30 most useful Excel keyboard shortcuts

Microsoft Excel is a very powerful application for spreadsheet processing and a pretty old one, its first version emerged as early as in 1984. Each new version of Excel came with more and more new shortcuts and seeing the full list (over 200!) you may feel a bit intimidated.

Don't panic! 20 or 30 keyboard shortcuts will absolutely suffice for everyday work; while others are purposed for highly specific tasks such as writing VBA macros, outlining data, managing PivotTables, recalculating big workbooks, etc.

I've put together a list of the most frequent shortcuts below. Also, you can download top 30 Excel shortcuts as a pdf file.

If you want to re-arrange the shortcuts to your liking or extend the list, then download the original workbook.

Must-have Excel shortcuts no workbook can do without

I know, I know, these are basic shortcuts and most of you are comfortable with them. Still, let me write them down again for beginners.

Note for newbies: The plus sign "+" means the keys should be pressed simultaneously. The Ctrl and Alt keys are located on the bottom left and bottom right sides of most keyboards.

Shortcut Description
Ctrl + N Create a new workbook.
Ctrl + O Open an existing workbook.
Ctrl + S Save the active workbook.
F12 Save the active workbook under a new name, displays the Save as dialog box.
Ctrl + W Close the active workbook.
Ctrl + C Copy the contents of the selected cells to Clipboard.
Ctrl + X Cut the contents of the selected cells to Clipboard.
Ctrl + V Insert the contents of the Clipboard into the selected cell(s).
Ctrl + Z Undo your last action. Panic button :)
Ctrl + P Open the "Print" dialog.

Formatting data

Shortcut Description
Ctrl + 1 Open the "Format Cells" dialog.
Ctrl + T "Convert selected cells to a table. You can also select any cell in a range of related data, and pressing Ctrl + T will make it a table.
Find more about Excel tables and their features.

Working with formulas

Shortcut Description
Tab Autocomplete the function name. Example: Enter = and start typing vl, press Tab and you will get =vlookup(
F4 Cycle through various combinations of formula reference types. Place the cursor within a cell and hit F4 to get the needed reference type: absolute, relative or mixed (relative column and absolute row, absolute column and relative row).
Ctrl + ` Toggle between displaying cell values and formulas.
Ctrl + ' Insert the formula of the above cell into the currently selected cell or the Formula Bar.

Navigating and viewing data

Shortcut Description
Ctrl + F1 Show / hide the Excel Ribbon. Hide the ribbon to view more than 4 rows of data.
Ctrl + Tab Switch to the next open Excel workbook.
Ctrl + PgDown Switch to the next worksheet. Press Ctrl + PgUp to switch to the previous sheet.
Ctrl + G Open the "Go to" dialog. Pressing F5 displays the same dialog.
Ctrl + F Display the "Find" dialog box.
Home Return to the 1st cell of the current row in a worksheet.
Ctrl + Home Move to the beginning of a worksheet (A1 cell).
Ctrl + End Move to the last used cell of the current worksheet, i.e. the lowest row of the rightmost column.

Entering data

Shortcut Description
F2 Edit the current cell.
Alt + Enter In cell editing mode, enter a new line (carriage return) into a cell.
Ctrl + ; Enter the current date. Press Ctrl + Shift + ; to enter the current time.
Ctrl + Enter Fill the selected cells with the contents of the current cell.
Example: select several cells. Press and hold down Ctrl, click on any cell within selection and press F2 to edit it. Then hit Ctrl + Enter and the contents of the edited cell will be copied into all selected cells.
Ctrl + D Copy the contents and format of the first cell in the selected range into the cells below. If more than one column is selected, the contents of the topmost cell in each column will be copied downwards.
Ctrl + Shift + V Open the "Paste Special" dialog when clipboard is not empty.
Ctrl + Y Repeat / Redo the last action, if possible.

Selecting data

Shortcut Description
Ctrl + A Select the entire worksheet. If the cursor is currently placed within a table, press once to select the table, press one more time to select the whole worksheet.
Ctrl + Home then Ctrl + Shift + End Select the entire range of your actual used data on the current worksheet.
Ctrl + Space Select the entire column.
Shift + Space Select the entire row.

Table of contents

109 comments

  1. Hmm good

  2. Dear Team,

    These Shortcut keys of excel is a basic keys that every excel Worker knows very well.

