Recommended Excel Shortcuts: Boost Your Efficiency and Productivity
Keyboard shortcuts are a game-changer when it comes to increasing your efficiency in Excel. Instead of wasting time navigating through menus and clicking multiple times, you can easily perform tasks with just a few keystrokes. In this article, we’ll explore essential Excel shortcuts that will turbocharge your productivity and help you become an Excel Savvy.
Here are Savvy’s recommended Excel shortcuts for improved productivity. For a complete (and extremely long) list of Excel shortcuts. Click Here.
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Navigation
Navigating through Excel spreadsheets can be time-consuming, especially when dealing with large datasets. Here are some essential keyboard shortcuts for efficient navigation:
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Arrow Key | Move to the edge of the data region |
| Ctrl + Home | Move to cell A1 |
| Ctrl + End | Move to the last cell with data in a worksheet |
| Page Up/Page Down | Scroll one screen up/down |
| Alt + Page Up/Page Down | Move between worksheets |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch between open workbooks |
| Ctrl + F6 | Switch between open workbooks |
| Ctrl + F9 | Minimize the current workbook window |
By mastering these keyboard shortcuts, you’ll be able to navigate through your worksheets with ease and efficiency.
Time-Saving Shortcuts for Formatting
Formatting your data in Excel is essential for presenting information clearly. Here are some time-saving shortcuts for formatting:
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+U | Apply bold, italic, or underline formatting to selected cells. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F | Open the Format Cells dialog box for advanced formatting options. |
| Ctrl+Shift+1 | Apply the Number format to selected cells. |
| Ctrl+Shift+5 | Apply the Strikethrough format to selected cells. |
| Ctrl+Shift+$ | Apply the Currency format to selected cells. |
By using these shortcuts, you can format your data quickly and efficiently, saving valuable time and effort.
Powerful Shortcuts for Data Analysis
Excel is a powerful tool for data analysis, and these shortcuts will help you make the most of its capabilities:
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Alt+= | Automatically sum a range of numbers. |
| F2 | Edit the contents of a cell. |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Apply filters to a range of data. |
| Alt+D, P | Create a pivot table from selected data. |
| F9 | Calculate the selected formula. |
By mastering these shortcuts, you’ll be able to perform data analysis tasks with ease and efficiency, empowering you to derive valuable insights from your data.
Additional Excel Shortcuts
In addition to the essential shortcuts mentioned above, Excel offers a wide range of other shortcuts that can further enhance your productivity. Here are a few more examples:
General Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + N | New Workbook |
| Ctrl + O | Open Workbook |
| Ctrl + S | Save Workbook |
| Ctrl + P | Print Workbook |
| Ctrl + F4 | Close Workbook |
| Ctrl + W | Close Excel |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + A | Select All |
| Ctrl + F | Find |
| Ctrl + H | Replace |
| Ctrl + G | Go To |
| Ctrl + Q | Quick Analysis |
Navigation Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Shift + Arrow Key | Extend selection |
| Ctrl + Space | Select the entire column |
| Shift + Space | Select the entire row |
| Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Key | Select the data region |
| Ctrl + F9 | Minimize the current workbook window |
| Ctrl + F10 | Maximize or restore the current workbook window |
| Alt + F11 | Open Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) editor |
| Ctrl + F | Activate the Find box |
| Ctrl + Shift + F | Activate the Find and Replace box |
Editing Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| F2 | Edit the active cell |
| Ctrl + Enter | Enter data in selected cells |
| Alt + E, S, V | Paste Special |
| Ctrl + ‘ (Apostrophe) | Copy the formula from above cell |
| Ctrl + ” (Quotation Mark) | Copy the value from above cell |
Formatting Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + 1 | Format cells dialog box |
