Working in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet can be a frustrating or pleasant experience. The difference likely lies in how productive you are with the software.
Having to hunt through menus for everything is no fun. Keyboard shortcuts help you access your most-used functions instantly, and you can even make your own.
Here are some of the most useful Excel shortcuts you should keep in mind for regular use:
- F2 lets you edit the selected cell.
- F4 repeats the last action you took.
- Ctrl + Alt + V opens the Paste Special menu. Here you can choose to paste the value, formula, formatting, and more of your copied text.
- Ctrl + A selects the entire worksheet.
- Alt + = will automatically add the values in a row, column, or table and create a SUM function in the current cell.
- Ctrl + ; will enter the current date.
- Ctrl + T opens the Insert Table dialogue.
- Ctrl + Shift + Arrow key will extend your selection as far as data goes. For instance, say you have a column with 10 items in it. Select the top cell, use this shortcut, and Excel will select all the cells.
- Ctrl + 1 opens the Format Cells dialogue. This lets you change number, alignment, font, and more properties without poking through the Ribbon menu.
- If you ever lose track of your current cell, press Ctrl + Backspace.
- Press Ctrl + Home to return to cell A1.
For many more of these, check out our guide to Excel shortcuts.
Which Excel shortcuts do you use regularly? Tell us which keyboard shortcuts you can't live without in the comments!
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