Excel Shortcut Keys, which makes the Microsoft Office product Excel stay on top of the leader board. There are many competitors of Microsoft Excel application yet the first wish of most of us remains the leader.
Do you work on excel, or you have your colleagues working on excel and you get amazed how they work without using the mouse. Well, they don’t do any magic they have trained their muscles to use the shortcuts on the keyboard which makes their work faster.
During the last 34 years since the initial release of excel, it has improved a lot. Today we cannot imagine any company without excel in their daily work. From small data entry to big complex projects anything can be accomplished through today’s powerful excel application of Microsoft.
Working on this powerful application you need to learn its functionalities and get used to it then you will love working on excel.
In the end, we have shared the list which is the collection of a few most common excel shortcut keys used, it’s good if you use them all but most of the time we don’t use them all.
Working on excel have a lot of small but repetitive steps for which you can use the shortcuts, like
- Navigating within the worksheet or among the worksheets
- Insert or remove rows and columns
- Apply filters
- Selecting rows or columns
- Common Shortcut Keys
- 120+ Excel Shortcut Keys list
To taste the power of excel flavored with shortcuts, start using the shortcuts which are basic and most commonly used.
Excel Shortcut Keys for Easy Navigation
Ctrl+Right arrow -> takes you the rightmost column in the existing row
Ctrl+Left arrow -> takes you the left-most column in the existing row
Ctrl+Up arrow -> moves the cursor to the topmost row in the existing column
Ctrl+Down arrow -> moves the cursor to the bottom-most row in the existing column
Ctrl+Page Down -> Changes the active sheet next to the right
Ctrl+Page UP -> Changes the active sheet next to the left
Excel Shortcut keys to Add or remove rows and columns
Ctrl+Shift+= (Ctrl++) -> will open a dialogue to insert a new row or a column or to shift the cells right or down
Ctrl + – –> will open a dialogue to delete a row or a column or to shift the cells left or up
Excel Shortcut keys to Apply Filters
Ctrl+Shift+L or Alt+D+F+F – Toggles the header to apply the filter or to remove the filter.
Filter applied to the data can be used to sort the data in ascending or descending or to filter out the data based on the color, text or selected values.
Excel Shortcut keys for Selecting Rows, columns, cells
By holding down the shift key while moving will add the cells to the selection, but if you wish to select the whole row or the entire column, you don’t have to move each cell just press
Shift + Spacebar to select/deselect the entire row
Ctrl + Spacebar to select/deselect the whole column
If you are at the first cell and want to select the entire data on the sheet you can press
Ctrl+Shift+End Selects the entire data to the end from the current location of the cursor
Similar to this you can press Ctrl+A to select all the data irrespective of the position of the cursor
If you want to select the whole sheet with data and the blank space press again
Ctrl + A to Select all the data
Double press Ctrl+A to Select the complete entire excel sheet.
Extended selection Shortcut
Sometimes we need to select non-continuous data or need to select the large part of the data then the extended selection will come in handy. You can use either
F8 to the cursor at the current cell will be anchor cell and then where ever you click until their cells will be selected.
Shift + F8 to This will allow selecting different cells or different rows or columns, a similar task can be done by holding the control key and selecting the desired cells or rows or columns.
Press escape (ESC) to cancel the selection.
Some more useful Excel shortcut keys to ease the daily work
Ctrl + Shift + : -> Enters the current system time
Ctrl + ; –> Enters the current system date
Ctrl + ` -> Toggles the display value or formula
Alt + = -> Selects the cells above the current cell and give SUM formula.
120+ Basic Excel Shortcut keys
There are many more shortcuts in Excel which can make your complex tasks minimal. Below is the list of 120+ basic shortcuts that you can learn and use to master them.
| Microsoft Excel Shortcut Keys | Effect of the Shortcut Keys |
| Ctrl+A | Selects All cells with continuous data, Double press will select entire active sheet |
| Ctrl+B, Ctrl+2 | Bolds contents of selected cells |
| Ctrl+C | Copies the content of selected cells |
| Ctrl+D | Content of top cell(s) will be Duplicated |
| Ctrl+F | Search (Find) |
| Ctrl+G, F5 | Goes to a specific cell or reference. For eg. B20 |
| Ctrl+H | Find and replace. |
| Ctrl+I, Ctrl+3 | Contents will be transformed to Italics |
| Ctrl+K | Inserts a hyperlink. |
| Ctrl+L, Ctrl+T | Creates the Table |
| Ctrl+N | Creates New workbook |
| Ctrl+O | Opens workbook |
| Ctrl+P | Opens Print dialogue box to print the active sheet |
| Ctrl+R | Contents of the Right cell are copied. |
| Ctrl+S | Saves the open worksheet. |
| Ctrl+U, Ctrl+4 | Selected content will be Underlined |
| Ctrl+V | Pastes everything copied onto the clipboard. |
| Ctrl+W | Closes the current Workbook. |
| Ctrl+X | Selected content will be cut to paste in another place |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo |
| Ctrl+Z, Alt+Backspace | Undo the last action. |
| Ctrl+1 | Changes the format of the selected cells. |
| Ctrl+5 | Puts a strikethrough all cells in the highlighted section. |
| Ctrl+7 | Shows or hides the toolbar. |
