Essential Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

Use these Excel keyboard shortcuts to edit cells, navigate worksheets, format data, and manage workbooks without repeatedly switching to the mouse. The list is for desktop Excel on Windows; Mac and browser shortcuts can differ.

A plus sign means hold the keys together. A comma means press the keys in sequence. Ribbon letters assume an English interface, and symbol shortcuts assume a US keyboard layout.

A compilation of the most commonly used Excel keyboard shortcuts you need to know. Picture 1

Workbook and worksheet shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Create a workbook	Ctrl+N
Open a workbook	Ctrl+O
Save the workbook	Ctrl+S
Close the active workbook	Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4
Exit Excel	Alt+F4
Next / previous worksheet	Ctrl+Page Down / Ctrl+Page Up
Open the Data / View / Formulas tab	Alt+A / Alt+W / Alt+M
Search for a command	Alt+Q

Edit and format cells

Action	Shortcut
Edit the active cell	F2
Copy / paste / cut	Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V / Ctrl+X
Undo / redo when available	Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y
Bold / italic	Ctrl+B / Ctrl+I
Open Format Cells	Ctrl+1
Center cell contents	Alt+H, A, C
Choose a fill color	Alt+H, H
Open the Borders menu	Alt+H, B
Apply an outside border	Ctrl+Shift+&
Remove outside borders	Ctrl+Shift+_
Find / replace	Ctrl+F / Ctrl+H
Insert a hyperlink	Ctrl+K
Insert today’s date	Ctrl+;
Insert the current time	Ctrl+Shift+;
Apply currency / percentage format	Ctrl+Shift+$ / Ctrl+Shift+%
Insert or edit a note	Shift+F2
Open the context menu	Shift+F10
Cancel a cell entry	Esc

Date and time shortcuts insert fixed values. They do not update automatically like formulas. In current Excel versions, Shift+F2 works with notes; threaded comments use a different command.

Navigate and select data

Action	Shortcut
Move one cell right / left	Tab / Shift+Tab
Go to cell A1	Ctrl+Home
Go to the last used cell	Ctrl+End
Move to an edge of the current data region	Ctrl+Arrow key
Extend the selection toward a data boundary	Ctrl+Shift+Arrow key
Select the current region; expand selection with repeated presses	Ctrl+A
Select the active row / column	Shift+Space / Ctrl+Space
Open Go To	F5
Toggle filter arrows for the selected range	Ctrl+Shift+L
Open a column’s filter menu from its header	Alt+Down Arrow

Ctrl+Shift+Arrow does not always select to the end of a table: blank cells affect where it stops. Check the highlighted range before applying a format, deleting data, or filling a formula.

Rows, columns, and charts

Action	Shortcut
Delete selected cells, rows, or columns	Ctrl+-
Delete a row	Shift+Space, then Ctrl+-
Delete a column using the ribbon	Alt+H, D, C
Hide selected rows / columns	Ctrl+9 / Ctrl+0
Unhide rows around the selection	Ctrl+Shift+9
Group / ungroup selected rows or columns	Alt+Shift+Right Arrow / Alt+Shift+Left Arrow
Create an embedded chart from selected data	Alt+F1
Create a chart on a separate chart sheet	F11

To unhide a column reliably, select the columns on either side, then use Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns. Windows settings can intercept Ctrl+Shift+0.

Avoid common shortcut mistakes

Ctrl+D fills down; it does not delete a table. Ctrl+R fills right; it does not rename a table. Ctrl+Page Up and Ctrl+Page Down switch worksheets in the normal workbook view. Power Pivot has its own context-specific shortcuts, so do not apply its navigation list to an ordinary worksheet.

If a function key controls brightness or volume, you may need to hold Fn as well. If a shortcut fails, finish editing the cell first and check whether a dialog, protected sheet, or browser is receiving the keystrokes.

For platform differences, see Excel shortcuts for Mac and Windows. For related ways to work with large sheets, see useful Excel features for everyday spreadsheets.