20 Excel Shortcuts That Save Hours Every Week
If you're still reaching for the mouse to format cells or navigate your spreadsheet, you're working harder than you need to. Keyboard shortcuts are the secret weapon of Excel power users, and mastering just a handful can save you hours every week.
Navigation Shortcuts
The first step to Excel mastery is moving around your spreadsheet without touching the mouse.
Essential Navigation Commands
- Ctrl + Home: Jump to cell A1 instantly
- Ctrl + End: Go to the last used cell in the worksheet
- Ctrl + Arrow Keys: Jump to the edge of data regions
- Ctrl + Page Up/Down: Switch between worksheets
These four shortcuts alone can cut your navigation time in half. Instead of scrolling through thousands of rows, you're teleporting to exactly where you need to be.
Selection Shortcuts
Selecting data is something you do hundreds of times per day. Here's how to do it faster.
Power Selection Techniques
- Ctrl + Shift + End: Select from current cell to last used cell
- Ctrl + Shift + Home: Select from current cell to beginning
- Shift + Space: Select entire row
- Ctrl + Space: Select entire column
- Ctrl + A: Select entire worksheet (or current data region)
The most useful shortcut here is Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys. This selects all data in a direction until it hits an empty cell. Perfect for quickly selecting columns of data.
Formatting Shortcuts
Stop clicking through ribbons for basic formatting. These shortcuts are essential:
Quick Formatting Commands
- Ctrl + B: Bold
- Ctrl + I: Italic
- Ctrl + U: Underline
- Ctrl + 1: Open Format Cells dialog
- Alt + H + O + I: Auto-fit column width
The Format Cells dialog (Ctrl + 1) is your gateway to all formatting options. Learn this one shortcut and you'll never need to hunt through menus again.
Data Entry Shortcuts
These shortcuts transform how you enter and edit data:
Efficient Data Entry
- Tab: Move right (and confirm entry)
- Enter: Move down (and confirm entry)
- Ctrl + Enter: Fill all selected cells with the same value
- Alt + Enter: New line within a cell
- F2: Edit current cell
- Esc: Cancel entry
Pro tip: Select a range of cells first, then type and press Ctrl + Enter. Every selected cell gets the same value instantly.
Formula Shortcuts
Working with formulas? These shortcuts are indispensable:
Formula Power Moves
- F4: Toggle absolute/relative references ($)
- Ctrl + `: Show all formulas in cells
- Ctrl + Shift + Enter: Enter array formula (legacy)
- Alt + =: AutoSum selected cells
- Tab (in formula): Accept autocomplete suggestion
The F4 key is particularly powerful. While editing a reference, pressing F4 cycles through:
A1 → $A$1 → A$1 → $A1 → A1
Workbook Shortcuts
Managing your workbook is faster with these commands:
Workbook Management
- Ctrl + N: New workbook
- Ctrl + O: Open workbook
- Ctrl + S: Save
- Ctrl + W: Close current workbook
- Ctrl + Page Up/Down: Navigate between sheets
- Shift + F11: Insert new worksheet
Building the Shortcut Habit
Don't try to memorize all 20 shortcuts at once. Here's a better approach:
- Week 1: Focus on navigation (Ctrl + arrows, Ctrl + Home/End)
- Week 2: Add selection shortcuts (Ctrl + Shift + arrows)
- Week 3: Learn formatting (Ctrl + B/I/U/1)
- Week 4: Master data entry (Ctrl + Enter, F2)
Print this list and keep it next to your monitor. Every time you reach for the mouse, stop and use the shortcut instead. Within a month, these will become second nature.
The Productivity Payoff
Let's do the math: If shortcuts save you just 30 seconds per task, and you perform 100 tasks per day, that's nearly an hour saved daily. Over a year, that's more than 200 hours, or five full work weeks, reclaimed.
Start with three shortcuts today. Your future self will thank you.