    Note:- You need to improve and you have to provide us best excel shortcut keys which is useful for us.

    Thank You!!

  3. these are shortcut key of excel very useful. Thanx a lottttt

  4. Want very usefull shortcut keys use in exel plz send me ok
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  5. please i need shortcut to change from lower case to upper case in excel

  6. usefull

  7. very usefull

  8. thanks for a wonderful help.

  9. Thanks for give sort keys

  10. ctrl home,
    ctrl shift end
    will change my life!!!

    • Hi ctrl + o
      You open my heart.
      Tnx alot

  11. Nice information

  12. Great list!! Helpful quick tips. The select data ones were new to me. Thanks!

  13. Could u like to teach me how to insert phone number which starts with Zero in excel cells .
    How can I insert long name or information in a cell but it will show same size cell ? .....waiting for ur reply ...........

    Thanks

    • 1.Put apostrophe before inserting number.
      2.Home - Format - Autofit Column Width.(You can use the shortcut - Alt+HOI)

  14. ‘Excel shortcuts and tricks’ is my favourite topic and I love them. Apart from keyboard shortcuts I also love using something called ‘ribbon shortcuts’ – press F10 or Alt to start with, then select the letter displayed accordingly to get the command you want. After a little practise, the steps should be able to memorised and performed quickly from head – this is much faster than clicking using the mouse.

    For example:

    F10, W, F, F – to freeze/ unfreeze panes
    F10, A, C – to clear all filters

  15. Very nice.It's very helpful to everybody.

    • Some shortcuts that I use everyday but not listed in the first post:

      Ctrl + Shift + L (to apply/ remove filter)

      Ctrl + B / I / U (don’t need to explain do I?)

      F7 (spell check)

      Ctrl + roll the mouse wheel (zoom in and out)

      Hold down Ctrl, click hold a worksheet tab, drag across to the right hand side, release the mouse then release the Ctrl key (this duplicates the current worksheet instantly on a new tab, surprisingly useful in some situations)

      Also, customized the quick access toolbar to my exact requirement, place it below the ribbon, and hide the ribbon (Ctrl + F1) – this is my Excel layout

  16. very useful

  17. thnxs to help us

  18. Thank u so much

  19. excel shortcut key

  20. How Can One Insert Numbers Automatically

    • Write 1 and 2, then select both the Cells and drag the selection downward.

  21. Dear Respected Sir,

    Please get me work easy way to do the excel sheet with all functions with total solution to do my daily reports and invoices multi national company on going jobs.

  22. RAMNATH DIGHULE

    I HOPE
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  23. I AM MY BEST KNOWLDGE OF EXELE

  24. It's very helpful.I can use the excel more faster.Thank you very much.

  25. Great to know.

  26. As'Salam-o-Alaikum
    Very Instructive and must for every Excel user
    Highly Recommended
    I wanted to include an Important one for VBA Programming
    Alt+F11 to open VBA(Visual Basic for Applications)IDE

  27. my 20 to exsl untfortun due volume fo commetsrccived

  28. good,

  29. thanks so much,very helpful

  30. i need vlookup formula in shortcut to complete the work fast....

  31. what is the shortcut key to Vlookup

  32. yes it is very beautyfull shartcut evaryone persons you's fully then better

  33. Very helpful,easy to understand & remember shortcuts.
    Hope for more shortcuts soon.

  34. thanks its very useful formulas

  35. It was really helpful. Thanks a ton for this awesome content made available.

  36. Its very nice though an good job

  37. Explained is good but Pls put some example images of particular shortcut keys.Thanks

  38. Thanks a lot :) very helpful, KUDOS!

  39. very useful

  40. Dafur you are wasting your time

    • I love this app thank u its nice and helpful

  41. very useful thanks a lot...

  42. short cut key on mail in and daily tip

  43. This is nice shortkut key in excell thanks for add this

  44. very useful very helpful
    Thanks a lot

  45. Good job

  46. Your teachings are a value addition to me. May Allah blessed his mercy on you with rejoicings of this world and the heaven.
    Regards

  47. this is nice...all the information that i have been looking for are all in here... ♥♥♥

  48. Thank's

  49. very helpful, much better than watching the videos.
    thankx much'

  50. excel most important daily useful key send my email ID. please

    • i want excel shorcut

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