Working faster in Excel isn’t just about knowing formulas — it’s about efficiency. Keyboard shortcuts are one of the easiest ways to speed up your daily workflow and reduce repetitive clicks. By mastering a few key combinations, you can instantly navigate between worksheets, format data, and perform complex actions without lifting your hands from the keyboard. This not only saves valuable time but also minimizes strain from constant mouse use. For professionals who spend hours managing spreadsheets, learning shortcuts like Ctrl + Shift + L (to add filters) or Alt + = (to quickly sum columns) can make tasks smoother and more accurate. At Microsys, we encourage users to integrate these small habits — because the more efficiently you work, the more time you have to focus on real problem-solving.
Frequently used shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
|
Open a workbook. |
Ctrl+O |
|
Close a workbook. |
Ctrl+W |
|
Save a workbook. |
Ctrl+S |
|
Go to the File tab. |
Alt+F |
|
Go to the Home tab. |
Alt+H |
|
Go to the Insert tab. |
Alt+N |
|
Go to the Page Layout tab. |
Alt+P |
|
Go to the Formula tab. |
Alt+M |
|
Go to the Data tab. |
Alt+A |
|
Go to the Review tab. |
Alt+R |
|
Go to the View tab. |
Alt+W |
|
Center align cell contents. |
Alt+H, A, C |
|
Add borders. |
Alt+H, B |
|
Delete column. |
Alt+H, D, C |
|
Hide the selected rows. |
Ctrl+9 |
|
Hide the selected columns. |
Ctrl+0 |
|
Copy selection. |
Ctrl+C |
|
Paste selection. |
Ctrl+V |
|
Cut Selection. |
Ctrl+X |
|
Apply bold formatting. |
Ctrl+B |
|
Undo recent action. |
Ctrl+Z |
|
Remove cell contents. |
Delete [Button] |
navigating in cells shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
|
Move one cell up in a worksheet. |
Up arrow key |
|
Move one cell down in a worksheet. |
Down arrow key |
|
Move one cell left in a worksheet. |
Left arrow key |
|
Move one cell right in a worksheet. |
Right arrow key |
|
Move to the edge of the current data region in a worksheet. |
Ctrl+Arrow key |
|
Move to the previous cell in a worksheet or the previous option in a dialog box. |
Shift+Tab |
|
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. |
Page down |
|
Move to the next sheet in a workbook. |
Ctrl+Page down |
|
Move one screen to the right in a worksheet. |
Alt+Page down |
|
Move one screen up in a worksheet. |
Page up |
|
Move one screen to the left in a worksheet. |
Alt+Page up |
|
Move to the previous sheet in a workbook. |
Ctrl+Page up |
|
Move one cell to the right in a worksheet. Or, in a protected worksheet, move between unlocked cells. |
Tab key |
|
Open the list of validation choices on a cell that has data validation option applied to it. |
Alt+Down arrow |
|
Cycle through floating shapes, such as text boxes or images. |
Ctrl+Alt+5, then the Tab key repeatedly |
|
Exit the floating shape navigation and return to the normal navigation. |
Esc |
|
Scroll horizontally. |
Ctrl+Shift, then scroll your mouse wheel up to go left, down to go right |
|
Zoom in. |
Ctrl+Alt+Equal sign ( = ) |
|
Zoom out. |
Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign (-) |