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Microsoft Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Excel on Windows. Navigate cells, build formulas, and apply number formatting on Windows.
Key label style

Frequently used shortcuts

Close a workbook
Ctrl+W
Open a workbook
Ctrl+O
Go to the Home tab
Alt+H
Save a workbook
Ctrl+S
Copy selection
Ctrl+C
Paste selection
Ctrl+V
Undo recent action
Ctrl+Z
Remove cell contents
Del
Choose a fill color
Alt+H,H
Cut selection
Ctrl+X
Go to the Insert tab
Alt+N
Apply bold formatting
Ctrl+B
Center align cell contents
Alt+H,A,C
Go to the Page Layout tab
Alt+P
Go to the Data tab
Alt+A
Go to the View tab
Alt+W
Open the context menu
Shift+F10
or
Context Menu
Add borders
Alt+H,B
Delete column
Alt+H,D,C
Go to the Formula tab
Alt+M
Hide the selected rows
Ctrl+9
Hide the selected columns
Ctrl+0

Ribbon keyboard shortcuts

Move to the Tell me or Search field on the ribbon and type a search term for assistance or Help content
Alt+Q
Open the File menu
Alt+F
Open the Home tab and format text and numbers and use the Find tool
Alt+H
Open the Insert tab and insert PivotTables, charts, add-ins, Sparklines, pictures, shapes, headers, or text boxes
Alt+N
Open the Page Layout tab and work with themes, page setup, scale, and alignment
Alt+P
Open the Formulas tab and insert, trace, and customize functions and calculations
Alt+M
Open the Data tab and connect to, sort, filter, analyze, and work with data
Alt+A
Open the Review tab and check spelling, add notes and threaded comments, and protect sheets and workbooks
Alt+R
Open the View tabPreview page breaks and layouts, toggle gridlines and headings, set the zoom, manage windows and panes, and view macros.
Alt+W
Select the active tab on the ribbon and activate the access keys
Alt
or
F10
Move the focus to commands on the ribbon or add-in pane
Tab
or
Shift+Tab
Move down, up, left, or right, respectively, among the items on the ribbon
UpDownLeftRight
Show the tooltip for the ribbon element currently in focus
Ctrl+Shift+F10
Activate a selected button
Space
or
Enter
Open the list for a selected command
Down
Open the menu for a selected button
Alt+Down
When a menu or submenu is open, move to the next command
Down
Expand or collapse the ribbon
Ctrl+F1
Open a context menu
Shift+F10
or
Context Menu
Move to the submenu when a main menu is open or selected
Left
Move from one group of controls to another
Ctrl+Left
or
Ctrl+Right

Keyboard shortcuts for navigating in cells

Move to the previous cell in a worksheet or the previous option in a dialog box
Shift+Tab
Move one cell up/down/left/right in a worksheet
UpDownLeftRight
Move to the edge of the current data region in a worksheet
Ctrl+UpDownLeftRight
Enter End mode and move to the next non-blank cell in the row or columnEnd mode turns off again after the move. If the cells are blank, moves to the last cell in the row or column.
End,UpDownLeftRight
Move to the last cell on a worksheet, to the lowest used row of the rightmost used column
Ctrl+End
Extend the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner)
Ctrl+Shift+End
Move to the cell in the upper-left corner of the window when Scroll lock is turned on
Home+Scroll Lock
Move to the beginning of a worksheet
Ctrl+Home
Move one screen down in a worksheet
Pg Dn
Move to the next sheet in a workbook
Ctrl+Pg Dn
Move one screen to the right in a worksheet
Alt+Pg Dn
Move one screen up in a worksheet
Pg Up
Move one screen to the left in a worksheet
Alt+Pg Up
Move to the previous sheet in a workbook
Ctrl+Pg Up
Move one cell to the right in a worksheet, or in a protected worksheet, move between unlocked cells
Tab
Open the list of validation choices on a cell that has data validation option applied to it
Alt+Down
Cycle through floating shapes, such as text boxes or images
Ctrl+Alt+5,Tab
Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal navigation
Esc
Scroll horizontally
Ctrl+Shift+Scroll up
or
Ctrl+Shift+Scroll down
Zoom in
Ctrl+Alt+=
Zoom out
Ctrl+Alt+-

