Excel Keyboard Shortcuts

Here is a selection of some of the most often used keyboard shortcuts, along with a few you may have never used before, or even know existed! If you have any others that you would like to add, then please E-mail your tip to us, and we will include it with a credit to your name.

Note – in these shortcuts there are often references to certain keys, theses are shown within the [ ] symbols. e.g. if you see [Home] this means press the ‘Home’ key, where a combination is required the + symbol is used e.g. [ctrl] + [Home] means press the ‘ctrl’ key and ‘Home’ key together.

Function Keys

F1 – Start help / office assistant.
F2 – Exit currently selected cell.
F3 – Paste name.
F4 – Repeat the last action.
F4 – Switch between absolute and relative cell references when editing a formula.
F5 – Display the ‘Goto’ dialog box.
F6 – Goto next pane or frame.
F7 – Activate spellchecker.
F8 – Extend a selection.
F9 – Recalculate all open workbooks.
F10 – Activate the menu bar.
F11 – Insert a chart into the current worksheet.
F12 – Display the ‘Save as’ dialog.

 Alt Keys

[alt]+’ – Display the ‘Style’ dialog box.
[alt]+= – Insert Autosum function.
[alt]+F1 – Insert a new chart.
[alt]+F2 – Display the ‘Save As’ dialog.
[alt]+F4 – Quit Excel.
[alt]+F8 – Open Macros dialog.
[alt]+F11 – Open Visual Basic Editor.
[alt]+[shift]+F1 – Insert new Worksheet.
[alt]+[shift]+F2 – Display the ‘Save As’ dialog.
[alt]+[Down Arrow] – Display Autocomplete list..

 Shift Keys

[shift]+F1 – Change standard pointer to ‘What’s this’ pointer’.
[shift]+F2 – Edit cell comment.
[shift]+F3 – Display ‘Insert Function’ Dialog.
[shift]+F4 – Repeat the last find action.
[shift]+F5 – Display the ‘Find’ dialog.
[shift]+F6 – Goto previous pane or frame.
[shift]+F8 – Add to selection.
[shift]+F9 – Re-calculate the active worksheet.
[shift]+F10 – Activate shortcut menu.
[shift]+F11 – Insert a new Worksheet into the active Workbook.
[shift]+F12 – Save command.
[shift]+[Enter] – Move up one cell.
[shift]+[Down Arrow] – Increase selection in a downward direction.
[shift]+[Up Arrow] – Increase selection in an upward direction.
[shift]+[Left Arrow] – Increase selection in a leftward direction.
[shift]+[Right Arrow] – Increase selection in a rightward direction.
[shift]+[Page Down] – Increase selection one screen at a time downward.
[shift]+[Page Up] – Increase selection one screen at a time upward.

Ctrl Keys

[ctrl]+A – Select all cells.
[ctrl]+B – Format selection as bold.
[ctrl]+C – Copy selection to clipboard.
[ctrl]+C (Pressed twice) – Display clipboard.
[ctrl]+D – Copy contents of cell above into current cell.
[ctrl]+F – Open the ‘Find’ dialog box.
[ctrl]+G – Open the ‘Goto’ dialog box.
[ctrl]+H – Open find / replace dialog box.
[ctrl]+I – Apply italic formatting to current selection.
[ctrl]+K – Insert a hyperlink.
[ctrl]+N – Create a new workbook.
[ctrl]+O – Display the ‘Open’ dialog box.
[ctrl]+P – Open the ‘Print’ dialog box.
[ctrl]+R – Copy the contents of the cell to the left into the current cell (Known as ‘Fill Right’).
[ctrl]+S – Save current workbook.
[ctrl]+U – Underline contents of selected cells.
[ctrl]+V – Paste text or object from clipboard.
[ctrl]+W – Close workbook.
[ctrl]+X – Cut selected text or object.
[ctrl]+Y – Redo the last action.
[ctrl]+Z – Undo the last action.
[ctrl]++ – Insert row / column, dependant on selection.
[ctrl]+- – Delete row / column, dependant on selection.
[ctrl]+’ – Toggle formula / value display.
[ctrl]+; – Insert current date.
[ctrl]+: – Insert current time.
[ctrl]+[Up Arrow] – Move up to the start of the current worksheet.
[ctrl]+[Down Arrow] – Move down to the end of the current worksheet.
[ctrl]+[Right Arrow] – Move right to the end of the worksheet.
[ctrl]+[Left Arrow] – Move left to the start of the worksheet.
[ctrl]+[End] – Move to the end of the active worksheet.
[ctrl]+[Home] – Move to cell A1.
[ctrl]+[shift]+A – Insert argument names into formulae.
[ctrl]+[shift]+F3 – Display the ‘Create Names’ dialog.
[ctrl]+[shift]+F6 – Previous window.
[ctrl]+[shift]+F12 – Display the ‘Print’ dialog.
[ctrl]+[shift]+~ – Format selection as ‘General’ format.
[ctrl]+[shift]+! – Format selection as ‘Comma’ format.
[ctrl]+[shift]+@ – Format selection as ‘Date and Time’ format.
[ctrl]+[shift]+$ – Format selection as ‘Currency’ format.
[ctrl]+[shift]+% – Format selection as ‘percentage’ format.
[ctrl]+[shift]+^ – Format selection as ‘Exponential’ format.
[ctrl]+[shift]+& – Create and outline border around current selection.
[ctrl]+[shift]+_ – Remove outline border from current selection.
[ctrl]+[shift]+* – Select the current region.
[ctrl]+[tab] – Cycle between worksheets. (When toolbars are inactive)
[ctrl]+[tab] – Cycle between toolbars. (When toolbars are active)
[ctrl]+F3 – Define a range name.
[ctrl]+F4 – Close the window.
[ctrl]+F5 – Restore window size.
[ctrl]+F6 – Cycle between Workbook windows.
[ctrl]+F9 – Minimise Workbook.
[ctrl]+F10 – Maximise or restore a selected window.
[ctrl]+F12 – Display ‘Open’ dialog box.
[ctrl]+1 – Display the ‘Format Cells’ dialog.
[ctrl]+2 – Format current selection as ‘Bold’.
[ctrl]+3 – Format current selection as ‘Italic’.
[ctrl]+4 – Format current selection as ‘Underline’.
[ctrl]+5 – Format current selection as ‘Strikethrough’.
[ctrl]+6 – Show / Hide objects.
[ctrl]+7 – Show / Hide standard toolbar.
[ctrl]+8 – Toggle Outline symbols.
[ctrl]+9 – Hide rows.
[ctrl]+9 – Hide columns.
[ctrl]+[shift]+( – Un-hide rows.
[ctrl]+[shift]+) – Un-hide columns