| Ctrl + B | Bold |
| Ctrl + I | Italic |
| Ctrl + U | Underline |
| Ctrl + 5 | Strikethrough |
| Ctrl + Shift + $ | Currency format |
| Ctrl + Shift + # | Date format |
| Ctrl + 0 | Hide columns |
| Ctrl + Shift + + (Plus Key) | Unhide columns |
| Ctrl + 9 | Hide rows |
| Ctrl + Shift + – (Minus Key) | Unhide rows |
Data Entry Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Alt + Enter | Start a new line in a cell |
| Ctrl + ; | Insert the current date |
| Ctrl + Shift + : (Colon) | Insert the current time |
| Ctrl + ` (Grave Accent) | Toggle formula view |
| Ctrl + – (Minus Key) | Delete contents of selected cells |
Function Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Alt + = | AutoSum |
| Ctrl + Shift + “$” | Insert dollar signs in a formula |
| Ctrl + ~ | Toggle display of formulas and values |
Cell Reference Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| F4 | Toggle between relative and absolute references |
| Ctrl + Shift + L | Apply or remove AutoFilter |
| Ctrl + Shift + $ | Apply Currency format |
| Ctrl + Shift + % | Apply Percentage format |
Window Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + (Plus Key) | Group rows or columns |
| Ctrl + Shift + ) (Right Parenthesis) | Ungroup rows or columns |
| Ctrl + 8 | Toggle display of outline symbols |
| Alt + Shift + – (Minus Key) | Insert a horizontal line in a cell |
| Alt + Enter | Enter a new line within a cell |
These shortcuts cover a wide range of Excel functions and tasks. They are designed to help you work more efficiently and navigate through Excel with ease.
Considerations: for Excel Web and Excel Mac Users
The keyboard shortcuts mentioned in the post apply to the desktop version of Microsoft Excel. However, the availability of shortcuts in the web version of Excel, or for the Mac version might vary
Here are some general considerations:
Excel Web Shortcuts
- Microsoft Excel Online:
- Excel Online provides a subset of features compared to the desktop version.
- Some keyboard shortcuts might not be available or might have different key combinations.
- Basic navigation and formatting shortcuts are often supported.
- Web Browser:
- The web browser itself may have keyboard shortcuts that could conflict with Excel Online shortcuts. : for example, Ctrl + S might save the webpage instead of saving the workbook.
- Updates:
- Microsoft regularly updates its Office Online applications, and new features, including shortcuts, may be added over time.
Excel Shortcuts for Mac
some of the keyboard shortcuts might have slight variations on a Mac. Here are the common adjustments for Mac users:
- Replace Ctrl with Command (⌘) key.
- Replace Alt with Option key
- The Home and End keys might not be available on all Mac keyboards.
For example:
- Windows Shortcut: Ctrl + Arrow Key
- Mac Shortcut: Command+ Arrow Key
- Windows Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + L
- Mac Shortcut: Command + Shift + L
*learn more? I recommend checking Microsoft’s official documentation.
These shortcuts are just the tip of the iceberg. Excel offers a vast array of other shortcuts for various tasks, Exploring and mastering these recommended shortcuts will significantly boost your efficiency and productivity in Excel.
Excel Savvy #1 Finale
Practice makes perfect: The more you use these shortcuts, the more proficient you’ll become. So, start incorporating these shortcuts into your Excel workflow and become an Excel Savvy!
Excel Shortcuts Lists:
Excel shortcuts Full List
We’ve delved into a curated collection of Excel shortcuts to boost productivity. If you’re looking for a comprehensive (albeit lengthy) list of Excel shortcuts, you can find it on the Microsoft support page
Download Excel Shortcuts Cheat Sheet PDF
You can also download Microsoft’s Excel shortcuts cheat sheet
I hope this article helps you become more efficient in Excel. Stay tuned for more in our Excel tutorial series; in our next post, we will talk about Excel customization, covering tasks such as adding/removing commands, customizing the toolbar, and a lot more! If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out. Stay Savvy and keep exploring the world of Excel, Until next time.
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