Keyboard shortcuts for formatting cells

Open the Format Cells dialog box
Ctrl+1
Format fonts in the Format Cells dialog box
Ctrl+Shift+F
or
Ctrl+Shift+P
Edit the active cell and put the insertion point at the end of its contentsIf editing is turned off, the insertion point goes to the formula bar instead. In a formula, toggles Point mode so the arrow keys build a reference.
F2
Insert a noteOpen and edit a cell note.
Shift+F2
Insert a threaded commentOpen and reply to a threaded comment.
Ctrl+Shift+F2
Open the Insert dialog box to insert blank cells
Ctrl+Shift+=
Open the Delete dialog box to delete selected cells
Ctrl+-
Enter the current time
Ctrl+Shift+;
Enter the current date
Ctrl+;
Switch between displaying cell values or formulas in the worksheet
Ctrl+`
Copy a formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the formula bar
Ctrl+'
Move the selected cells
Ctrl+X
Copy the selected cells
Ctrl+C
Paste content at the insertion point, replacing any selection
Ctrl+V
Open the Paste Special dialog box
Ctrl+Alt+V
Italicize text or remove italic formatting
Ctrl+I
or
Ctrl+3
Bold text or remove bold formatting
Ctrl+B
or
Ctrl+2
Underline text or remove underline
Ctrl+U
or
Ctrl+4
Apply or remove strikethrough formatting
Ctrl+5
Switch between hiding objects, displaying objects, and displaying placeholders for objects
Ctrl+6
Apply an outline border to the selected cells
Ctrl+Shift+7
Remove the outline border from the selected cells
Ctrl+Shift+-
Display or hide the outline symbols
Ctrl+8
Use the Fill Down command to copy the contents and format of the topmost cell of a selected range into the cells below
Ctrl+D
Apply the General number format
Ctrl+Shift+`
Apply the Currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers in parentheses)
Ctrl+Shift+4
Apply the Percentage format with no decimal places
Ctrl+Shift+5
Apply the Scientific number format with two decimal places
Ctrl+Shift+6
Apply the Date format with the day, month, and year
Ctrl+Shift+3
Apply the Time format with the hour and minute, and AM or PM
Ctrl+Shift+2
Apply the Number format with two decimal places, thousands separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values
Ctrl+Shift+1
Open the Insert hyperlink dialog box
Ctrl+K
Check spelling in the active worksheet or selected range
F7
Display the Quick Analysis options for selected cells that contain data
Ctrl+Q
Display the Create Table dialog box
Ctrl+L
or
Ctrl+T
Open the Workbook Statistics dialog box
Ctrl+Shift+G
Paste all cell contents and formatting
A
Paste only the formulas as entered in the formula bar
F
Paste only the values (not the formulas)
V
Paste only the copied formatting
T
Paste only comments and notes attached to the cell
C
Paste only the data validation settings from copied cells
N
Paste all cell contents and formatting from copied cells
H
Paste all cell contents without borders
X
Paste only column widths from copied cells
W
Paste only formulas and number formats from copied cells
R
Paste only the values (not formulas) and number formats from copied cells
U

Keyboard shortcuts for making selections and performing actions

Select the entire worksheet
Ctrl+A
or
Ctrl+Shift+Space
Select the current and next sheet in a workbook
Ctrl+Shift+Pg Dn
Select the current and previous sheet in a workbook
Ctrl+Shift+Pg Up
Extend the selection of cells by one cell
Shift+UpDownLeftRight
Extend the cell selection to the last non-blank cell in the row or columnExtends to the next non-blank cell instead if the next one is blank.
Ctrl+Shift+UpDownLeftRight
Turn extend mode on and use the arrow keys to extend a selectionPress again to turn off.
F8
Add a non-adjacent cell or range to a selection of cells by using the arrow keys
Shift+F8
Start a new line in the same cell
Alt+Enter
Fill the selected cell range with the current entry
Ctrl+Enter
Complete a cell entry and select the cell above
Shift+Enter
Select an entire column in a worksheet
Ctrl+Space
Select an entire row in a worksheet
Shift+Space
Select all objects on a worksheet when an object is selected
Ctrl+Shift+Space
Extend the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet
Ctrl+Shift+Home
Select the current region if the worksheet contains dataPress a second time to add the summary rows, and a third time to select the entire worksheet.
Ctrl+A
or
Ctrl+Shift+Space
Select the current region around the active cell
Ctrl+Shift+8
Select the first command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible
Home
Repeat the last command or action, if possible
Ctrl+Y
Undo the last action
Ctrl+Z
Expand grouped rows or columns
Shift+Scroll down
Collapse grouped rows or columns
Shift+Scroll up

