Comprehensive Keyboard Shortcut Keys Guide for Excel (Windows & MacOS)
Ajesh Rana
Published on 02-08-2024
Introduction
Keyboard shortcuts are a powerful tool in any Excel user's arsenal. Mastering these shortcuts can significantly enhance your efficiency by minimizing reliance on the mouse, allowing you to focus on your work without unnecessary interruptions. This guide covers essential shortcuts for both Windows and macOS that will elevate your Excel game.
Why Use Keyboard Shortcuts?
- Increase your speed by performing tasks without navigating through menus.
- Enhance accuracy by reducing the need to switch between keyboard and mouse.
- Boost productivity by streamlining your workflow with quick actions.
Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows & macOS
| Simple Meaning | Action | Description | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Select All | Select the entire worksheet or data range. | Selects all cells or data. | CTRL+A | CMD+A |
| Bold | Apply or remove bold formatting. | Toggles bold formatting. | CTRL+B | CMD+B |
| Copy | Copy the selected cells or data to the clipboard. | Copies the selected content. | CTRL+C | CMD+C |
| Fill Down | Fill the content and format of the top cell in the selected range downwards. | Copies data from the top cell to the cells below. | CTRL+D | CMD+D |
| Flash Fill | Automatically fill in values based on detected patterns. | Fills in values automatically based on the pattern. | CTRL+E | CMD+E |
| Find | Search for specific data within the worksheet. | Opens the Find dialog box. | CTRL+F | CMD+F |
| Go to | Jump to a specific cell or range within the worksheet. | Opens the Go To dialog box. | CTRL+G or F5 | CMD+G |
| Replace | Search for and replace data within the worksheet. | Opens the Replace dialog box. | CTRL+H | CMD+H |
| Italics | Apply or remove italic formatting. | Toggles italic formatting. | CTRL+I | CMD+I |
| Hyperlink | Insert or edit a hyperlink. | Opens the Insert Hyperlink dialog box. | CTRL+K | CMD+K |
| Insert Table | Convert the selected data range into a table. | Creates a table from the selected data. | CTRL+L/T | CMD+T |
| New Workbook | Create a new Excel workbook. | Opens a new workbook. | CTRL+N | CMD+N |
| Open Workbook | Open an existing Excel workbook. | Opens an existing workbook. | CTRL+O | CMD+O |
| Print the current worksheet or workbook. | Opens the Print dialog box. | CTRL+P | CMD+P | |
| Fill Right | Fill the content and format of the leftmost cell in the selected range to the right. | Copies data from the leftmost cell to the cells on the right. | CTRL+R | CMD+R |
| Save | Save the current workbook. | Saves the current workbook. | CTRL+S | CMD+S |
| Underline | Apply or remove underline formatting. | Toggles underline formatting. | CTRL+U | CMD+U |
| Paste | Paste the copied data or cells from the clipboard. | Pastes the copied content. | CTRL+V | CMD+V |
| Close Workbook | Close the current workbook. | Closes the active workbook. | CTRL+W | CMD+W |
| Cut | Cut the selected cells or data to the clipboard. | Cuts the selected content. | CTRL+X | CMD+X |
| Redo | Redo the last undone action. | Redoes the last action undone. | CTRL+Y | CMD+Y |
| Undo | Undo the last action. | Reverses the last action. | CTRL+Z | CMD+Z |
| Next Application | Switch to the next open application. | Cycles through open applications. | ALT+TAB | CMD+TAB |
| Spell Check | Run a spell check on the selected text or worksheet. | Opens the Spell Check dialog box. | F7 | F7 |
| Save As | Open the "Save As" dialog box. | Opens the Save As dialog box. | F12 | CMD+SHIFT+S |
| Clear Contents | Clear the contents of the selected cells. | Deletes the content of the selected cells. | Delete | FN+Delete |
| Move Up | Move the selection up one cell. | Moves the active cell up. | Up Arrow | Up Arrow |
| Move Down | Move the selection down one cell. | Moves the active cell down. | Down Arrow | Down Arrow |
| Move Left | Move the selection left one cell. | Moves the active cell left. | Left Arrow | Left Arrow |
| Move Right | Move the selection right one cell. | Moves the active cell right. | Right Arrow | Right Arrow |
| Edit Comment | Edit the comment on the selected cell. | Opens the comment editor. | Shift+F2 | FN+SHIFT+F2 |
| Select Up | Extend the selection upwards. | Extends the selection up by one cell. | Shift+Up Arrow | SHIFT+Up Arrow |
| Select Down | Extend the selection downwards. | Extends the selection down by one cell. | Shift+Down Arrow | SHIFT+Down Arrow |
| Select Left | Extend the selection to the left. | Extends the selection left by one cell. | Shift+Left Arrow | SHIFT+Left Arrow |
| Select Right | Extend the selection to the right. | Extends the selection right by one cell. | Shift+Right Arrow | SHIFT+Right Arrow |
| New Worksheet | Insert a new worksheet. | Adds a new worksheet to the workbook. | Shift+F11 | FN+SHIFT+F11 |
| Hide/Show Ribbon | Toggle the display of the ribbon. | Shows or hides the ribbon. | CTRL+F1 | CMD+OPT+R |
| Next Workbook | Switch to the next open workbook. | Switches between open workbooks. | CTRL+F6 | CMD+F6 |
| Minimize Workbook | Minimize the current workbook window. | Minimizes the active workbook. | CTRL+F9 | CMD+M |
| Insert/Remove Filter | Toggle the application of filters to the selected data. | Adds or removes filters from the data. | CTRL+SHIFT+L | CMD+SHIFT+L |
