Top 50 Excel Shortcut Keys

Microsoft Excel is a Powerful tool for data analysis, mathematical computation, and astute decision – making. It is more than simply a spreadsheet application. Learning Excel may significantly boost your productivity, regardless of your role- student, analyst, business owner, or simply someone attempting to manage their own budget.Additionally, nothing expedites your Excel process more than being aware of the appropriate shortcut keys.

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The top 50 Excel shortcut keys will be covered in this Excel course guide, arranged by kind of use: workbook shortcuts, formatting, formulae, pivot tables, and more. You may quickly become an Excel super user by following this instruction.

Table of contents

  • Overview of Microsoft Excel
  • What are Excel Shortcuts?
  • Workbook Shortcut Keys
  • Cell Formatting shortcut Keys
  • Row and Column Formatting Shortcut Keys
  • Other Excel Formulas to comment and insert Time, Date and More
  • Pivot Table Shortcut Keys
  • Choose the Right Program
  • Conclusion
  • Excel Shortcut FAQs

Overview of Microsoft Excel

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Spreadsheets are created using Microsoft Excel, which is a component of the Microsoft office Suite. Excel enables users to enter, modify, and examine data by :

  • Cells grouped in columns and rows
  • Integrated functions and formulas
  • Graph and charts
  • Tables with Pivots
  • Conditional formatting and data validation

Even with all of its features, Excel may be intimidating if you don’t know how to use it. Excel shortcut keys are useful in this situation. You will do jobs more quickly and precisely after you have mastered them.

What are Excel Shortcuts?

Excel shortcut keys are keyboard key combinations that allow you to accomplish particular tasks without having to navigate menus. They are made to increase productivity and save time, particularly while dealing with big data sets or under pressure.

For Example:

It’s quicker to press Ctrl + C then to right – click and choose “Copy”.

A sum formula is added immediately by using
Alt +=.

Over the course of a week or month, these small time – savers can add up to hours saved. Because of their fundamental significance, shortcut keys are taught at the beginning of many Excel courses.

Workbook Shortcut Keys

Excel workbook management is essential.These keyboard shortcuts facilitate the creation, opening, saving, and switching between sheets.

Shortcut KeysAction
Ctrl + NCreate a new workbook
Ctrl + OOpen an existing workbook
Ctrl + SSave workbook
Ctrl + PPrint workbook
Ctrl + F4Close current workbook
Ctrl + TabSwitch between open workbooks
Ctrl + Page UpMove to previous worksheet
Ctrl + Page downMove to next worksheet
F12Save as
Ctrl + F2Print Preview

Cell Formatting Shortcut Keys

Shortcut KeysAction
Ctrl + BBold text
Ctrl + IItalicize text
Ctrl + UUnderline text
Ctrl + 1Open Format Cells dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + $Format as currency
Ctrl + Shift + %Format as percentage
Ctrl + Shift + ^Format as Scientific
Ctrl + Shift + #Format as date
Ctrl + Shift + @Format as time
Alt + H + HFill color

Row and Column Formatting Shortcut Keys

Do you want to resize, add, or remove rows and columns without utilizing a mouse? Here’s how:

Shortcut KeysAction
Ctrl + SpaceSelect entire column
Shift + SpaceSelect entire row
Ctrl + Shift + +”Insert new row/column
Ctrl+ “-“Delete row/columns
Ctrl + 0Hide selected columns
Ctrl+9Hide selected rows
Alt + H + O + IAutoFit column width
Alt + H + O + AAutoFit row height
Alt + E,D,RDelete row
Alt + E,D,CDelete column

These shortcuts are especially useful when cleaning data or organizing large worksheets.

Other Excel Formulas to Comment and Insert Time, Date and More

Excel may also be used to keep track of input timestamps or modifications. These Excel shortcut keys are helpful for reviewing and documenting.

Shortcut KeysAction
Ctrl+ ;Insert current date
Ctrl + Shift+:Insert current time
Shift + F2Add/ edit a comment
Alt + EnterInsert line break within cell
Ctrl + DFill down
Ctrl + RFill right
Ctrl+ ‘Copy values from cell above
F2Edit active cell
Ctrl+ KInsert hyperlink
Ctrl + ZUndo last action

If your role involves tracking activity or updates, these keys are indispensable.

Pivot Table Shortcut Keys

One of Excel's most useful tools for data analysis is the pivot table. They aid in considering and examining patterns in huge datasets. Anyone enrolled in an advanced Excel course should get familiar with these shortcuts.

