Excel Shortcuts That Will Save You Hours!

One of the main reasons people love Excel is how quick and efficient it is.

But using keyboard shortcuts will make it even better!

Whether you’re a beginner or expert in Excel, these shortcuts will save everyone time.

1. Navigation Shortcuts

These shortcuts help you move around your spreadsheet with speed and precision, especially useful in large datasets.

• Ctrl + Arrow Keys – Jump to the edge of data regions
• Ctrl + Home / Ctrl + End – Move to the beginning or end of the worksheet
• F5 or Ctrl + G – Go to a specific cell

2. Selection Shortcuts

Use these to quickly select rows, columns, or large blocks of data without using your mouse.

• Shift + Space – Select entire row
• Ctrl + Space – Select entire column
• Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys – Select data to the edge of region

3. Formatting Shortcuts

These shortcuts streamline how you format your spreadsheet, helping you maintain a professional and consistent appearance.

• Ctrl + 1 – Format cells dialog
• Ctrl + B / I / U – Bold, Italic, Underline
• Alt + E, S, V – Paste Special (sequential keystrokes)

4. Editing Shortcuts

Ideal for everyday actions like copying, pasting, undoing errors, or modifying cell content.

• Ctrl + C / X / V – Copy, Cut, Paste
• Ctrl + Z / Y – Undo, Redo
• F2 – Edit the selected cell
• Delete – Clear cell contents

5. Worksheet Management

Manage multiple sheets and workbooks more efficiently with these navigation and insertion shortcuts.

• Ctrl + Page Up / Page Down – Switch between sheets
• Shift + F11 – Insert new worksheet
• Ctrl + Tab – Switch between open workbooks

6. Data Handling

These are essential for working with data, from inserting dates to filtering and summarising.

• Alt + = – AutoSum selected cells
• Ctrl + ; – Insert current date
• Ctrl + Shift + L – Toggle filters
• Ctrl + T – Create a table

Final Thoughts

Learning and using Excel shortcuts is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to speed up your workflow.

If you use Excel regularly, even mastering a handful of these shortcuts can save you hours each week.

For more advanced Excel tips or to take your skills to the next level, consider enrolling in one of our hands-on Excel training courses.