A clear list of over 200 Excel shortcuts for both Windows and Mac, side-by-side. Extend the selection to the last cell down. Fill down from cell above.
You can avoid reaching for the mouse if you are familiar with keyboard shortcuts. If you forget one of these, use the mouse and go to the menu bar. In each pull down menu you will see keyboard commands given in the right side of the window. Commonly used keyboard combinations
To use one of these combinations Hold the Command (Apple) key down and strike the letter key Open a new workbook quickly. | Cut- Removes the selection from the active document and places it on the clipboard. |
Opens a previously saved document. | Copies the selection to the clipboard |
Closes the active window, but does not Exit Excel. | Paste - Inserts the contents of the clipboard at the insertion point (cursor) or whatever is selected. |
Saves the active document with its current file name, location and format. | Selects all on the active worksheet. |
Prints the active file, also gives the opportunity to change print options | Find - Searches for specified text in the active document |
Exit - Closes Microsoft Excel. | Bold - Formats selected text; make text bold, or remove bold formatting |
Undo the last action. This selection can be repeated several times. | Italic - Formats selected text; make text italic or remove italic |
Redo - After an action has been undone, it can be reinstated in the document. | Underline - Formats selected text; make text underlined or remove underline |
Less commonly used keyboard combinations
![Excel For Mac 2011 Fill Down Hotkey Excel For Mac 2011 Fill Down Hotkey](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125865851/803316811.gif)
(Note: To save space below, the control key is indicated by Ctrl)
Select the next sheet in the workbook | Select the previous sheet in the workbook | Move to the previous workbook or window | |||
Complete a cell entry and move to the right in the selection | Complete a cell entry and move to the left in the selection | Create a chart that uses the current range | |||
Insert a new worksheet | Start a new line in the same cell | Complete a cell entry and move down in the selection | |||
Move to the next workbook or window | Start a formula | Cancel a cell entry | |||
In print preview, move to the first page when zoomed out | In print preview, move to the last page when zoomed out | In print preview, move to the last page when zoomed out | |||
In print preview, move to the first page when zoomed out | Complete a cell entry and move up in the selection | Move between unlocked cells on a protected worksheet | |||
Apply the outline border | Remove outline borders | Apply the outline border | |||
Remove outline borders | Select the entire row | Select the entire column | |||
In a cell with a hyperlink, this activates the hyperlink | Enter the time | Enter the date | |||
Insert a hyperlink | Fill down | Fill to the right | |||
Apply the percentage format | Apply the currency format | Select the current region around the active cell | |||
Hide rows | Hide columns | Insert the AutoSum formula | |||
Unhide rows | Unhide columns | Show, or hide, the Standard toolbar | |||
Complete a cell entry and move up in the selection | Displays all formulas in a worksheet, repeat to hide | Create names from row and column labels | |||
If text is already selected and you want to extend the selection area | |||||
Extend selection one character to the left in the formula bar, or one cell to the left in the worksheet | Extend selection one character to the right in the formula bar, or one cell to the right in the worksheet | ||||
Extend selection to the last non blank cell to the right or above a selected cell. | Extend selection to the to the last non blank cell to the left or below a selected cell | ||||
If you want to move the cursor | |||||
One character to the right in the formula bar or one cell to the right in the worksheet | One character to the left in the formula bar or one cell to the left in the worksheet | ||||
One word to the right in the formula bar | One word to the left in the formula bar | ||||
To the end of a document or to the right edge of the formula bar | To the beginning of a document or to the left edge of the formula bar | ||||
This list is by no means complete. To find other keyboard combinations check the Excel help index. |
Assignment |
Leave your browser window open. Open Microsoft Excel, if it is not already open.
From this point forward, do not use your mouse
From this point forward, do not use your mouse
1. Open a new workbook .
2. Insert a new worksheet into the workbook
3. Move to sheet 2
4. Move your cursor to cell D4
5. Type your name and press the Enter key
6. Move back into cell D4 and Copy your name
7. Move from sheet 2 to sheet 4
8. Move your cursor into cell E5
9. Paste your name
10. Hide the column your name is in
11. ( deserved , but not required ) Pat yourself on the back!
2. Insert a new worksheet into the workbook
3. Move to sheet 2
4. Move your cursor to cell D4
5. Type your name and press the Enter key
6. Move back into cell D4 and Copy your name
7. Move from sheet 2 to sheet 4
8. Move your cursor into cell E5
9. Paste your name
10. Hide the column your name is in
11. ( deserved , but not required ) Pat yourself on the back!
Each of the steps in the list above should have been accomplished without the use of your mouse. If you reached for the rodent, review the two tables above, go back to step 1 and try again. Good luck.
External Links
- Excel PC and Mac Keyboard Shortcuts - This page lists PC and Mac shortcuts side by side
A Macintosh Keyboard is available showing general Macintosh keyboard shortcuts
In Office 2011 for Mac, Excel is pretty smart, because it can automatically fill in a series of either numbers or dates. Excel for Mac 2011 can even make intelligent guesses about a series of numbers.
Filling in a series in a range of Excel cells
Here’s an example of how Excel can fill in a range of cells for you:
- With Excel open, start with a blank, standard worksheet.
- Type January in a cell and then select a different cell.
- Click the cell that has the word January in it.
- Position the mouse cursor over the lower-right corner of the selected cell (the fill handle) so that it becomes the solid cross cursor.
- Drag the fill handle down or to the right and watch Excel do some magic.As you drag across the cells, you see the tooltip note each month in the series.
Release the mouse a few cells over, and Excel enters all the month names for you.
![Excel For Mac 2011 Fill Down Hotkey Excel For Mac 2011 Fill Down Hotkey](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125865851/599344444.gif)
Filling in a complex pattern in Excel 2011
Excel can do more than fill in a series of consecutive numbers or dates. While it can manage to divine months of a year or days in a week from just one cell, Excel can also figure out most series of numbers from just two or three starting numbers. Series can be in rows or in columns. Follow these steps to see how Excel deduces what number values to fill in:
- Enter 1 in cell B2 and enter 3 in cell C2.Typing in a cell dismisses the widget. Notice that 1 and 3 are odd numbers in sequence in adjoining cells.
- Select B2:C2.The trick here is to select both cells (drag over both cells) so that Excel notes the first two values of the series.
- Without clicking anything else, grab the fill handle’s cross cursor and drag it to the right.Excel deduces from the selected cells that you want a series of odd numbers and then fills in the series (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and more).
Filling a column in Excel 2011
Sometimes you want an entire column of the same thing. To do this, take these steps:
- Type text or a formula in row 1 of your column.
- Select the cell in row 1.
- Press Control-Shift-down arrow.The entire column becomes highlighted.
- Press Control-D.The entire column fills with the contents of the cell in row 1. The sheet has over a million rows, so give Excel a second or two to fill in.