How to Edit a Cell in Excel (4 Easy Methods)

Editing a cell is one of the most fundamental tasks in Excel. Indeed, we need to edit a cell to correct or update any inaccurate information every now and then. This article provides you with 4 quick and convenient guides on how to edit a cell in Excel.

4 Methods to Edit a Cell in Excel

Excel offers numerous methods to edit a cell, here are 4 such methods. So let’s explore them one by one.

Throughout this article, we’ll use the dataset (in B4:D14 cells) below. The dataset depicts the names of the Sales Reps, the Product they sold, and lastly the Sales amount.

1. Double Click to Edit a Cell

The first method is the most popular way to edit a cell simply by double-clicking it. To edit a cell using the first method, you may follow the below steps.

Steps:

Firstly, select any cell. For example, I have chosen the D9 cell and double-clicked it.
Now, a cursor appears and blinks on this cell. This indicates that you can edit this cell.

Next, press ENTER to confirm the change and move on to the next cell.

2. Edit the Active Cell Utilizing Keyboard Shortcuts

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Are there any shortcut keys? Lucky you! There are shortcut keys for both Windows and Mac users. And our next method describes just that.

Steps:

To start, choose a cell. We’ve shown the D14 cell as an example.
Secondly, instead of double-clicking on the cell, press the F2 key if you’re a Windows user. And the cursor pops up just like before. For Mac users, the keyboard shortcut is ^ U.

Now, you can change the value of the cell.
Lastly, press ENTER to keep the change.

3. Using the Formula Bar

So, editing inside a cell can become tricky, especially with long pieces of text or functions. You need not worry since Excel’s Formula Bar is the answer. Let’s see it in action.

Steps:

Similar to the prior methods, first select a cell. In this case, I have shown the D8 cell.
Secondly, start typing in the box located just above the spreadsheet, as shown in the picture below.

Finally, after completing your typing, click the green checkmark on the left to commit to the change.

4. Edit a Cell with VBA Code

You might be wondering, is there a way to automate this task? Then VBA has you covered. Just follow along.

Step 01: Open the VBA Editor

To begin, go to the Developer tab and then to Visual Basic.

Step 02: Insert the VBA Code

Secondly, double-click on the sheet where you want to insert the VBA code.

For your ease of reference, you can copy the code from here and paste it into the window as shown below.

Private Sub Worksheet_SelectionChange(ByVal Target As Range) 
'This code helps you to edit cell' 
SendKeys "{F2}" 
End Sub

Step 03: Run the Code

Thirdly, navigate to Run and click it, or you can use the keyboard shortcut F5 to run.

Finally, return to your worksheet. Selecting any cell will enter into editing mode.

Read More: How to Edit Macros in Excel

Issues When You Can’t Edit Cell

Have you ever faced a situation where you cannot edit any of the cells and you are not sure how to fix it? Well, you’ve come to the right place. There are numerous ways you can enable editing on your worksheet, and they are described below.

1. When Worksheet Is in Read Only Mode

When you download a file from the internet, Excel by default opens the spreadsheet in Read-Only mode, which restricts any editing. To edit the file, simply press the Enable Editing icon.

Once pressed, you can edit any cell in the worksheet.

2. If Excel Spreadsheet Is Locked

A second reason for not being able to edit your worksheet could be the fact that it is locked. If a worksheet is locked, then trying to edit it prompts the following message.

Steps:

First, navigate to the Review tab and click Unprotect Sheet.

Next, type in the password and press OK.

Eventually, this should re-enable the editing option.

3. Whenever Editing Is Disabled for the Worksheet

Sometimes you may be restrained from directly editing the worksheet because it has been disabled. You re-enable the editing option by following these steps.

Steps:

Firstly, navigate to the File tab located at the top left corner.

Secondly, click the Options tab to open a new window.

Thirdly, press the Advanced tab and check the Allow editing directly in the cells box. Confirm the change by clicking OK.

That’s it! Editing is now enabled in your Excel worksheet.

Download Practice Workbook

Edit a Cell.xlsm

Conclusion

To summarize, this article describes the process of editing a cell in Excel. Make sure to download the practice files and do it yourself. Please inform us in the comment section if you have any queries. We, the Exceldemy team, are happy to answer your queries.

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How to Edit a Cell in Excel (4 Easy Methods)

4 Methods to Edit a Cell in Excel

1. Double Click to Edit a Cell

2. Edit the Active Cell Utilizing Keyboard Shortcuts

3. Using the Formula Bar

4. Edit a Cell with VBA Code

Issues When You Can’t Edit Cell

1. When Worksheet Is in Read Only Mode

2. If Excel Spreadsheet Is Locked

3. Whenever Editing Is Disabled for the Worksheet

Conclusion

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