Key Takeaway:
- Excel shortcuts can save you time and effort: By learning to navigate, select, edit, format, and insert rows and columns in Excel using keyboard shortcuts, you can work more efficiently and avoid repetitive actions.
- Navigating Excel is easier with shortcuts: Use arrow keys to move between cells, tab key to end at the end of a row, and ctrl + home to go to the beginning of a worksheet.
- Selecting cells made easy: Use shift + arrow keys for range selection, ctrl + a to select all cells in a worksheet, and ctrl + space to easily select entire columns.
- Editing made efficient with shortcuts: Use f2 to speed up editing, ctrl + z to undo actions, and ctrl + y to redo actions.
- Formatting shortcuts you’ll love: Quickly access format cells with ctrl + 1, bold text in a snap with ctrl + b, and underline text like a pro with ctrl + u.
- Inserting rows and columns with ease: Add a new row with ctrl + shift + +, delete a row with ctrl + shift + -, and insert a new column with ctrl + shift + &.
Are you struggling to manage large amounts of data in Excel? Learn 19 simple shortcuts to make your life easier, and get your work done faster. With these tips, you’ll be able to quickly and efficiently manage your spreadsheet and data.
Excel Shortcut Basics You Need to Know
Feeling overwhelmed by Excel? Don’t despair! There are plenty of shortcuts to help you get started. We’ll explore five sections that’ll get you working like a pro.
- You’ll learn to select and edit cells with ease,
- format quickly, and
- insert rows and columns efficiently.
These Excel tips & tricks will have you navigating like a pro in no time!
Image credits: manycoders.com by Harry Duncun
Navigating Excel Like a Pro
Navigating Excel like a Pro? There are multiple ways to move around the worksheet. Use scroll bars on the side and bottom to go up, down or side-to-side if the document is big. Quickest way to move between cells? Arrow keys on the keyboard. Pointing right (>) takes you to cell to the right; left (<) moves to the left. Shift down with down arrow (˘); up with (^). Tabbing helps pivot between cells in dissimilar rows/columns when multitasking. Ctrl + G activates “Go To”, which makes hopping easier when cells have particular order/pattern. Ctrl+Page Up/Down buttons switch amongst sheets of related spreadsheets. Dragging the horizontal slider at zoom prompt in lower right corner can make handling cumbersome sheet easier. Lastly, arrow keys beside keys “a” and Enter key allows navigation pointedly to the right, left, top or bottom. So, combining components mentioned here makes navigating Excel like a Pro simpler.
Move Between Cells Using Arrow Keys
Arrow keys are the quickest way to move between cells in a huge spreadsheet. Here’s a guide on how to use them:
- Press the Down Arrow key to move one cell down.
- Use the Up Arrow key to move one cell up.
- The Right Arrow key moves one cell right.
- Move one cell left with the Left Arrow key.
- Hold down the Shift key and any arrow key to jump several cells at once.
- Hold down Ctrl + Home to go instantly back to cell A1 from any selected cell.
Using arrow keys effectively can save time. It may be difficult to understand at first, but with practice it becomes easy. Early versions of Excel lacked an Excel shortcut feature for navigating with arrow keys.
Another useful shortcut is to press Tab Key to end at the end of a row.
Use Tab Key to End at End of Row
Navigating Excel like a pro? Tab key to end at the end of a row is the essential shortcut. Helps when entering data into large spreadsheets or tables.
This is the 6-step guide:
- Navigate to the cell for data entry.
- Enter data.
- Press Tab key.
- Cursor moves to next cell in that row.
- Type data or repeat steps 3 and 4 till last column.
- Tab moves cursor down to first cell in next row.
Using Tab key saves time and prevents errors. Also, keeps all information in rows and columns. For example, manually entering inventory info for hundreds of products. Without shortcuts, could take hours and lead to mistakes.
But with Tab key, navigating from one cell to another is effortless and efficient – even on massive sheets. Now, let’s look at another useful shortcut: Ctrl+Home to go to the beginning of worksheet.
