Top 70 Excel Shortcut Keys (Keyboard Shortcuts For Excel in 2024)

Top 70 Excel Shortcut Keys (Keyboard Shortcuts Key for Excel in 2024)

Microsoft Office has become a crucial tool in almost every modern workplace. More than 81% of companies worldwide use MS Office and its several tools to enhance efficiency and productivity. 

Microsoft Excel is one of the features of MS Office that dominates most of the workplace. Organizations around the world use it to store and analyze data. They rely on it while working with complex numbers or creating spreadsheets for tedious data entry sessions. Excel makes different tricky tasks easier. 

Although there are many new data analytics tools available, Excel is the preferred choice for working with data. Its multiple built-in features simplify the process of organizing data. There are different shortcut Excel keys that we can use to redefine the way we work. These shortcuts make tiring and complicated functions, such as formatting cells, filling each unit, and performing calculations, seamless and quick. 

However, not many users are aware of these shortcuts. So, in this blog, we will discuss different useful Excel shortcuts that you can use to complete your tasks faster and more effectively. 

What Is Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel needs no introduction. However, before we start learning about shortcut Excel keys, let’s look at its brief definition.

MS Excel is a Microsoft application used to record, organize, analyze, and visualize data. It is a spreadsheet software with rows and columns and helps with data analysis and calculations through different tools, functions, and formulas. Microsoft Excel was introduced in 1985 and is commonly used to perform mathematical calculations, visualize structured data in graphs and charts, and analyze data. It also allows data export, import, and collaboration. We can use Excel macros to automate various tasks. 

Companies across different industries use Excel to analyze, manage, and present data effectively. Excel offers different shortcuts to perform various tasks, such as average, sum, multiplication, etc. We can do complex operations through a few simple keyboard strokes and shortcuts that we will discuss further. First, let’s understand what a spreadsheet is. 

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What Is a spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is a software tool that we use to organize and manage data in a table form, i.e., in rows and columns. A spreadsheet with rows and columns form cells that can contain numbers, texts, or formulas. We use spreadsheets for different purposes, such as executing mathematical operations, implementing formulas and functions, and more. Companies use spreadsheets for various activities, such as inventory management, budgeting, and statistical analysis. 

What Are Excel Shortcut Keys?

Excel shortcuts keys are rapid commands initiated by keyboard combinations. They allow users to execute tasks within MS Excel and offer an efficient way to navigate through the software, perform functions, execute commands, and eliminate reliance on the menu or mouse. 

Users rely on these shortcuts in Excel to speed up their tasks and enhance their productivity. Also, these shortcut keys ensure a seamless user experience and streamlined communication with the software. 

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Why Do We Need Excel Shortcuts? 

MS Excel offers a range of shortcut keys that help users work efficiently and improve their productivity. These shortcuts allow us to perform significant functions quickly and easily without accessing the menu or using the mouse. Here are a few reasons why we must use Excel shortcuts keys:

  • It is time-saving and increases the speed, which reduces work time.
  • Some actions are challenging in Excel and involve multiple steps. With Excel shortcuts, we can make the same tasks easier with just a few clicks on the keyboard.
  • By using keyboard shortcuts in Excel, we can reduce the possibility of errors while entering data or formulas. This further mitigates the chances of errors or mistakes that can take hours to be fixed.
  • Many wonder if they need to memorize these shortcuts, and just the thought of remembering more than 50 shortcut keys can cause stress. However, you don’t need to remember these shortcuts. You simply need to recall a few important ones that you often use in day-to-day activities. With repeated practice, you can gradually recall most of the standard Excel shortcuts. 

Top Excel Shortcuts Everyone Must Know

Basic Keyboard Keys for Excel

There are some keys that we use to operate a workbook. In this section, we will learn Excel shortcuts keys to create and open a workbook, save a spreadsheet, etc. 

Sr. No.DescriptionExcel Shortcuts 
1To save a workbook.Ctrl + S
2To open an existing workbook.Ctrl + O
3To create a new worksheet.Ctrl + N
4To move to the previous worksheetsheet.Ctrl + PageUp
5To close Excel/Spreadsheet.Ctrl + F4
6To move to the next worksheet.Ctrl + PageDown
7To close the current open workbook.Ctrl + W
8To access the Data tab.Alt + A
9To access the View tab.Alt + W
10To access the Formula tab.Alt + M

Excel Keyboard Shortcut Keys for Cell Formatting

A cell holds the data that we work on. We use different shortcut keys for MS Excel to edit, align, add cells, and perform different functions. Here are some shortcuts that you must know to format cells.

Sr. No.DescriptionExcel Shortcuts 
11To edit a cell.F2
12 To copy and paste selected cells.Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V
13
To remove the outline border of the cells.

