Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Excel

A short background about using the shortcuts

Using the shortcut keys can drastically save your working time, dealing effectively with many small (but frequently repeated) actions.

The main improvement that the keystrokes offer is that you don't have to get your hands off the keyboard and grab the mouse and start visually searching for menus and buttons.

For Example, to add a new workbook (a new Excel file) without a shortcut, you must click the "Office Button", choose "New" and then double click the "Blank Workbook" icon. Only now you can bring your hand back to the keyboard and continue your work.

Wouldn't it be easier to just to click Ctrl+N? (The Ctrl key together with N)

Here are three abbreviation examples just to make the information coming next clear:

Shift+SPACE means: pressing shift together with the space bar.(This specific shourtcut will select a row)
Ctrl+C means: pressing Ctrl together with the letter C. (This specific shourtcut will perform a "Copy" action).

Shift+Ctrl+Arrow Down means: pressing together the Shift key, with the Ctrl key, with the Arrow Down key. You should press them down in the order they are written here, otherwise it might not work. (this specific shourtcut will select all the way to the bottom of a region)

Now, let's go on to the shortcuts:

Inserting rows, columns and worksheets:

Insert row: Alt+i and then r
Insert a column: Alt+i and then c
Insert new Worksheet: Alt+i and then w

How to remember?
You get into "Insert" mode by pressing Alt+i, and then the first letter of either Row, Column or Worksheet.

To choose the next worksheet (Like going from Sheet1 to Sheet2): Ctrl+PgDown
Choose the previous worksheet: Ctrl+PgUp

Efficiently selecting regions:

Select the whole worksheet: Ctrl+A
By holding down Ctrl+Shift and pressing one of the arrows, you can accordingly select all the way to the left, right, top and bottom of the region.
For example: Selecting all the way to the bottom of the region: Ctrl+Shift+Arrow down

One extremely efficient way of selecting a region, is to have the active cell inside that region, and pressing Ctrl+Shift+8
Try it!

Select the whole row by pressing Shift+SPACE, and column by pressing Ctrl+SPACE

Jumping to specific locations in the worksheet:

Press Ctrl+G, and write the destination cell's address. For example: A100

Ctrl+End will jump to the last cell of your data in the worksheet (the most bottom-right cell). It is relevant if you have already some data written in your worksheet, otherwise in an empty worksheet it will jump to the really last cell in the worksheet. Try it.

Ctrl+Home should jump the active cell to cell A1

Instantly opening useful dialog boxes:

Ctrl+1 (Ctrl and the number one) will open the "Format Cells" dialog box (very useful!)

Alt+E and then S – will open the "Paste Special" dialog box. If you want to use the "Values" option from this dialog box, then continue and press Alt+v, and finish with Enter.

Editing text:

Press F2 in a cell that has text, and a text cursor will appear at the end of it, enabling you to add more content or edit the existing text. (This comes instead of double clicking with the mouse inside the text, or clicking in the formulas bar to edit it).

Press Alt+Enter when writing text in a cell, to add a line break inside the cell.

Miscellaneous

Freeze panes:
Put the active cell in the desired location, and press Alt+w and then F.
To remove the freeze panes, use the same shortcut.

Instantly insert a sum function:
Position the active cell underneath a column of numbers, and press Alt+= (Alt key together with the equal sign)

Instantly insert dates:
To insert today's date, press Ctrl+; (a semicolon).
To have today's date change dynamically to reflect always the current date (whenever the worksheet is opened), then write the function =today()

An instant chart:
Select your data (it should be organized neatly with rows and column headers), and press the F11 key.

And of course: all the general MS Office Shortcuts

To open the "Find" dialog box: Ctrl+F
To open the "Find and replace" dialog box: Ctrl+H
Save file: Ctrl+S
Open a file: Ctrl+O
Add a new Excel file (a new workbook): Ctrl+N
Open the "Print" dialog box: Ctrl+P
Ctrl+C to Copy a selection, Ctrl+X to cut, Ctrl+V to Paste.
Save as… : The F12 key.
Applying the formatting of Bold, Italic and Underline, will be accordingly: Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I and Ctrl+U