

Go To

F9

Calculate

Shift + F9

Calculate worksheet

Ctrl + Alt + F9

Force full calculation

Ctrl + 6

Show/hide objects depending on Excel settings

Ctrl + `

Show formulas

Ctrl + Shift + U

Expand/collapse formula bar

Alt + F8

Open Macro dialog

Alt + F11

Open Visual Basic Editor

Alt + F12

Power Query-related behavior may depend on Excel version/add-ins

27. Macro and VBA Shortcuts

For users who work with Excel VBA:

Shortcut

Action

Alt + F8

Open Macro dialog

Alt + F11

Open Visual Basic Editor

F5

Run macro in VBA Editor

F8

Step through VBA code

Shift + F8

Step over procedure

Ctrl + Break

Interrupt running code

Ctrl + S

Save VBA project/workbook

VBA functionality requires the desktop version of Excel and may not be available in Excel for the web.

28. Ribbon Keyboard Shortcuts

Press:

Alt

Excel displays Key Tips for the Ribbon.

You can then use the displayed letters to access commands without using the mouse.

For example, depending on your Excel version:

Alt + H

opens the Home tab.

Other Ribbon tabs can be accessed using the letters displayed by Excel.

This is one of the best techniques for users who want to become truly keyboard-oriented Excel users.

29. Excel Shortcut Cheat Sheet

Here are the shortcuts worth memorizing first:

Shortcut

Function

Ctrl + C

Copy

Ctrl + X

Cut

Ctrl + V

Paste

Ctrl + Z

Undo

Ctrl + Y

Redo

Ctrl + S

Save

Ctrl + F

Find

Ctrl + H

Replace

Ctrl + 1

Format Cells

F2

Edit cell

F4

Absolute reference/repeat

F5

Go To

F9

Calculate

Alt + =

AutoSum

Ctrl + T

Create Table

Ctrl + Shift + L

Filter

Ctrl + D

Fill Down

Ctrl + R

Fill Right

Ctrl + Space

Select column

Shift + Space

Select row

Ctrl + Home

Go to A1

Ctrl + End

Last used cell

Ctrl + Page Up

Previous sheet

Ctrl + Page Down

Next sheet

Ctrl + ;

Current date

Ctrl + Shift + ;

Current time

Alt + F1

Create chart

Alt + F8

Macros

Alt + F11

VBA Editor

30. 25 Excel Shortcuts That Can Save You the Most Time

If you're an office or business Excel user, learn these first:

  1. Ctrl + C – Copy
  2. Ctrl + V – Paste
  3. Ctrl + X – Cut
  4. Ctrl + Z – Undo
  5. Ctrl + Y – Redo
  6. Ctrl + S – Save
  7. Ctrl + F – Find
  8. Ctrl + H – Replace
  9. Ctrl + 1 – Format Cells
  10. F2 – Edit cell
  11. F4 – Toggle formula references
  12. Ctrl + Arrow – Jump through data
  13. Ctrl + Shift + Arrow – Select data
  14. Ctrl + Space – Select column
  15. Shift + Space – Select row
  16. Ctrl + T – Create table
  17. Ctrl + Shift + L – Filter
  18. Ctrl + D – Fill Down
  19. Ctrl + R – Fill Right
  20. Alt + = – AutoSum
  21. Ctrl + ; – Insert today's date
  22. Ctrl + Shift + ; – Insert current time
  23. Ctrl + Page Up/Down – Switch sheets
  24. Ctrl + Home – Go to A1
  25. Ctrl + End – Go to last used cell

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most useful Excel shortcut?

For everyday users, Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + Z, F2, Ctrl + Arrow, Ctrl + Shift + Arrow, Ctrl + 1 and Ctrl + Shift + L are among the most useful.

What is the shortcut for AutoSum?

Press:

Alt + =

Excel automatically inserts an SUM formula where appropriate.

What is the shortcut to create an Excel table?

Select your data and press:

Ctrl + T

What is the shortcut to turn filters on or off?

Press:

Ctrl + Shift + L

What is the shortcut to edit a cell?

Press:

F2

What does F4 do in Excel?

F4 has more than one important use. While editing a formula, it cycles through relative and absolute cell references. In other contexts, it can repeat the previous action.

How do I select an entire Excel column?

Click a cell in the column and press:

Ctrl + Space

How do I select an entire row?

Press:

Shift + Space

How do I quickly fill a formula down?

Select the formula cell and the cells below it, then press:

Ctrl + D

How do I switch between Excel worksheets?

Use:

Ctrl + Page Up

for the previous worksheet and:

Ctrl + Page Down

for the next worksheet.

How do I open the Format Cells dialog?

Press:

Ctrl + 1

How do I open the VBA Editor?

Press:

Alt + F11

How do I open the Macro dialog?

Press:

Alt + F8

 

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