MS Excel Shortcuts Everyone Should Know

Whether you’re an expert or a beginner, these shortcuts help to transform the way you use the power of Excel, making your data-driven decision-making easier. In this blog, we will look into some of the easiest Excel shortcut keys that help us save time and effort, making you a more efficient and productive Excel user.

• What is Microsoft Excel?
  • Key Features of Excel
• What is a Spreadsheet?
  • Key Features of a Spreadsheet
• What are Excel Shortcut keys?
  • Key Benefits of Excel Shortcuts
  • Why Do We Need Shortcut Keys in Excel?
• Excel Shortcut Keys for 2025
  • Basic Keyboard Shortcuts in Excel
  • Keyboard Shortcuts to Enter Data And Formulas
  • Keyboard Shortcuts to Navigate in Excel
  • Keyboard Shortcuts With the Ctrl+Shift Keys

What is Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel is powerful spreadsheet software capable of organizing a wide range of data into rows and columns for carrying out efficient calculations, data analysis, and visualization. It goes one step further with hundreds of built-in functions, such as SUM and AVERAGE, for simplifying the procedure of managing data through charts.

Key Features of Excel

• Advanced Functions – Advanced functions allow for complex calculations and automation of tasks.
• Data Analysis and Visualization – Create interactive charts, pivot tables, and trend analyses.
• Collaboration and Integration – Files can be shared, data can be imported/exported, and external sources can be connected as well.

Excel is a widely used tool by industries that has ensured effective data management, analysis, and data presentation.

What is a Spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is a software tool designed for the organization and management of data in a structured and tabular manner. It consists of rows and columns that define cells, which contain text, numbers, or formulas.

Key Features of a Spreadsheet

• Utilize Formulas and Functions to Perform Calculations – These are automated mathematical operations.
• Data Interpretation – Formulate data into insights drawn from it for the purpose of making well-informed decisions.
• Information Presentation – Information presentation is putting together data into charts and tables, as well as reports for better visualization.
• Practical Application – Such as budgeting, stock management, and statistical analysis.

Spreadsheets are used to make complex tasks easier by applying in-built formulas and functions.

What are Excel Shortcut keys?

Excel shortcut keys are really convenient commands that speed up otherwise time-consuming operations. This enhances workflow by limiting mouse usage. Proficiency in these shortcuts not only enhances productivity but also contributes to a seamless user experience, streamlining interactions with the software.

Excel shortcut keys can be defined as keystroke commands that offer the possibility for a user to execute certain tasks faster and more effectively without the use of a mouse or menu navigation. These shortcuts increase the speed, accuracy, and ease with which one can work in Microsoft Excel.

Key Benefits of Excel Shortcuts

• Swift Navigation: Move through cells, sheets, and workbooks with ease.
• Instant Commands: Copy, paste, undo, redo, and so much more in seconds flat.
• Efficient Formula Usage: Functions and formulas can simply be applied without manual input.

Understanding Excel shortcuts is all about streamlining tasks thereby enhancing user productivity in managing spreadsheet data.

Why Do We Need Shortcut Keys in Excel?

The ability to master Excel keyboard shortcuts is a tremendous boost to one’s productivity. These swift commands help facilitate tasks like formatting, copying, and workbook/spreadsheet navigation without requiring you to do any repetitive mouse clicks.

When you practice regularly and make customizations as per the needs, it becomes your second nature, makes you more efficient, and enables you to save some time for other productive activities in your Excel operations.

Let’s discuss the shortcut keys in Excel in detail:

Excel Shortcut Keys for 2025

1. Basic Keyboard Shortcuts in Excel

Here are some basic shortcut keys in Excel defined below :

1. Ctrl + N: This shortcut creates a new, blank workbook. It is a quick way to start a fresh project without navigating through the File menu.
2. Ctrl + O: Use this to open an existing workbook. It brings up the file explorer, allowing you to navigate to and select the Excel file you want to work on.
3. Ctrl + S: Saves your current work. It’s crucial to use this often to prevent losing data. If the workbook hasn’t been saved before, it will open the Save As dialog box.
4. Ctrl + P: Opens the print options. This is useful when you need a hard copy of your data or charts for reports or meetings.
5. Ctrl + C: Copies the selected cells, including any data, formulas, and formatting. It’s essential for duplicating or moving content within a workbook.
6. Ctrl + X: Cuts the selected cells. Unlike copying, cutting removes the content from the original location once pasted elsewhere.
7. Ctrl + V: Pastes content from the clipboard into the selected cell(s). Works in conjunction with the copy and cut functions.
8. Ctrl + Z: This is the undo function. It’s incredibly useful if you make a mistake or change your mind about a recent action.
9. Ctrl + Y: Redo function. If you undo something and then decide you want that action back, this is the shortcut to use.
10. Ctrl + F: Opens the Find tool. This is handy when you are looking for specific data in large spreadsheets.
11. Ctrl + H: Opens the Find and Replace tool. This is perfect for quickly changing specific data entries across your workbook.
12. Ctrl + A: Select all cells in your current worksheet. It is a quick way to apply changes or formatting to the entire sheet.
13.  Ctrl + Arrow Key: This moves your cursor to the last cell of data in the direction of the arrow key. It’s a time-saver for large datasets.
14.  Ctrl + Shift + L: Quickly applies or removes filters from your data headers. This is useful for analyzing specific subsets of data.
15.  Alt + E, S, V: Opens the Paste Special dialogue, which provides various options for how pasted data should be formatted and processed.
16. Alt + A, M: One of the useful shortcuts in Excel through which all

2. Keyboard Shortcuts to Enter Data And Formulas

Using keyboard shortcuts for data entry and formulas in Excel can increase the speed and productivity of a workflow.. They spare the user from boring manual input, thereby speeding up multiple tasks with increased accuracy. Here are some key shortcuts designed for these purposes:

Employing Excel keyboard shortcuts for data entry and formulas directly accelerate the speed while keeping the workflow running efficiently.

