Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows and Mac

Written by Jeff Mankin in Excel

Using Excel quickly and efficiently is an important skill. This guide will show the basics using Excel keyboard shortcuts. Using Excel shortcuts is faster and more efficient than using a mouse.

Many Excel users use a full external keyboard to use these shortcuts. The full keyboard also includes a number keypad which is important for entering numbers in Excel.

Excel Keyboard Shortcuts

Excel uses several modifier keys to perform different functions. These are great to be a proficient user of Excel.

Modifier Keys

Special KeyMacWindows
Alt or Option⌥Alt
CancelEscEsc
Command⌘Cmd
Control⌃Ctrl
Enter or Return⏎Enter
FunctionfnFn
Shift⇧Shift

For a list of all the keyboard symbols, see What are the Keyboard Symbol Names?

File Shortcuts

The following keyboard shortcuts relate to opening, saving, and printing files.

ActionMacWindows
New workbook⌘ NCtrl N
Open workbook⌘ OCtrl O
Save workbook⌘ SCtrl S
Save as⌘ ⇧ SF12
Print⌘ PCtrl P
Close workbook⌘ WCtrl F4
Quit Excel⌘ QAlt F4

Data Entry Keys

The following shortcuts allow for rapid data entry. When you enter data and hit ⏎ (Enter), Excel will save the data and move to the cell directly below. With the following shortcuts, you can force the cell to move in any direction.

ActionArrowsMacWindows
Enter and cell down↓⏎Return
Enter and cell up↑⇧ ⏎Shift Return
Enter and cell right→TabTab
Enter and cell left←⇧ TabShift Tab

Learn to use Excel keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse or trackpad. The keyboard is mightier than the mouse!

Here is a top rated wireless keyboard with a number keypad for both Windows and Mac (Amazon affiliate link).

Editing Shortcuts

The following shortcuts are used to edit in Excel. Keyboard shortcuts are much faster than using a mouse or trackpad to use the menu. 

You need to know Copy, Cut, Paste, and Undo. You will use them all the time.

ActionMacWindows
Help⌘ /F1
Undo⌘ ZCtrl Z
Redo⌘ YCtrl Y
Copy⌘ CCtrl C
Cut⌘ XCtrl X
Paste⌘ VCtrl V
Paste Special⌃ ⌘ VCtrl Alt V
Find⌘ FCtrl F
Select All⌘ ACtrl A
Edit cell⌃ UF2
Open the
Replace dialog		⌃ HCtrl H
Bold⌘ BCtrl B
Italics⌘ ICtrl I
Underline⌘ UCtrl U

Advanced Shortcuts

ActionMacWindows
Insert CommentFn ⇧ F2Shift F2
Add Hyperlink⌘ KCtrl K
Calculate FormulasF9F9
Absolute AddressF4F4
Repeat Last ActionF4F4
Show Formulas^ `Ctrl `
Enter Current Date⌃ ;Ctrl ;
Enter Current Time⌘ ;Ctrl Shift :
Delete (dialog box)⌘ –Ctrl –
Insert (dialog box)⌘ +Ctrl Shift +
Flash Fill⌃ ECtrl E
AutoSum⌘ ⇧ TAlt =
Select Tab to the Right⌥ →Ctrl PgDn
Select Tab to the Left⌥ ←Ctrl PgUp

Note that F4 can do two separate but important things: 

  1. absolute address for cells in formulas
  2. repeat last action.

Some keyboards have multimedia functions for the F1-F12 keys. To use these keys as standard F1, F2, and F3 keys, combine them with the Fn key.

Selection Shortcuts

The following shortcuts select entire rows, columns, or tables. These shortcuts are much faster then dragging the mouse or highlighting cells.

ActionMacWindows
Select Entire Row⇧ SpaceShift Space
Select Entire Column⌃ SpaceCtrl Space
Extend Last Cell Right⌘ ⇧ →Ctrl Shift →
Extend Last Cell Left⌘ ⇧ ←Ctrl Shift ←
Extend Last Cell Up⌘ ⇧ ↑Ctrl Shift ↑
Extend Last Cell Down⌘ ⇧ ↓Ctrl Shift ↓
Top Cell⌘ ↑Ctrl ↑
Bottom Cell⌘ ↓Ctrl ↓
Left Cell⌘ ←Ctrl ←
Right Cell⌘ →Ctrl →

Number Formatting Shortcuts

ActionMacWindowsResult
General⌃ ⇧ ~Ctrl Shift ~43650.63
Number⌃ ⇧ 1Ctrl Shift 143,650.63
Time⌃ ⇧ 2Ctrl Shift 23:07 PM
Date⌃ ⇧ 3Ctrl Shift 34-Jul–19
Currency⌃ ⇧ 4Ctrl Shift 4$43,650.63
Percent⌃ ⇧ 5Ctrl Shift 54365063%
Scientific⌃ ⇧ 6Ctrl Shift 64.37E+04
Outside Borders⌃ ⇧ 7Ctrl Shift 7Cell Borders

There is more Excel content on Finally Learn. For more Excel, start here: The Ultimate Guide to Finally Learn Excel.

Jeff Mankin

Jeff Mankin teaches financial literacy. His website is FinallyLearn.com.

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