Excel Keyboard Shortcuts
This page lists the real Windows Excel keyboard shortcuts worth memorizing for navigating, selecting, editing, and formatting a worksheet without reaching for the mouse.
Why Learn Shortcuts
Every shortcut you memorize removes a trip to the ribbon or a mouse click, and on a large worksheet those seconds add up fast. The shortcuts below are grouped by what they help you do: getting around a sheet, selecting ranges, editing cells, and formatting them.
Navigating a Worksheet
Selecting Cells and Ranges
Editing and Clipboard Shortcuts
Formatting and Data Shortcuts
- Alt+= - insert AutoSum on the selected range
- Ctrl+T - convert the selected range into an Excel Table
- Ctrl+; - insert today's date as a static value
- F4 - repeat the last action, or cycle a formula reference between relative and absolute while editing
- Ctrl+S - save the workbook
Note: F4 has a second job: while you're actively typing or editing a formula, pressing it cycles the reference under your cursor through A1, $A$1, A$1, and $A1. That's the fastest way to lock a reference before copying a formula across many rows or columns.
Exercise: Excel Shortcuts
What does pressing Ctrl+; (semicolon) insert into the active cell?