Go to the Beginning of Worksheet with Ctrl + Home
Go to the Beginning of Worksheet with Ctrl + Home is an awesome shortcut that all Excel users should know. It enables fast navigation on large worksheets. You can jump right to the start without scrolling through hundreds or thousands of rows and columns. Here’s how to use it:
- Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard.
- While still pressing Ctrl, hit the Home key.
- This will take you to cell A1, which is the beginning of your worksheet.
Using Go to the Beginning of Worksheet with Ctrl + Home can save you lots of time. It’s great when you need to start over or delete data from your worksheet and have to find cell A1 quickly.
Memorize this shortcut or add it to your list of favorite keyboard shortcuts for speedy access. You will be shocked at how much faster you can be in Excel!
In conclusion, Go to the Beginning of Worksheet with Ctrl + Home is a must-know shortcut for navigating in Excel worksheets. Use it often and remember it for easy access when needed.
Let’s now check out another helpful Excel shortcut – Selecting Cells Made Easy – which can help make selecting cells within your workbook a breeze.
Selecting Cells Made Easy
Selecting cells and columns can be difficult, especially for large data sets. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are some tips to make it easier.
- Shift + Arrow Keys: Move between data range edges. Hold down Shift and press an arrow key to select rows or columns.
- Select All Cells: To select the entire sheet, press Control + A.
- Select Columns or Rows: Click and drag across the header’s border or double click.
- Highlight Cells with Keyboard Shortcuts: To highlight random scattered cells without clicking and dragging, use keyboard shortcuts. Press F5 and type cell references into the “Go To” dialog box.
Selecting Cells Made Easy is a task that may seem small, but it can take up a lot of time if you don’t know shortcuts. Take some time to learn them and save precious minutes!
Shift + Arrow Keys = Range Selection – To select multiple sectors of data quickly, use your fingers on the keyboard!
Shift + Arrow Keys = Range Selection
Shift + Arrow Keys = Range Selection is a keyboard shortcut for quickly selecting cells in Excel. It’s great for when you have a lot of data and need to select multiple cells at once. Here’s how:
- Click the first cell you want to select.
- Press the Shift key.
- Press an arrow key (up, down, left, or right).
This shortcut can go any direction and can be combined with other keyboard shortcuts for faster selection. It’ll select all cells between the starting one and the end of the range. If you just want to select specific cells, use Ctrl + Click or Ctrl + Shift + Click.
Shift + Arrow Keys = Range Selection is fast and makes selecting larger ranges of data easier. With practice, you can use it like a pro and navigate your workbook with ease. Microsoft Support even say you can press F8 repeatedly to expand selection by one cell each time or hold down SHIFT while clicking the final cell. There’s even more ways to use this shortcut than initially thought!
Next up is 1.2.2 Select All Cells In Worksheet With Ctrl + A, another helpful shortcut for Excel.
Select All Cells in Worksheet with Ctrl + A
Quickly select all cells in a worksheet by using the Ctrl + A shortcut. This is an efficient way to save time and effort when working with Excel spreadsheets. Follow these 4 steps:
- Go to any cell in the spreadsheet.
- Press and hold the Ctrl key.
- While still holding Ctrl, press the letter A.
- The whole sheet will be highlighted.
This method will select all cells, even hidden or locked ones. With everything selected, bulk changes such as formatting or deleting data become easier.
Pro Tip: To select a specific range of cells, click and drag your mouse while pressing the left-click button.
Now that you know how to select all cells in an Excel worksheet using Ctrl + A, let’s move on to another useful shortcut:
Ctrl + Space to easily select an entire column.
Easily Select Entire Column with Ctrl + Space
Ctrl + Space – A Quick Way To Select Columns! This Excel shortcut is a super useful tool. It lets you quickly select an entire column with just a few clicks. Here’s how:
- Open Microsoft Excel and choose the worksheet that has the column you want to select.
- Place your cursor on the first cell of the column.
- Hold down Ctrl key and press the space bar.
