10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

In this article, we will list 10 powerful Excel keyboard shortcuts that will make you look like a pro.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

Excel keyboard shortcuts streamline the workflow significantly. Mastering keyboard shortcuts can speed up your workflow like a pro. In this article, we will list 10 powerful Excel keyboard shortcuts that will make you look like a pro.

1. Ctrl + Alt + V → Paste Special (Advanced Options)

You can open the Paste Special dialog box by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + V. It gives you more control over pasting copied content. You can choose to paste as values, formats, formulas, or other advanced options.

To use the Ctrl + Alt + V;

  • Select the data range >> press Ctrl + C.
  • Select the destination cell >> press Ctrl + Alt + V.
  • From Paste Special dialog box;
    • Select Values >> click OK.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V are basic shortcuts but crucial for every Excel user.

2. Ctrl + D → Fill Down Without Dragging

Ctrl + D shortcut copies the contents, formulas, and formatting of the topmost cell in your selection to all cells below it. This is significantly faster and more precise.

To use the Ctrl + D;

  • Select the cell range with the first cell that contains value, formatting, or formulas.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

  • Press Ctrl + D to fill down the contents without dragging.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

This shortcut instantly fills the cells with all relative references adjusted automatically.

3. Ctrl + ; and Ctrl + Shift + ;  → Insert Current Date and Time

Ctrl + ; shortcut instantly inserts the current date and Ctrl + Shift + ; inserts the date and time into a cell. The date inserts as a proper Excel date value, not text, generally making it perfect for calculations.

To insert the current date;

  • Select a cell and press Ctrl + ;

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

To insert the current time,

  • Select a cell and press Ctrl + Shift + ;

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

Instead of typing the date inserting date via shortcuts ensures proper formatting. To record log information activities these shortcuts are useful.

4. Ctrl + Shift + L → To Bring Filter Drop-Down Menu

Filtering is one of the most useful tasks in data analysis. You can press Ctrl + Shift + L to filter the dataset.

  • Select a cell.
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + L to bring the filter drop-down menu for the columns.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

  • Press again Ctrl + Shift + L to remove filters on your data.

5. Ctrl + Arrow Keys → Navigate to Data Boundaries

To easily navigate to the last used cell in a row or column you can use the Ctrl + Arrow Keys.

  • Select a cell and press Ctrl + → (Right Arrow): It moves the cursor to the last filled cell in a row.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

  • Select a cell Ctrl + ↓ (Down Arrow): It moves the cursor to the last filled cell in a column.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

If you are in the last cell, then use the following shortcuts to move the cursor in the firs cell and the left cell.

  • Ctr + ← (Left Arrow)
  • Ctrl + ↑ (Up Arrow)

You can use these shortcuts to jump across large datasets instantly.

6. Ctrl + H → Find and Replace

The Ctrl + H shortcut opens the Find and Replace dialog box in Excel that allows you to search for specific text and you can replace them with new content.

To use Ctrl + H;

  • Press Ctrl + H to open the Find and Replace dialog box.
    • In the Find what: field, insert your desired text or values you want to find.
    • In the Replace with: field, type the text or value you want to replace it with.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

  • You can perform the following actions:
    • Find All: Displays a list of all occurrences of the searched term.
    • Replace All: Replaces all occurrences at once.
    • Find Next: Find the next occurrence of the searched term.
    • Replace: Replace the current occurrence.
  • Selected Replace All so it replaced all Product D with Product E.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

7. Ctrl + Shift + “+” → Insert New Row or Column

You can easily insert a new row or column by using the Ctrl + Shift + “+” shortcut. It quickly adds rows or columns without any further steps.

To use Ctrl + Shift + “+”;

  • Select a row or column.
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + “+” to insert a new row or column depending on your selection.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

8. Ctrl + 1 → Format Cells Dialog Box

To format cells Format cells dialog box options are the most useful options. You can easily customize your time, number, values, etc. from the format cells options.

To use the Ctrl + 1;

  • Select cell or cell range.
  • Press Ctrl + 1 to open the Format Cells dialog box;
  • Select Custom >> types the following format: #,##0.00_);[Red](#,##0.00) >> press OK.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

This is the fastest way to format cells without navigating the ribbon. You can adjust formatting like font, number, alignment, text, custom format, etc.

9. F4 → Repeat Last Action

This shortcut key is game-changing. You can press F4 to repeat your last action. It repeats the most recent action you performed in Excel. It can be any format, inserting rows, or applying a specific change calculation, etc.

To use the F4 shortcut,

  • Suppose you formatted the header cell.
  • Now move to another cell and press F4, it will apply the same formatting to the new cell.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

This is perfect for quickly applying the same formatting, formula, or operation without doing it again manually.

10. Ctrl + T → Create a Table

To perform data analysis data table is one of the most useful features.

To create a table;

  • Select the data range.
  • Press Ctrl + T to convert the selected range of data into a table.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

  • Click OK to get the table.

10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts That Will Make You Look Like a Pro

Bonus Tip:

  • Press Shift + F10 to bring the context menu.
  • Press Ctrl + Z to undo and Ctrl + Y to redo the action.
  • Press Ctrl + S to save a workbook.
  • Press Ctrl + O to open the workbook.
  • Press Ctrl + N to open a new workbook.
  • Press Ctrl + W to close the workbook.
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + “$” to apply the currency format.
  • Press Ctrl + Space and Shift + Space to select entire columns or rows.

Conclusion

You can use these keyboard shortcuts to streamline your day-to-day Excel tasks. These are essential shortcuts that will increase your productivity significantly. Mastering these keyboard shortcuts will make you a pro-Excel user. Start using and exploring these shortcuts in your daily tasks, and soon you’ll be navigating Excel like a true professional!

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Shamima Sultana
Shamima Sultana

Shamima Sultana, BSc, Computer Science and Engineering, East West University, Bangladesh, has been working with the ExcelDemy project for 3+ years. She has written and reviewed 1000+ articles for ExcelDemy. She has also led several teams with Excel VBA and Content Development works. Currently, she is working as the Project Manager and oversees the day-to-day work, leads the services team, allocates resources to the right area, etc. Her work and learning interests vary from Microsoft Office Suites, and... Read Full Bio

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