| Ctrl+8 | Toggles the outline symbols. |
| Ctrl+9 | Hide rows |
| Ctrl+0 | Hide columns |
| Ctrl+Shift+: | Enters the current system time. |
| Ctrl+; | Enters the current system date. |
| Ctrl+` | Toggles the display value or formula |
| Ctrl+’ | Copies a formula from the cell above. |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Toggle Filters |
| Ctrl+Shift+” | Copies value from the cell above. |
| Ctrl+Shift+= | Inserts a new column or row, or shifts cells right or down |
| Ctrl+Shift+@ | Applies time formatting. |
| Ctrl+Shift+! | Applies comma formatting. |
| Ctrl+Shift+$ | Applies currency formatting. |
| Ctrl+Shift+# | Applies date formatting. |
| Ctrl+Shift+% | Applies percentage formatting. |
| Ctrl+Shift+^ | Applies exponential formatting. |
| Ctrl+Shift+* | Selects the current region around the active cell. |
| Ctrl+Shift+& | Places border around selected cells. |
| Ctrl+Shift+_ | Removes a border. |
| Ctrl++ | Insert. |
| Ctrl+- | Deletes the selected column or row or shifts cells left or up |
| Ctrl+Shift+( | Unhide rows. |
| Ctrl+Shift+) | Unhide columns. |
| Ctrl+/ | Selects the array containing the active cell. |
| Ctrl+\ | Selects the cells that have a static value or don’t match the formula in the active cell. |
| Ctrl+[ | Selects all cells referenced by formulas in the highlighted section. |
| Ctrl+] | Selects cells that contain formulas that reference the active cell. |
| Ctrl+Shift+{ | Selects all cells directly or indirectly referenced by formulas in the highlighted section. |
| Ctrl+Shift+} | Selects cells that contain formulas that directly or indirectly reference the active cell. |
| Ctrl+Shift+| | Selects the cells within a column that don’t match the formula or static value in the active cell. |
| Ctrl+Enter | Fills the selected cells with the current entry. |
| Ctrl+Spacebar | Selects the entire column. |
| Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar | Selects the entire worksheet. |
| Ctrl+Home | Move to cell A1. |
| Ctrl+End | Move to the Last Cell on Worksheet |
| Ctrl+Tab | Move between Two or more open Excel files. |
| Ctrl+Shift+Tab | Activates the previous workbook. |
| Ctrl+Shift+A | Inserts argument names into a formula. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F | Opens the drop-down menu for fonts. |
| Ctrl+Shift+O | Selects all of the cells that contain comments. |
| Ctrl+Shift+P | Opens the drop-down menu for the point size. |
| Shift+Spacebar | Selects the entire row. |
| Shift+Insert | Pastes what is stored on the clipboard. |
| Shift+Page Up | In a single column highlights all cells above that which are selected. |
| Shift+Page Down | In a single column, highlights all cells above that which are selected. |
| Shift+Home | Highlights all text to the left of the cursor. |
| Shift+End | Highlights all text to the right of the cursor. |
| Shift+Up Arrow | Extends the highlighted area up to one cell. |
| Shift+Down Arrow | Extends the highlighted area down one cell. |
| Shift+Left Arrow | Extends the highlighted area left one character. |
| Shift +Right Arrow | Extends the highlighted area right one character. |
| Alt+Tab | Cycles through applications. |
| Alt+Spacebar | Opens the system menu. |
| Alt+Enter | Type in a new line in the same cell |
| Alt+= | It creates a formula to sum all of the above cells. |
| Alt+’ | Allows formatting on a dialog box. |
| F1 | Opens the Help menu. |
| F2 | Edits the selected cell. |
| F3 | After a name has been created, F3 will paste names. |
| F4 | Repeats the last action. For example, if you changed the color of the text in another cell, pressing F4 will change the text in a cell to the same color. |
| F6 | Move to the next pane. |
| F7 | Spell check selected text or document. |
| F8 | Enters Extend Selection Mode. |
| F9 | Recalculates every workbook. |
| F10 | Activates the menu bar. |
| F11 | Creates a chart from selected data. |
| F12, Alt+F2 | Save as. |
| Shift+F1 | Opens the “What’s This?” window. |
| Shift+F2 | It allows the user to edit a cell comment. |
| Shift+F3 | Opens the Excel formula window. |
| Shift+F5 | Brings up a search box. |
| Shift+F6 | Move to the previous pane. |
| Shift+F8 | Add or Remove selection |
| Shift+F9 | Performs calculate function on the active sheet. |
| Shift+F11, Alt+Shift+F1 | Insert New sheet |
| Ctrl+F3 | Open Excel Name Manager. |
| Ctrl+F4 | Closes current Window. |
| Ctrl+F5 | Restores window size. |
| Ctrl+F6 | Next workbook. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F6 | Previous workbook. |
| Ctrl+F7 | Moves the window. |
| Ctrl+F8 | Resizes the window. |
| Ctrl+F9 | Minimize the current window. |
| Ctrl+F10 | Maximize the currently selected window. |
| Ctrl+F11 | Inserts a macro sheet. |
| Ctrl+F12 | Opens a file. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F3 | Creates names by using those of either row or column labels. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F6 | Moves to the previous worksheet window. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F12 | Prints the current worksheet. |
| Alt+F1 | Inserts a chart. |
| Alt+F4 | Exits Excel. |
| Alt+F8 | Opens the macro dialog box. |
| Alt+F11 | Opens the Visual Basic editor. |
| Alt+Shift+F1 | Creates a new worksheet. |
| Alt+Shift+F2 | Saves the current worksheet. |
Conclusion
I hope you find this article useful, please let us know which of these are your favorite shortcuts you use most. If you have any other tricks and shortcuts you use most of the time please share it in comments we would love to hear it from you.
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