Excel Keyboard Shortcuts
The Microsoft Excel shortcuts for entering data, navigating a sheet, and formatting cells fast. Bindings are for Windows; Mac users read Ctrl as Cmd.
16 shortcuts across 3 groups
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + C | Copy the selection |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo the last action |
| F2 | Edit the active cell |
| Alt + Enter | New line within a cell |
| Ctrl + ; | Insert today's date |
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Arrow | Jump to the edge of the data |
| Ctrl + Shift + Arrow | Select to the edge of the data |
| Ctrl + Home | Go to cell A1 |
| Ctrl + A | Select the whole region |
| Ctrl + Space | Select the whole column |
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Alt + = | Insert an AutoSum |
| Ctrl + Shift + $ | Apply currency format |
| Ctrl + Shift + % | Apply percent format |
| Ctrl + B | Toggle bold |
| F4 | Repeat the last action |
Getting these into muscle memory
A cheat sheet only helps if the bindings move from the page into your hands. The fastest way is to pick two or three shortcuts from a single group above, force yourself to use them for a few days even when the mouse feels quicker, and only then add more. Trying to memorize an entire sheet at once rarely sticks, because none of the bindings get enough repetition to become automatic.
The groups here are ordered by how often you reach for them. Openers and palettes come first because they unlock everything else, then editing and navigation, which is where most of a session is spent. Keep this page open in a tab while you learn, and it will quietly work its way out of your sight and into your fingers.