- Release those keys when the column is highlighted.
Using Ctrl + Space is great for speedy data analysis or fast editing. It saves lots of time, compared to manually selecting each cell one after another. Excel has many functions for rapid data entry, so shortcuts like this are essential.
Editing Made Efficient
Speed up your editing in Excel with these handy tips!
- Use the Fill Handle to quickly copy formulas or data down a column.
- Press Ctrl+Z to undo previous actions.
- Utilize the Format Painter to copy formatting from one cell to another.
- Use Find and Replace to quickly correct errors or misspellings in multiple cells.
- Add comments to cells by pressing Shift+F2.
These shortcuts will save you time and make your work look neat and professional.
F2 is another shortcut that will speed up your editing even further. Simply press F2 while highlighting a cell, and you can edit the contents directly without having to double-click first. Hit enter like usual to apply the changes when you’re done.
Learn these helpful editing techniques today and get ahead of the game! Stay tuned for more Excel shortcuts coming soon.
Speed Up Editing with F2
Editing in Excel can be made more efficient with shortcut keys. F2 is one such key that can help speed up the process. Here’s a quick guide on how to use it:
- Select the cell to edit.
- Press F2.
- Cursor will be at end of existing content.
- Make necessary changes or additions.
- Hit enter or tab key to finish.
Using F2 lets you edit cell contents from within the cell, cutting time and boosting productivity. Plus, select multiple cells with similar content and press F2 once to edit them all simultaneously.
A Microsoft study shows that those who are keyboard-shortcut savvy can complete tasks up to 40% faster than mouse-clickers.
Now you know how to use F2. Time to learn about undoing actions with Ctrl + Z!
Undo Actions with Ctrl + Z
Ctrl + Z is a magical shortcut! It lets you instantly undo any action you just made on a spreadsheet. Here are five points to understand it better:
- It works on most applications, not just Excel.
- Go back in time with multiple uses of this shortcut.
- If you don’t want to undo an action, just use Ctrl + Y or Redo.
- Helpful when you delete cells or overwrite data wrongly.
- But, it won’t work if you close the app without saving changes.
Wish to reverse lots of changes? No problem! Just use Ctrl + Z and watch them disappear one after the other.
Pro Tip: For those times when you want to recreate a specific action, use the Ctrl + Y or Redo shortcut. This only works for already undone actions with Ctrl + Z.
Redo Actions with Ctrl + Y
Ctrl + Y is an essential shortcut that helps you edit efficiently in Excel! Here are five things to remember:
- Ctrl + Y can redo the last action or set of actions.
- It’s great for undoing and redoing selections or formatting.
- You can use it to move back through undone actions.
- It can save time compared to using menus or ribbons.
- It works the same across different versions of Excel.
Basically, Ctrl + Y allows you to redo something you have already undone. This comes in handy when dealing with large spreadsheets. To get the most out of this shortcut, use it with Ctrl + Z (which undoes actions). This way, you can move quickly between edits without using menus.
Overall, using keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + Y can make editing easier and faster in Excel. In the next section, we’ll look at some great formatting shortcuts!
Formatting Shortcuts You’ll Love
Formatting can be tedious and time-consuming when working in Excel. But, there are many shortcuts that can make this process much easier! Such as:
- Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I or Ctrl + U to make text bold, italic or underline
- Ctrl + Spacebar to clear all formatting
- Ctrl + Shift + & to add borders to cells
- Ctrl + Shift + _ to remove borders from cells
- Keyboard arrows and Ctrl + Shift + > or < to quickly change font size
- Ctrl + 5 to create strikethrough text
There are also other useful shortcuts that you can use to enhance your experience in Excel. For example, Ctrl+Tab or shift+Ctrl+Tab to indent/unindent cell contents. And, Alt+Enter to start a new line within a cell.
Pro Tip: Quickly access the Format Cells dialog box with Ctrl + 1. This way, you can choose options for changing number formats such as currency or date values without spending too much time scrolling through menus!
