Microsoft Excel Tips and Tricks: 10 Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts

Many people utilize spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel on a daily basis. Many people also find this to be a tedious task. Employing a few simple keyboard shortcuts can make your work with Microsoft Excel more efficient and can make your life infinitely easier.

As a finance geek, I find myself plowing through spreadsheets most of the day. As a result, I've picked up a handful of Excel shortcuts that minimize the amount of time that my hands leave the keyboard. It's important to note that Microsoft Office shortcuts certainly apply when using Excel, such as Ctrl and "C" to copy or Ctrl and "V" to paste. The following ten shortcuts, though, are specific to Excel and will make you the envy of the office.

Ctrl and Page Up / Ctrl and Page Down

One of the easiest ways to save time when working in Excel is to move from worksheet to worksheet without using the mouse. Hold Ctrl and Page Up to move forward one worksheet and hold Ctrl and Page Down to move backward one worksheet.

Ctrl and Tab

If you're working with multiple workbooks, you need to be able to toggle between them with ease. Hold Ctrl and Tab to toggle through all of your open workbooks.

Alt and "="

The sum function is one of the most utilized functions within Excel. Instead of typing it in, hold Alt and "=" to add the cells directly above or directly beside the cell you're in.

Shift and F3

If you want to insert a function other than a sum, hold Shift and F3 to launch the "Insert Function" command box. From here, you can scroll through all of the functions available within Excel.

Shift and Spacebar / Ctrl and Spacebar

If you need to highlight an entire row or an entire column, there's an easy way to go about it. Hold Shift and Spacebar to highlight a row or hold Ctrl and Spacebar to highlight a column.

Ctrl and Shift and "$" / Ctrl and Shift and "%"

The default format setting on Excel is a number without commas, dollar signs, percent signs or fixed decimal places. If you're entering dollars and need a quick format, hold Ctrl and Shift and "$" to format as a dollar with two decimal places. For example, if you've entered 2 in the cell, hold Ctrl and Shift and "$" to show it as $2.00. If you've intended to show a percentage, hold Ctrl and Shift and "%" to show the number as a percentage. For example, if you've entered 0.5 in the cell, hold Ctrl and Shift and "%" to show it as 50%.

Ctrl and "D" / Ctrl and "R"

In some instances, there are quicker ways to copy and paste information than utilizing Ctrl and "C", Ctrl and "V". If you want to copy the contents of a cell down (either a number or formula), simply move to the cell directly below it and hold Ctrl and "D". If you want to move the contents to the right, move to the cell directly to the right and hold Ctrl and "R". If you want to copy the data to more than one cell, you must highlight the cell with the data in it along with all of the cells to which you are copying it. At this point hold either Ctrl and "D" or Ctrl and "R". Unfortunately this doesn't work with cells above or to the left, but this will save you time nonetheless.

Ctrl and Shift and "7" / Ctrl and Shift and Underscore

Oftentimes users need to place a box around a cell or series of cells to highlight a number or result. The easiest way to put a box around a cell or series of cells is to highlight the area that you'd like to box and hold Ctrl and Shift and "7". In addition, there are times when you want to remove lines or boxes from a cell or series of cells. To do this, highlight the area where you'd like to remove this formatting and hold Ctrl and Shift and Underscore.

Ctrl and "1"

If you need to format a cell and you don't have a specific shortcut, hold Ctrl and "1" to open the "Format Cells" command box. From here, you can pick and choose the necessary formats.

Ctrl and "["

There are times when you have a cell that contains a formula or a link and you find yourself wondering from where it came. Try holding Ctrl and "[" to trace the precedents of the cell. To go back, hit F5 and then Enter.

There are countless other keyboard shortcuts within Excel that will enhance your overall user experience. Sometimes the best way to learn is simply to experiment. Next time you're working in an Excel spreadsheet, press a few keys and see what happens. You might even impress yourself.