| General Format | Apply the General number format to the selected cells. | Changes cell format to General. | CTRL+SHIFT+~ | CMD+SHIFT+~ |
| Date Format | Apply the Date format to the selected cells. | Changes cell format to Date. | CTRL+SHIFT+# | CMD+OPT+3 |
| Currency Format | Apply the Currency format to the selected cells. | Changes cell format to Currency. | CTRL+SHIFT+$ | CMD+OPT+4 |
| Percent Format | Apply the Percent format to the selected cells. | Changes cell format to Percent. | CTRL+SHIFT+% | CMD+OPT+5 |
| Select Data to First Cell | Select data from the current cell to the first cell in the sheet. | Selects data up to the first cell. | CTRL+SHIFT+HOME | SHIFT+CMD+UP ARROW |
| Select Data to Last Cell | Select data from the current cell to the last cell in the sheet. | Selects data up to the last cell. | CTRL+SHIFT+END | SHIFT+CMD+DOWN ARROW |
| Hide and Show Ribbon | Toggle the visibility of the ribbon. | Hides or shows the ribbon. | CTRL+SHIFT+F1 | CMD+OPT+R |
| Quit Excel | Close all open workbooks and exit Excel. | Exits the Excel application. | ALT+F4 | CMD+Q |
| Center Align Cell Contents | Center-align the contents of the selected cells. | Aligns cell contents to the center. | ALT+H+A+C | CMD+E |
| Fill Color | Open the Fill Color dialog box. | Opens the Fill Color options. | ALT+H+H | CMD+OPTION+C |
| Delete Column | Delete the selected column. | Removes the selected column. | CTRL+- | CMD+- |
| Hide Selected Column | Hide the selected column. | Hides the active column. | CTRL+0 | CMD+OPT+0 |
| Hide Selected Rows | Hide the selected rows. | Hides the active rows. | CTRL+9 | CMD+OPT+9 |
| Left Align Cell Contents | Left-align the contents of the selected cells. | Aligns cell contents to the left. | ALT+H+A+L | CMD+L |
| Remove Cell Contents | Clear the contents of the selected cells. | Removes content from the selected cells. | Delete | FN+Delete |
| Right Align Cell Contents | Right-align the contents of the selected cells. | Aligns cell contents to the right. | ALT+H+A+R | CMD+R |
| Unhide Columns | Unhide columns that are hidden. | Shows hidden columns. | CTRL+SHIFT+0 | CMD+OPT+0 |
| Unhide Rows | Unhide rows that are hidden. | Shows hidden rows. | CTRL+SHIFT+9 | CMD+OPT+9 |
| Zoom In | Increase the zoom level of the worksheet. | Zooms in on the worksheet. | CTRL+ALT++ | CMD+ALT+= |
| Zoom Out | Decrease the zoom level of the worksheet. | Zooms out of the worksheet. | CTRL+ALT+- | CMD+ALT+- |
| Enter Current Date | Insert the current date into the selected cell. | Inserts today’s date. | CTRL+; | CMD+; |
| Enter Current Time | Insert the current time into the selected cell. | Inserts the current time. | CTRL+SHIFT+; | CMD+SHIFT+; |
| Show or Hide Objects | Toggle the visibility of objects such as charts or images. | Shows or hides objects. | CTRL+6 | CMD+6 |
| Scroll Up | Scroll up one cell. | Moves the view up one cell. | SHIFT+ENTER | SHIFT+ENTER |
| Selection to Last Bottom Cell | Select from the current cell to the last cell in the bottom of the selection. | Selects cells to the bottom of the current selection. | CTRL+SHIFT+Down Arrow | CMD+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW |
| Selection to Last Top Cell | Select from the current cell to the top of the selection. | Selects cells to the top of the current selection. | CTRL+SHIFT+Up Arrow | CMD+SHIFT+UP ARROW |
| Selection to Last Left Cell | Select from the current cell to the leftmost cell in the selection. | Selects cells to the left of the current selection. | CTRL+SHIFT+Left Arrow | CMD+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW |
| Selection to Last Right Cell | Select from the current cell to the rightmost cell in the selection. | Selects cells to the right of the current selection. | CTRL+SHIFT+Right Arrow | CMD+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW |
| Select All Objects | Select all objects (e.g., charts, images) when one object is selected. | Selects all objects within the worksheet. | CTRL+SHIFT+Space | CMD+SHIFT+SPACE |
| Select Entire Column | Select the entire column of the active cell. | Highlights the entire column. | CTRL+Space | CMD+Space |
| Select Entire Row | Select the entire row of the active cell. | Highlights the entire row. | Shift+Space | SHIFT+Space |
| Start a New Line | Start a new line within the same cell. | Inserts a line break within a cell. | Alt+Enter | Option+Enter |
| Autosum Selection of Cells | Automatically sum the selected cells. | Inserts the SUM function for the selected cells. | Alt+= | CMD+SHIFT+T |
| Maximize Workbook | Maximize the current workbook window. | Enlarges the workbook window. | CTRL+F10 | CMD+F10 |
| Print Preview | Open the Print Preview window. | Displays a preview of the print layout. | CTRL+F2 | CMD+P |
| Insert New Row | Insert a new row above the selected row. | Adds a new row above the active row. | CTRL+SHIFT+"+" | CMD+SHIFT+"+" |
Conclusion
Mastering keyboard shortcuts in Excel, whether on Windows or macOS, is a valuable skill that can dramatically improve your productivity. By incorporating these shortcuts into your daily workflow, you can work faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence. Start practicing these shortcuts today to become an Excel power user.