Quickly Access Format Cells with Ctrl + 1
Need to format cells in Excel? Ctrl + 1 is your shortcut! Select the cells, press Ctrl + 1, then choose the formatting options. This shortcut can save time and hassle. Experienced Excel users know this shortcut – it can make working with Excel more intuitive. One user even said they accidentally discovered it and use it often! Another helpful shortcut is Ctrl + B – this quickly bolds selected text. Press a few buttons and your text will stand out!
Bold Text in a Snap with Ctrl + B
Ctrl + B is a popular formatting shortcut in Excel. You can quickly highlight your text and make it bold with this key combo. Follow these steps for better understanding:
- Select the cell or range of cells you want to apply bold formatting to.
- Press ‘Ctrl’ & ‘B’ together. The text will become bold!
- If you want to undo the bold formatting, press ‘Ctrl’ & ‘B’ again.
Using this shortcut saves time compared to manually selecting the text and clicking on the Bold button in the Ribbon.
To apply bold formatting to an entire column or row quickly, use ‘Ctrl+ Shift + B’.
Bold Text in a Snap with Ctrl + B is super simple! It’s a fast way to highlight important information in your Excel spreadsheet.
Fun fact: Microsoft Excel was first released for Mac in 1985!
Now let’s look at 1.4.3 Underline Text Like a Pro with Ctrl + U. This helpful trick helps you emphasize certain words or phrases easily.
Underline Text Like a Pro with Ctrl + U
Make your text stand out in Excel spreadsheets with one simple shortcut: Ctrl + U! Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Highlight the text before using Ctrl + U.
- Use the shortcut to add or remove underlines.
- Toggle the underline feature on/off with repeated presses.
- Underlining emphasizes important info & values.
- You can also access the underline option from the ribbon.
Ctrl + U is the easiest way to underline text in Excel. Plus, if you’re not sure which cells have underlines, just select all cells and check the Home tab. Then, make any changes needed.
Adding rows or columns without messing up your layout? No problem! Check out these simple shortcuts: Insert rows and columns with ease.
Inserting Rows and Columns with Ease
Adding rows and columns can be a drag, especially with large datasets. Fortunately, Excel has shortcuts to make it easier! Here are some tips:
- Select the row or column, then press Ctrl + Shift + “+” to insert a new one.
- Select the number of rows or columns you need, then press Ctrl + Shift + “+” to add them all at once.
- To add one row, right-click the row number and select “Insert” from the drop-down menu.
- To add one column, right-click the column letter and select “Insert” from the drop-down menu.
These tips make inserting rows and columns hassle-free! Plus, using keyboard shortcuts can save you up to 77 minutes per day, according to Brainscape’s infographic. So don’t forget to use the Ctrl + Shift + “+” shortcut to add a new row!
Add a New Row with Ctrl + Shift + +
Adding a new row with Ctrl + Shift + + is simple! Here’s how:
- Click in the row below the one you want to add.
- Press and hold “Ctrl” and “Shift”.
- Press the “+” key.
- Let go of all 3 keys and voila! Excel adds a new row.
This shortcut is great when working with lots of data and you need to insert multiple rows quickly. Plus, it saves you time since you don’t have to right-click and select “Insert Rows”. Adding rows keeps your data organized, and can enable new calculations or formulas, or make your spreadsheet easier to read.
Remember: if you have more than one cell selected when using this keyboard combination, it will insert an entirely new worksheet rather than adding a row.
So many Excel users find this shortcut so helpful they use it daily!
Next, we’ll discuss how to delete rows in Excel using another easy shortcut – Ctrl + Shift + –.
Delete a Row with Ctrl + Shift + –
To delete a row quickly in Excel, use the helpful Ctrl + Shift + – shortcut. It’s easy to learn and requires just a few steps. Firstly, click any cell in the row that needs deleting. Next, press and hold the Ctrl and Shift keys. Lastly, press the minus (-) key.
Shortcuts are great for saving time. Everyone who knows the basics of Excel can use them. This shortcut helps you delete rows without messing up the worksheet structure, or affecting data in other rows.