Shortcut KeysAction
Alt + N + VCreate Pivot Table
Alt + D + POpen Pivot Table wizard
Alt + J + TOpen Pivot Table Analyze tab
Alt + Shift + Left arrowCollapse group
Alt + Shift + Right arrowExpand group
Ctrl + ASelect entire Pivot Table
Alt + F5Refresh Pivot Table
Ctrl + _Remove selected Pivot Table menu
Alt + Shift + F10Show Pivot Table menu
Ctrl + Shift + *Select region of Pivot Table

These shortcuts can cut hours of manual data grouping and summarization work.

Choose the Right Excel Program

It’s important to realize that the version of Microsoft Excel you’re using might have a big impact on your experience before delving into Excel shortcut keys. Not every Excel shortcut functions the same on all platforms and versions. A crucial first step if you intend to enroll in an Excel course is choosing the appropriate software version.

Below is a detailed comparison of the most common Excel programs available today:

User TypeRecommended Excel VersionReason
Beginner or studentsExcel 365 or Excel 2019Full shortcut support and course compatibility
Professionals or AnalystExcel 365Advanced features, macros, Pivot Tables
Occasional UsersExcel OnlineFree and accessible, but limited
Mac UsersExcel for MacMac – optimized with reasonable shortcut compatibility
Mobile – Only UsersExcel MobileOnly for viewing or light editing

Conclusion

Gaining proficiency with Excel shortcut keys is a talent that may help you succeed in any line of work. Shortcuts improve accuracy and save time when formatting cells , making pivot tables, or just moving between spreadsheets.

In this manual, we discussed:

  • 50 crucial shortcut keys
  • Navigating the workbook
  • Row/ column and cell formatting
  • Adding dates, comments, and pivot table controls

To become a true Excel power user, integrate these into your daily routine or Excel Course.

Excel Shortcut FAQs

Q. What are the benefits of learning Excel shortcut keys ?

Using shortcut keys increases efficiency , accuracy, and speed. They enable rapid access to sophisticated features and lessen reliance on the mouse.

Q. Do these shortcuts work in Excel Online?

Most shortcuts work in Excel Online, but some features like Pivot Table tools may require the desktop version.

Q. Is it necessary to memorize all 50 shortcuts?

No, start with the most commonly used like Ctrl + S ( Save), Ctrl + C (Copy) , and gradually build your knowledge.

Q. Will an Excel course help me learn these shortcuts better?

Absolutely. A good Excel course will guide you through shortcuts in practical scenarios, helping you remember and apply them easily.

Q. Can I create custom shortcut keys in Excel?

While Excel doesn’t allow full customization of all keys , you can use macros or Excel Add-ins to assign custom shortcuts.

Q. What is the fastest way to highlight an entire Excel column and row?

Select the entire column: Ctrl + Space.

Select the entire row: Shift+ Space.

These are essential for formatting or deleting rows/columns quickly.

Q. How many Excel Shortcuts are there?

More than 270 Excel keyboard and mouse shortcuts are available, including those for Mac, windows, and Web versions of the program. You can explore, prepare, and analyze data more effectively with the use of these shortcuts.

Q. Can I create my own shortcut keys for macros?

Yes. After recording a macro:

Go to Develop Tab> Macros>Options, and assign a shortcut key (like Ctrl + Shift + M) . This is taught in macros/ VBA sections of advanced Excel courses.

Q. Which Excel version is best for learning all shortcut keys?

Microsoft Excel 365 is the best version for learning all available shortcut keys, as it supports the full range of Excel features and is regularly updated with the latest tools and functions.

Q. Can I undo and redo actions using shortcut keys?

Yes, and these are among the most used :

Ctrl+ Z – Undo
Ctrl+ Y – Redo

Any comprehensive Excel course emphasizes these early on.

Q. What shortcut opens the Excel help menu ?

F1- Opens Excel Help or Microsoft 365 support documentation.

Q. What is the shortcut key to go to a specific cell ?

Ctrl+ G or F5 – Opens the “Go To” dialog box.

Helpful when navigating large sheets.

Q. What is the shortcut key to autosum values?

Alt + = - Automatically inserts the SUM formula.

Useful in financial analysis and often practiced in Excel course exercises.

Bonus Tip : Practice Makes Perfect!!

Create a personal workbook to practice these 50 shortcuts daily. The more you use them, the more intuitive they become – turning you into an Excel pro in no time.

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