Essential Excel Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows & Mac)
March 16, 2026
Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to boost your Excel productivity. This guide covers the most essential shortcuts for both Windows and Mac, organized by task category.
Navigation
Move around your spreadsheet quickly without touching the mouse.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Move to edge of data region | Ctrl + Arrow | Cmd + Arrow |
| Jump to cell A1 | Ctrl + Home | Cmd + Home or Fn + Ctrl + Left |
| Jump to last used cell | Ctrl + End | Cmd + End or Fn + Ctrl + Right |
| Go to a specific cell | Ctrl + G or F5 | Cmd + G or F5 |
| Move to next sheet | Ctrl + Page Down | Fn + Ctrl + Down |
| Move to previous sheet | Ctrl + Page Up | Fn + Ctrl + Up |
| Scroll without moving selection | Scroll Lock + Arrows | — |
Pro tip: Ctrl + Arrow jumps to the edge of the current data block. Combine with Shift to select everything in between.
Selection
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Select entire row | Shift + Space | Shift + Space |
| Select entire column | Ctrl + Space | Ctrl + Space |
| Select all cells | Ctrl + A | Cmd + A |
| Extend selection to edge | Ctrl + Shift + Arrow | Cmd + Shift + Arrow |
| Select current region | Ctrl + Shift + * | Cmd + Shift + * |
| Select to beginning of row | Shift + Home | Cmd + Shift + Left |
| Add non-adjacent cells | Ctrl + Click | Cmd + Click |
Data Entry and Editing
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Edit active cell | F2 | F2 or Ctrl + U |
| Confirm and move down | Enter | Return |
| Confirm and move right | Tab | Tab |
| Cancel cell entry | Esc | Esc |
| Fill down | Ctrl + D | Cmd + D |
| Fill right | Ctrl + R | Cmd + R |
| Enter current date | Ctrl + ; | Ctrl + ; |
| Enter current time | Ctrl + Shift + ; | Cmd + ; |
| Insert line break in cell | Alt + Enter | Ctrl + Option + Return |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | Cmd + Y |
Formatting
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl + B | Cmd + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I |
| Underline | Ctrl + U | Cmd + U |
| Strikethrough | Ctrl + 5 | Cmd + Shift + X |
| Format Cells dialog | Ctrl + 1 | Cmd + 1 |
| Apply currency format | Ctrl + Shift + $ | Ctrl + Shift + $ |
| Apply percentage format | Ctrl + Shift + % | Ctrl + Shift + % |
| Apply date format | Ctrl + Shift + # | Ctrl + Shift + # |
| Apply number format | Ctrl + Shift + ! | Ctrl + Shift + ! |
| Remove all borders | Ctrl + Shift + _ | Cmd + Option + 0 |
Formulas
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Start a formula | = | = |
| Toggle absolute reference ($) | F4 | Cmd + T |
| AutoSum | Alt + = | Cmd + Shift + T |
| Insert function dialog | Shift + F3 | Shift + F3 |
| Show all formulas | Ctrl + `` | Ctrl + `` |
| Evaluate part of formula | Select portion, then F9 | Select portion, then F9 |
| Name Manager | Ctrl + F3 | Cmd + F3 |
| Calculate all workbooks | F9 | F9 |
| Calculate active sheet | Shift + F9 | Shift + F9 |
Pro tip: When editing a formula, press F4 to cycle through reference types: A1 → $A$1 → A$1 → $A1.
Rows, Columns, and Sheets
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Insert row/column | Ctrl + Shift + + | Cmd + Shift + + |
| Delete row/column | Ctrl + - | Cmd + - |
| Hide selected rows | Ctrl + 9 | Cmd + 9 |
| Unhide rows | Ctrl + Shift + 9 | Cmd + Shift + 9 |
| Hide selected columns | Ctrl + 0 | Cmd + 0 |
| Group rows/columns | Alt + Shift + Right | Cmd + Shift + K |
| Insert new sheet | Shift + F11 | Shift + F11 |
| Rename sheet | Alt + H, O, R | Double-click the tab |
Workbook and File
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New workbook | Ctrl + N | Cmd + N |
| Open file | Ctrl + O | Cmd + O |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
| Save As | F12 | Cmd + Shift + S |
Ctrl + P | Cmd + P | |
| Close workbook | Ctrl + W | Cmd + W |
| Find | Ctrl + F | Cmd + F |
| Find and Replace | Ctrl + H | Cmd + H |
Top 10 Shortcuts to Memorize First
If you are just starting out, focus on these high-impact shortcuts:
- Ctrl + C / Cmd + C — Copy
- Ctrl + V / Cmd + V — Paste
- Ctrl + Z / Cmd + Z — Undo
- Ctrl + Arrow / Cmd + Arrow — Jump to edge of data
- Ctrl + Shift + Arrow / Cmd + Shift + Arrow — Select to edge
- Ctrl + 1 / Cmd + 1 — Format Cells dialog
- F2 — Edit a cell
- F4 / Cmd + T — Toggle absolute reference
- Alt + = / Cmd + Shift + T — AutoSum
- Ctrl + ; / Ctrl + ; — Insert today’s date
Key Takeaways
You do not need to memorize every shortcut at once. Pick 3-5 from the areas where you spend the most time and practice them until they become automatic. Then add more. Over time, these small time savings compound into significantly faster spreadsheet work.