What is Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application program, which is the best tool to organize and present data contained in different cells.
It provides the facility to edit table information, filter tables, create graphs and charts of analyzed data, currency exchange rates, etc.
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that helps you make lists, charts, and graphs.
You can also use Excel to keep track of your household budget or create specialized payroll reports for your business.
It’s a great tool for performing complex calculations and modeling projects in science and engineering.

Shortcut Key for Microsoft Excel – When you need to do some instant calculations and don’t want to use the mouse, it’s nice to have some handy tools.
The quick way to open the calculator or add a date or a timestamp to cell contents is good to know.
What about adding a border around selected cells or repeating a command that you’ve just executed.
This book contains over 60 shortcuts covering all these topics and more.
You can get a lot of work done with just one shortcut key press!
Frequently Used Excel Shortcuts
Action | Shortcut | |
---|---|---|
Copy | Ctrl + C | Command + C |
Paste | Ctrl + V | Command + V |
Undo | Ctrl + Z | Command + Z |
Clear | Delete | Delete |
Save | Ctrl + S | Command + S |
Redo | Ctrl + Y | Command + Y |
Cut | Ctrl + X | Command + X |
Bold | Ctrl + B | Command + B |
Ctrl + P | Command + P | |
Find and replace cell contents | Ctrl + H | Command + H |
Insert a hyperlink in a cell | Ctrl + K | Command + K |
Format the cell contents | Ctrl + 1 | Command + 1 |
Hide a Row | Ctrl + 9 | Command + 9 |
Hide a Column | Ctrl + 0 | Command + 0 |
Close your current workbook | Ctrl + W | Command + W |
Fill Down | Ctrl + D | Command + D |
Fill Right | Alt + G + H | Command + R |
Insert cells | Shift + F2 | Control + Shift + = |
Delete cells | Delete | Command + Hyphen |
Calculate all open workbooks | F9 | F9 |
Close window | Ctrl + Esc | Command + W |
Quit Excel | Alt + F4 | Command + Q |
Display the Go To dialog | F5 | F5 |
Display the Format Cells dialog | Ctrl + 1 | Command + 1 |
Open the Paste Special dialog | Ctrl + Alt + V | Command + Option + V |
Underline | Ctrl+U | Command + U |
Italic | Ctrl+I | Command + I |
New blank workbook | Ctrl + O | Command + O |
Display the Save As dialog | F12 | F12 |
Select All | Ctrl + A | Command + A |
Apply or remove strikethrough formatting | Ctrl+5 | Command + 5 |
Extend the cell selection to the left or right | Shift + Left/Right arrow | Shift + Left/Right arrow |
Select the entire row | Shift + Space | Shift + Space |
Select the entire column | Ctrl + Space | Cmd + Space |
Select the entire worksheet | Ctrl + Shift + Space | Cmd + Shift + Space |
Microsoft Excel Shortcuts to Enter Data Into Sheets
Action | Shortcut | |
---|---|---|
Edit the selected cell | F2 | F2 |
Add or edit a cell comment | Shift + F2 | Shift + F2 |
Paste a Cell name | F3 | F3 |
Complete a cell entry and move forward in the selection | Enter | Return |
Start a new line in the same cell | Alt + Enter | Option + Return |
Complete a cell entry and move up in the selection | Shift + Enter | Shift + Return |
Complete a cell entry and move to the right in the selection | Tab key | Tab key |
Complete a cell entry and move to the left in the selection | Shift + Tab | Shift + Tab |
Cancel a cell entry | Esc | Esc |
Delete the character to the left | Backspace | Delete |
Delete the character to the right | N/A | FN + Delete |
Move one character | Arrow keys | Arrow keys |
Move to the beginning of the line | Home | Home |
Move to the last cell in use on the sheet | Ctrl + End | Command + End |
Move down one screen | Page down | Page down |
Enter the current time | Ctrl + Shift + colon (:) | Control + option + colon (:) |
Enter the current date | Ctrl + semi-colon (;) | Control + semi-colon (;) |
Move the selected cells | Ctrl + X | Command + X |
Copy the selected cells | Ctrl + C | Command + C |
Insert a hyperlink | Ctrl + K | Command + K |
Calculate the active sheet | Shift+ F9 | Shift + F9 |
Start a formula | Equal (=) | Equal (=) |
Insert the AutoSum formula | Alt + = | Command + Shift + T |
Insert a function | Shift + F3 | Shift + F3 |
Open the Smart Lookup pane | N/A | Control + Option + Command + L |
Define a name | Alt + M | Control + L |
Office Add-Ins Task Pane Excel Shortcuts
Action | Shortcut | |
---|---|---|
Open the context menu | Ctrl + Shift + F10 | Control + Shift + F10 |
Open the task pane options menu | Ctrl + Space bar | Control + Space bar |
Close the task pane | Ctrl + Space barand select close | Control + Space barand select close |
Microsoft Excel Function Key Excel Shortcuts
Action | Shortcut | |
---|---|---|
Display the Help window | F1 | F1 |
Edit the selected cell | F2 | F2 |
Insert a note | Shift + F2 | Shift+F2 |
Insert a threaded comment | Ctrl + Shift + F2 | Command + Shift + F2 |
Open the Save dialog | F12 | Option + F2 |
Open the Formula Builder | Shift + F3 | Shift + F3 |
Open the Define Name dialog | Ctrl + F3 | Command + F3 |
Close | Ctrl + F4 | Command + F4 |
Display the Go To dialog | F5 | F5 |
Display the Find dialog | N/A | Shift + F5 |
Move to the search sheet dialog | Ctrl + F5 | Control + F5 |
Check a spelling | F7 | F7 |
Open the thesaurus | Shift + F7 | Shift + F7 |
Extend the selection | F8 | F8 |
Display the Macro dialog | Alt + F8 | Option + F8 |
Minimize the active window | Ctrl + F9 | Control + F9 |
Insert a new chart sheet | F11 | F11 |