Ctrl + Shift + _
14To center align cell content.Alt + H + A + C
15To fill colors.Alt + H + H
16 To add a border.Alt + H + B
17   To move to the previous cell.Shift + Tab
18 To add an outline to the select cells.Ctrl + Shift + &
19   To select the cells above the selected cell.Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow
20To italicize and bold the font.Ctrl + I, Ctrl + B
21 To select all the cells on the right.Ctrl + Shift + Right arrow
22To select the cells below the selected cell.Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow
23To select the column from the end of the table.Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow
24 To select all the cells on the left.Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow
25 To move to the next cell.Tab

Advanced Shortcut Excel Keys

Sr. No.DescriptionExcel Shortcuts 
26 To add a comment to a cell.Shift + F2
27 To delete a comment from a cell.Shift + F10 + D
28To find and replace a word or phrase.Ctrl + H
29To activate the filter.Ctrl + Shift + LAlt + Down Arrow
30To insert the current date.Ctrl + ;
31To insert the current time.Ctrl + Shift + :
32To insert a hyperlink.Ctrl + k
33 To apply the currency format.Ctrl + Shift + $
34To apply the percent format.Ctrl + Shift + %
35To access the “Tell me what you want to do” box.Alt + Q

Excel Shortcut Keys List to Format Row and Column

In this section, we will learn to use Excel shortcuts on keyboard for formatting rows and columns.

Sr. No.DescriptionExcel Shortcuts 
36 To select the whole row.Shift + Space
37To delete a row.Shift + Space, Ctrl + – 
38To hide the selected row.Ctrl + 9
39To unhide the selected row.Ctrl + Shift + 9
40 To select the whole column.Ctrl + Space
41To delete a column.Alt+H+D+C
42 To hide the selected column.Ctrl + 0
43 To uhide the selected column.Ctrl + Shift + 0
44To group rows or columns.Alt + Shift + Right arrow

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Shortcut Keys for Pivot Tables

The following are the useful shortcut keys for Pivot Tables in Microsoft Excel:

Sr. No.DescriptionExcel Shortcuts
45To create a new Pivot Table.Alt + D
46 To refresh the Pivot Table.Alt + F5
47 To display or cover totals for rows and columns.Alt + JT
48To ungroup pivot table items.Alt + Shift + Left arrow
49To hide items on the pivot table.Ctrl + –
50 To create a pivot chart on the same sheet.Alt + F1
51To create a pivot chart on a new worksheet.F11

Other Shortcut Keys in Excel to Know

Here are a few other shortcuts in Excel that can be useful to perform different tasks. 

Sr. No.DescriptionExcel Shortcuts
52 To expand or collapse the formula bar.Ctrl + Shift + U
53 To open the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab selected.Ctrl + Shift + F
54To apply the date format- day, month, and year to the selected cells.Ctrl + Shift + #
55To apply the time format- hour and minute, AM or PM, to the selected cells.Ctrl + Shift + @
56To insert a new cell, row, or column based on the current selection.Ctrl + Shift + “+”
57To select cells containing comments in a worksheet.Ctrl + Shift + O
58 To move a screen up or down in a worksheet.Page Up/Page Down
59 To move a screen to the right or left in a worksheet.Alt + Page Up/Page Down
60To scroll the worksheet to show the active cell while keeping the cell selected.Ctrl + Backspace
61In the case of grouped worksheets, this shortcut key helps navigate through the groups to the right or left.Alt + Arrow Right/Arrow Left
62To move to the beginning of a worksheet, mainly the top-left cell (usually A1).Ctrl + Home
63To move to the last cell of the sheet in the lowest row of the rightmost used column.Ctrl + End
64To confirm your entry and moves the selection to the cell above.Shift + Enter
65To insert the SUM function automatically. When used in a cell below a column of numbers or to the right of a row of numbers, Excel guesses the range you want to sum and insert it.Alt + =
66When the insertion point is within a function in a formula, this key opens the Function Arguments dialogue box.Ctrl + A (when in a formula)
67To add the argument names and parentheses for a function when we type a function name in a formula.Ctrl + Shift + A (when in a formula)
68To fill the data in the leftmost cell of the selected range into the rest of the cells in the range to the right.Ctrl + R
69To fill the data in the topmost cell of the selected range into the remaining cells in the range downwards.Ctrl + D
70To display cell formulas and their respective values in the worksheet.Ctrl + ` (grave accent)

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Conclusion:

Mastering MS Excel shortcut keys helps you boost productivity and efficiency in your workflow. These 50+ shortcuts will save you valuable time and streamline tasks. From basic navigation to advanced formatting, each shortcut aids users to work smarter and faster. 

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