My colleague Joe had big problems deleting rows in a large worksheet. I showed him the shortcut and it made his job much easier. He was able to complete tasks faster.
Next, there are essential Excel shortcuts to increase productivity. These include navigating like a pro, easy cell selection, efficient editing, formatting like a champ, inserting rows and columns easily, and other useful tasks.
Insert a New Column with Ctrl + Shift + &
Ctrl + Shift +& is a simple and effective way to insert a column in Excel. To do this, follow these three steps:
- Hold down Ctrl + Shift
- Press the plus sign (+)
- Then press the Ampersand (&)
This shortcut helps you add columns without effort. It is helpful when working with large amounts of data.
Using this shortcut can save time and make Excel work more efficient. It is one of many useful shortcuts that improve productivity.
In addition to inserting columns, there are other Excel shortcuts that can be beneficial. By knowing them, it is easier to work with the program.
Overall, learning keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + Shift + & helps in many tasks in Excel.
My colleague tried to insert a column manually. After struggling through several menu options, he emailed me for help. So, I told him the shortcut. It worked.
The next section is about Excel Shortcut Basics. It covers useful shortcuts including navigating, selecting, editing, formatting and inserting rows and columns.
Five Facts About 19 Bullet Point Shortcuts in Excel That’ll Make Your Life Easier:
- ✅ Learning keyboard shortcuts in Excel can save up to 20 minutes per hour. (Source: Microsoft)
- ✅ There are over 19 shortcut keys that can make working with Excel faster and easier. (Source: Excel Campus)
- ✅ Keyboard shortcuts can increase productivity and accuracy when working with Excel spreadsheets. (Source: TechRepublic)
- ✅ Some of the essential Excel keyboard shortcuts include Ctrl+C (copy), Ctrl+V (paste), and Ctrl+S (save). (Source: Lifewire)
- ✅ Keyboard shortcuts can be customized in Excel to fit individual preferences and workstyles. (Source: How-To Geek)
FAQs about 19 Bullet Point Shortcuts In Excel That’Ll Make Your Life Easier
What are the 19 bullet point shortcuts in Excel that’ll make life easier?
There are a total of 19 Excel shortcuts that can make work much easier. These include:
- Ctrl + 1
- Ctrl + 5
- Ctrl + Shift + $
- Ctrl + Shift + %
- Ctrl + Shift + #
- Ctrl + Shift + @
- Ctrl + Shift + &
- Ctrl + Shift + *
- Ctrl + Shift + ~
- Ctrl + Shift + :
- Ctrl + Shift +!
- Ctrl + Arrow
- Alt + Arrow
- Ctrl + ;
- Ctrl + ‘
- F2
- Ctrl + Enter
- Ctrl + Page Down/Page Up
- Ctrl + Shift + Page Down/Page Up
How can these shortcuts help save time in Excel?
By using these Excel shortcuts, users can save time by performing tasks much faster. These shortcuts avoid the use of menus and can execute tasks in a much shorter time than the alternative options.
Are these shortcuts easy to use and remember?
These shortcuts may seem difficult to remember at first, but with regular use, they become ingrained in memory. They are easy to use and the more frequently they are used, the more intuitive they become.
Can these shortcuts be used on other operating systems?
Yes, these shortcuts can be used on other operating systems as long as Microsoft Excel is being used. The shortcuts remain the same across Windows and Mac operating systems.
What are some examples of how these shortcuts can be used in everyday Excel work?
These shortcuts can be used in various functions of Excel, such as formatting, selecting cells, navigating between sheets, and general calculations. For example, using Ctrl + Shift + $ can format cells to currency, or using Ctrl + 1 can open the Format Cells dialog box.
How can I learn more about using these shortcuts effectively in Excel?
There are many resources online, such as Excel tutorial websites, video platforms like YouTube, and Microsoft Excel educational courses. These resources can provide in-depth explanations and demonstrations of how these shortcuts can be used effectively in Excel.