1. Enter: After typing data or a formula in a cell, pressing Enter will confirm the entry and move the selection to the cell below.
2. Tab: Similar to Enter, but it moves the selection to the next cell to the right after confirming the entry.
3. Shift + Enter: Confirms your entry and moves the selection to the cell above.
4. Shift + Tab: Confirms your entry and moves the selection to the cell to the left.
5. Ctrl + ; (semicolon): Inserts the current date into the active cell.
6. Ctrl + Shift + ; (semicolon): Inserts the current time into the active cell.
7. Alt + =: The shortcut Alt + = is one such powerful Excel shortcut that inserts the SUM function automatically, thus quickly calculating the total of the selected data. With this productivity-enhancing feature, manual selection becomes unnecessary, thus speeding up data analysis in Excel.
8. F2: Edits the active cell and positions the cursor at the end of the cell’s contents. It’s also useful for editing formulas.
9. Ctrl + A (when in a formula): Opens the Function Arguments dialogue box when the insertion point is within a function in a formula.
10. Ctrl + Shift + A (when in a formula): Inserts the argument names and parentheses for a function, after you type a function name in a formula.
11. Ctrl + R: Fills the data or formula in the leftmost cell of the selected range into the rest of the cells in the range to the right.
12. Ctrl + D: Fills the data or formula in the topmost cell of the selected range into the rest of the cells in the range downwards.
13. Ctrl + ` (grave accent): Toggles between displaying cell formulas and their values in the worksheet.
14. Ctrl + Shift + “+”: Opens the Insert dialog to insert blank cells.
15. Ctrl + “-“: Opens the Delete dialog to delete selected cells.

3. Keyboard Shortcuts to Navigate in Excel

One needs to be proficient in Excel navigation, and even more so, handling large datasets. This is why sticking to keyboard shortcuts to replace mouse clicks supports faster workflow and increases productivity levels.

Here are some Excel navigation shortcuts:

1. Arrow Keys: Move one cell up, down, left, or right in a worksheet.
2. Ctrl + Arrow Key: Moves to the edge of the current data region in a worksheet. For instance, Ctrl + Down Arrow moves to the bottom-most cell in the current column that contains data.
3. Ctrl + Home: Moves to the beginning of a worksheet – specifically, the top-left cell (usually A1).
4. Ctrl + End: Moves to the last cell on a worksheet, in the lowest used row of the rightmost used column.
5. Page Up/Page Down: Moves one screen up or down in a worksheet.
6. Alt + Page Up/Page Down: Moves one screen to the right or left in a worksheet.
7. Ctrl + Page Up/Page Down: Moves to the previous or next worksheet in the workbook.
8. Tab: Moves one cell to the right in a worksheet. Shift + Tab moves one cell to the left.
9. Ctrl + Backspace: Scrolls the worksheet to display the active cell while keeping the cell selected.
10. Alt + Arrow Right/Arrow Left: In a workbook with grouped worksheets, this shortcut navigates through the groups to the right or left.
11. Ctrl + 1: One of the most versatile shortcut keys in Excel is Ctrl + 1, which creates a quick command for formatting cells through an immediate opening of the Format Cells dialog box.

4. Keyboard Shortcuts With the Ctrl+Shift Keys

With the combination of Ctrl and Shift key with other keys in Excel, one unlocks tremendously powerful shortcuts in selection and manipulation of data. Shortcuts such as these speed up a functioning workflow and improve navigation throughout spreadsheets.

Here are some keyboard shortcuts in Excel using the Ctrl + Shift  keys:

1. Ctrl + Shift + @: Applies the time format with the hour and minute, AM or PM, to the selected cells.
2. Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Key: Extends the selection to the last non-blank cell in a row or a column. If the adjacent cell is empty it moves to the next non-blank cell.
3. Ctrl + Shift + L: Toggles the filter on and off for the current data range or table.
4. Ctrl + Shift + “+”: Inserts a new cell, row, or column, depending on the current selection.
5. Ctrl + Shift + O: Selects all cells that contain comments in a worksheet.
6. Ctrl + Shift + U: Expands or collapses the formula bar.
7. Ctrl + Shift + F: Opens the Format Cells dialog with the Font tab selected.
8. Ctrl + Shift + $: Applies the currency format with two decimal places to the selected cells.
9. Ctrl + Shift + %: Applies the percentage format with no decimal places to the selected cells.
10. Ctrl + Shift + #: Applies the date format with the day, month, and year to the selected cells.