Microsoft Excel Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete List for Faster Spreadsheet Work

If you work with spreadsheets often, you already know how much time gets lost clicking through menus just to copy a formula, format a cell, or jump to another sheet. Excel is built for speed, but only if you use the keyboard instead of the mouse for repetitive tasks.

Once you learn the right Microsoft Excel keyboard shortcuts, your hands rarely need to leave the keyboard. Entering data, formatting cells, moving between sheets, and building formulas all become faster and far less tiring.

This guide brings together every shortcut you are likely to need, organized into simple categories, so you are not stuck memorizing one long confusing list. Whether you use Excel on Windows or Mac, you will find what you need here.

Why Keyboard Shortcuts Matter in Excel

Spreadsheets often involve repeating the same action across dozens or hundreds of rows. Every extra click to reach the mouse adds up fast when you multiply it across a large sheet.

Shortcuts also reduce mistakes. Selecting the wrong cell with a rushed mouse click is common, while keyboard-based selection is more precise and predictable once you know the keys.

For accountants, students, analysts, office workers, and anyone who deals with numbers regularly, learning these shortcuts is one of the fastest ways to cut down the time spent on everyday spreadsheet work.

Windows vs Mac Shortcuts

Most Excel shortcuts follow the same pattern on both Windows and Mac, with one key difference. Windows uses the Ctrl key, while Mac uses the Command (Cmd) key in its place. In most cases, you can simply replace Ctrl with Cmd when using a Mac.

Some shortcuts also use Alt on Windows and Option on Mac. These are noted separately below where the two systems truly differ.

Basic File Shortcuts

Ctrl + N — Create a new workbook

Ctrl + O — Open an existing workbook

Ctrl + S — Save the current workbook

Ctrl + P — Print the current sheet

Ctrl + W — Close the workbook

Ctrl + Z — Undo the last action

Ctrl + Y — Redo the last undone action

Data Entry Shortcuts

Enter — Confirm the entry and move to the cell below

Tab — Confirm the entry and move to the cell on the right

Shift + Enter — Confirm the entry and move to the cell above

Shift + Tab — Confirm the entry and move to the cell on the left

Alt + Enter — Start a new line within the same cell

Ctrl + Enter — Fill the selected range with the same entry

Ctrl + D — Copy the cell above into the selected cell

Ctrl + R — Copy the cell on the left into the selected cell

Ctrl + ; — Insert the current date

Ctrl + Shift + ; — Insert the current time

Editing Shortcuts

Ctrl + X — Cut the selected cells

Ctrl + C — Copy the selected cells

Ctrl + V — Paste copied or cut cells

Ctrl + Z — Undo

Ctrl + Y — Redo

Delete — Clear the content of the selected cells

F2 — Edit the currently selected cell

Ctrl + Minus — Delete selected cells, rows, or columns

Ctrl + Plus — Insert new cells, rows, or columns

Ctrl + F — Find data in the sheet

Ctrl + H — Find and replace data in the sheet

Navigation Shortcuts

Ctrl + Arrow Key — Jump to the edge of the current data region in that direction

Ctrl + Home — Move to cell A1

Ctrl + End — Move to the last used cell in the sheet

Page Up / Page Down — Move one screen up or down

Alt + Page Up / Page Down — Move one screen left or right

Ctrl + Page Up / Page Down — Switch to the previous or next worksheet tab

Ctrl + G — Open Go To, to jump to a specific cell reference

Selection Shortcuts

Shift + Arrow Key — Extend the selection one cell at a time

Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Key — Extend the selection to the edge of the data region

Ctrl + A — Select the entire worksheet, or the current data region if the cursor is inside a data table

Shift + Space — Select the entire row

Ctrl + Space — Select the entire column

Ctrl + Shift + Space — Select the entire worksheet

Formatting Shortcuts

Ctrl + B — Bold the selected cells

Ctrl + I — Italicize the selected cells

Ctrl + U — Underline the selected cells

Ctrl + 1 — Open the Format Cells dialog box

Ctrl + Shift + $ — Apply currency formatting

Ctrl + Shift + % — Apply percentage formatting

Ctrl + Shift + # — Apply date formatting

Ctrl + Shift + @ — Apply time formatting

Ctrl + Shift + ! — Apply number formatting with commas and two decimals

Ctrl + Shift + & — Apply an outside border to the selection

Ctrl + Shift + Underscore — Remove all borders from the selection

Formula Shortcuts

= — Start a formula in the selected cell

Alt + = — Automatically insert the SUM formula for the selected range

F4 — Toggle between relative and absolute cell references while editing a formula

