Excel Get Started

Excel Get Started walks through opening Excel, creating your first workbook, and getting comfortable with the main parts of the screen.

Opening Excel

On Windows, you can open Excel from the Start menu; on a Mac, it is in the Applications folder or the Dock. When Excel launches, it shows a Start screen with recent files on the left and a gallery of templates on the right, including a plain "Blank workbook" option.

  1. Launch Excel from the Start menu, taskbar, or Applications folder
  2. On the Start screen, click "Blank workbook"
  3. Wait for a new, empty worksheet named Sheet1 to appear
  4. Give the workbook a name the first time you save it

The Excel Window

Once a workbook is open, the screen is divided into a few key regions: the Ribbon across the top with tabs and buttons, the Name Box and Formula Bar just below it, the worksheet grid in the middle, sheet tabs along the bottom, and a status bar at the very bottom edge.

AreaPurpose
Name BoxShows the address of the cell you have selected, and lets you jump to another cell by typing its address
Formula BarDisplays the exact contents (text, number, or formula) of the active cell
Worksheet GridThe rows and columns where you enter and view data
Sheet TabsLet you switch between worksheets in the same workbook
Status BarShows quick info like the sum or average of a selected range, and zoom controls

Typing Your First Entry

Click any cell to select it, then start typing. As you type, your text appears both in the cell and in the Formula Bar. Press Enter to confirm the entry and move down one row, or press Tab to confirm it and move one column to the right.

Example

=1+1
Note: Press Escape at any time while typing to cancel an entry without changing the cell. Press F2 to re-open a cell you already finished typing so you can edit it in place.

Saving Your Work

Press Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on a Mac) to save. The first time you save a new workbook, Excel asks for a file name and a location. Saving regularly protects your work, and later pages cover file formats and automatic backup in more depth.

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