Keyboard shortcuts for working with data, functions, and the formula bar

Turn on or off tooltips for checking formulas directly in the formula bar or in the cell you're editing
Ctrl+Alt+P
Edit the active cell and put the insertion point at the end of its contentsIf editing is turned off, the insertion point goes to the formula bar instead. In a formula, toggles Point mode so the arrow keys build a reference.
F2
Expand or collapse the formula bar
Ctrl+Shift+U
Cancel an entry in the cell or formula bar
Esc
Complete an entry in the formula bar and select the cell below
Enter
Move the cursor to the end of the text when in the formula bar
Ctrl+End
Select all text in the formula bar from the cursor position to the end
Ctrl+Shift+End
Calculate all worksheets in all open workbooks
F9
Calculate the active worksheet
Shift+F9
Calculate all worksheets in all open workbooks, regardless of whether they have changed since the last calculation
Ctrl+Alt+F9
Recalculate every cell in all open workbooksChecks dependent formulas first, and includes cells not marked as needing calculation.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F9
Display the menu or message for an Error Checking button
Alt+Shift+F10
Display the Function Arguments dialog box when the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula
Ctrl+A
Insert argument names and parentheses when the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula
Ctrl+Shift+A
Insert the AutoSum formula
Alt+=
Invoke Flash Fill to automatically recognize patterns in adjacent columns and fill the current column
Ctrl+E
Cycle through all combinations of absolute and relative references in a formula if a cell reference or range is selected
F4
Insert a function
Shift+F3
Copy the value from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the formula bar
Ctrl+Shift+'
Create an embedded chart of the data in the current range
Alt+F1
Create a chart of the data in the current range in a separate Chart sheet
F11
Define a name to use in references
Alt+M,M,D
Paste a name from the Paste Name dialog box (if names have been defined in the workbook)
F3
Move to the first field in the next record of a data form
Enter
Create, run, edit, or delete a macro
Alt+F8
Open the Microsoft Visual Basic For Applications Editor
Alt+F11
Open the Power Query Editor
Alt+F12

Keyboard shortcuts for refreshing external data

Stop a refresh operation
Esc
Refresh data in the current worksheet
Ctrl+F5
Refresh all data in the workbook
Ctrl+Alt+F5

Power Pivot keyboard shortcuts

Open the context menu for the selected cell, column, or row
Shift+F10
Select the entire table
Ctrl+A
Copy selected data
Ctrl+C
Delete the table
Ctrl+D
Move the table
Ctrl+M
Rename the table
Ctrl+R
Save the file
Ctrl+S
Redo the last action
Ctrl+Y
Undo the last action
Ctrl+Z
Select the current column
Ctrl+Space
Select the current row
Shift+Space
Select all cells from the current location to the last cell of the column
Shift+Pg Dn
Select all cells from the current location to the first cell of the column
Shift+Pg Up
Select all cells from the current location to the last cell of the row
Shift+End
Select all cells from the current location to the first cell of the row
Shift+Home
Move to the previous table
Ctrl+Pg Up
Move to the next table
Ctrl+Pg Dn
Move to the first cell in the upper-left corner of selected table
Ctrl+Home
Move to the last cell in the lower-right corner of selected table
Ctrl+End
Move to the first cell of the selected row
Ctrl+Left
Move to the last cell of the selected row
Ctrl+Right
Move to the first cell of the selected column
Ctrl+Up
Move to the last cell of selected column
Ctrl+Down
Close a dialog box or cancel a process, such as a paste operation
Ctrl+Esc
Open the AutoFilter Menu dialog box
Alt+Down
Open the Go To dialog box
F5
Recalculate all formulas in the Power Pivot window
F9

Intro

Excel on Windows is the version that most shortcut documentation, certification programs, and training materials refer to by default. The Ctrl-based shortcut set is comprehensive, and F-key shortcuts, which play a significant role in Excel's efficiency, work without needing a Fn modifier on Windows.

Windows-specific shortcut notes

Ctrl as primary modifier. All standard Excel shortcuts use Ctrl: cell navigation, formula entry, formatting, and workbook management follow this pattern throughout.

F-key shortcuts. F-keys work as function keys by default on Windows without needing Fn. Several F-key shortcuts are among the most-used in Excel:

  • F2: Enter edit mode in the active cell, one of the most frequent editing actions
  • F4: Toggle between absolute and relative cell references while editing a formula. If you write formulas regularly, F4 is one of the highest-value shortcuts in Excel
  • F5: Open the Go To dialog for navigating to a specific cell address or named range
  • F11: Insert a chart on a new worksheet from a selected data range

These single-key shortcuts are fast to use once familiar and hard to replicate as efficiently without a keyboard.

Ribbon key navigation with Alt. Pressing Alt in Excel activates Ribbon key tips, letters and numbers appear on every Ribbon tab and command, allowing any Ribbon action to be reached by keyboard. This is the path to any Excel command, including ones that don't have a direct shortcut. The sequence varies by command but is consistent and learnable for frequently used operations.

Cell range navigation. Ctrl+Arrow jumps to the last filled cell in a column or row, making navigation in large datasets fast. Ctrl+Shift+Arrow extends a selection to the same boundary. These are among the most transformative shortcuts in Excel for data-heavy work.

Date and time entry. Excel on Windows has dedicated shortcuts for inserting today's date and the current time as static values directly into a cell. These are covered in the table above.

Printable PDF

The Excel Windows shortcut list is a substantial reference, one of the longest shortcut lists on HKeys. A printed version is useful alongside a working spreadsheet during the period of learning F-key and navigation shortcuts.

FAQ

Need more than shortcuts?
Visit the Microsoft Excel app page for an overview and helpful links.

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