Ctrl + Grave Accent (`) — Show formulas in cells instead of their results

Ctrl + Shift + Enter — Confirm a formula as an array formula

F9 — Recalculate all formulas in the open workbook

Shift + F3 — Open the Insert Function dialog box

Worksheet and Workbook Shortcuts

Shift + F11 — Insert a new worksheet

Ctrl + Page Down — Move to the next worksheet tab

Ctrl + Page Up — Move to the previous worksheet tab

Ctrl + F6 — Switch between open Excel workbooks

Alt + F1 — Insert a chart from the selected data

F11 — Insert a chart on a new sheet

Filtering, Sorting, and View Shortcuts

Ctrl + Shift + L — Turn AutoFilter on or off for the selected range

Alt + Down Arrow — Open the filter dropdown for the current column

Ctrl + Shift + F3 — Create names from row and column labels

Alt + A + S + A — Sort the selected range in ascending order

Ctrl + Shift + Ampersand — Not applicable, see Formatting section for border shortcuts

Ctrl + Shift + 8 — Select the entire current region around the active cell

Alt + W + F — Freeze or unfreeze panes

Ctrl + Shift + O — Select all cells with comments

View Shortcuts

Ctrl + Scroll Wheel — Zoom in or out on the worksheet

Ctrl + Alt + F9 — Recalculate all open workbooks, including cells not marked for recalculation

Alt + W + V + G — Toggle gridlines on or off

Alt + F4 — Close Excel

Ctrl + Shift + U — Expand or collapse the formula bar

PivotTable Shortcuts

Alt + N + V — Insert a PivotTable from the selected data

Alt + F5 — Refresh the active PivotTable

Ctrl + Shift + Z — Undo changes made within a PivotTable layout

Alt + J + T — Open the PivotTable Analyze tab on the ribbon

Chart Shortcuts

F11 — Create a chart on a new sheet from the selected data

Alt + F1 — Create an embedded chart on the current sheet from the selected data

Arrow Keys — Move between chart elements once a chart is selected

Ctrl + 1 — Open the Format pane for the selected chart element

Comment and Review Shortcuts

Shift + F2 — Insert or edit a comment on the selected cell

Ctrl + Shift + O — Select all cells that contain comments

Alt + R + A — Delete all comments on the sheet

Ctrl + Shift + F — Open the Format Cells dialog with the Font tab active

Special Paste Shortcuts

Ctrl + Alt + V — Open the Paste Special dialog box

Ctrl + Shift + V — Paste values only, in newer Excel versions with Paste Special shortcuts enabled

Alt + E + S + V — Paste values only using the classic menu shortcut sequence

Alt + E + S + T — Paste formatting only using the classic menu shortcut sequence

Function Key Shortcuts (F1 to F12)

F1 — Open Excel Help

F2 — Edit the selected cell

F3 — Open the Paste Name dialog box, if named ranges exist

F4 — Repeat the last action, or toggle reference type while editing a formula

F5 — Open the Go To dialog box

F6 — Move between the worksheet, ribbon, task pane, and status bar

F7 — Run the spelling checker on the active worksheet

F9 — Recalculate all worksheets in all open workbooks

F10 — Turn key tips on or off on the ribbon

F11 — Create a chart of the selected data on a new sheet

F12 — Open the Save As dialog box

Ribbon Access Shortcuts (Windows Only)

Alt — Show key tips for every ribbon tab and command

Alt, H — Open the Home tab

Alt, N — Open the Insert tab

Alt, P — Open the Page Layout tab

Alt, M — Open the Formulas tab

Alt, A — Open the Data tab

Alt, R — Open the Review tab

Alt, W — Open the View tab

Pressing Alt once shows small letters and numbers over every ribbon button. Pressing the matching key opens that section, so you can access almost any Excel feature without touching the mouse.

Most Useful Shortcuts for Beginners

If you are just starting out and do not want to memorize the entire list, focus on these first. They cover most everyday spreadsheet tasks.

Ctrl + S to save often, so you never lose your work

Ctrl + Z to undo mistakes instantly

Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V for copy and paste

Ctrl + Arrow Key to jump quickly across large data sets

Alt + = to insert a quick sum without typing the formula manually

Ctrl + 1 to open formatting options for any selected cell

Once these feel natural, add more shortcuts from the categories above as your spreadsheet work grows more advanced.

Tips to Memorize Shortcuts Faster

Learn one category at a time, such as navigation shortcuts this week and formula shortcuts next week, instead of trying to memorize everything at once.

Use the shortcut every time the situation comes up, even if it feels slower at first. Repetition builds muscle memory faster than reading a list.

Keep a small printed cheat sheet near your desk for the first few weeks, so you can glance at it instead of switching back to the mouse out of habit.

Practice on a real spreadsheet with sample data, since shortcuts feel far more natural when you are working with actual rows and columns instead of an empty file.