29 MICROSOFT EXCEL HACKS

TO MAKE LIFE EASIER

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

1. SELECT ALL CELLS 2. ADD WORKSHEET

Use keyboard shortcuts Insert new worksheet.

to select all cells.
HOW TO:
HOW TO:
Windows: Alt + Shift + F1
Windows: Ctrl + A
Mac: Option + Shift + fn + F1
Mac: Command + A

ctrl
ctrl A
A alt shift f1

3. INSERT NEW COLUMN OR ROW

Insert a new row or column

directly in worksheet.
Insert
HOW TO: Shift cells right
Shift cells left
Windows: Entire row

Ctrl + Shift + = Entire column

Select “Entire row”

or “Entire column”
Mac:
Command + Shift + =
Select “Entire row” ctrl shift =
or “Entire column”

4. DELETE COLUMNS OR ROWS

Delete a selected
column or row.
Delete
HOW TO: Shift cells right
Shift cells left
Windows: Entire row

Ctrl + Shift + - Entire column

Select “Entire row”

or “Entire column”
Mac:
Command + Shift + -
Select “Entire row” ctrl shift -
or “Entire column”

5. BOLD 6. ITALICIZE

Bold the text in a cell. Italicize the text in a cell.

HOW TO: HOW TO:

Windows: Ctrl + B Windows: Ctrl + I
Mac: Command + B Mac: Command + I

ctrl
ctrl B
A ctrl
ctrl I
A

7. STRIKETHROUGH 8. UNDERLINE

Apply a strikethrough Underline a highlighted cell.

to the text in a cell.
HOW TO:
HOW TO:
Windows: Ctrl + U
Windows: Ctrl + 5
Mac: Command + U
Mac: Ctrl + 5

ctrl
ctrl 5
A ctrl
ctrl U
A

9. INSERT CURRENT TIME

Quickly input the current

time into a cell.

11:28 AM
HOW TO:
Windows: Ctrl + Shift + :
Mac: Command + Shift + :
ctrl shift :

10. TODAY’S DATE 11. DATE FORMAT

Quickly input today’s Change the format of a date.

date into a cell.
HOW TO:
HOW TO:
Windows: Ctrl + Shift + #
Windows: Ctrl + ;
Mac: Ctrl + Shift + #
Mac: Ctrl + ;

ctrl
ctrl ;
A ctrl shift #

12. START A NEW LINE IN

A SELECTED CELL

Start a new line within a

cell for better readability.
Start a new

HOW TO:
line in a
selected cell

Windows: Alt + Enter

Mac: Option + Enter
alt enter

13. SWITCH BETWEEN

FORMULAS AND VALUES

Switch between showing

formulas or their values.
2 3 =SUM(A2+B2)
HOW TO:
Windows: Ctrl + ~
Mac: Ctrl + ~ ctrl
ctrl ~A

14. OPEN “FORMAT CELLS” WINDOW

Quickly open the “Format Format Cells

Cells” window to format. Number Alignment Font Border Fill Protection

HOW TO:
Windows: Ctrl + 1
Mac: Ctrl + 1
ctrl
ctrl 1A

15. OPEN SEARCH BOX

Quickly open the search box. Find

Find what:

HOW TO:
Windows: Shift + F5
Mac: Shift + fn + F5

shift f5

16. SELECT ROWS 17. HIDE ROWS

OR COLUMNS AND COLUMNS

Use shortcuts to highlight an Easily hide rows or columns

entire row or column. from a worksheet.

HOW TO: HOW TO:

Windows & Mac: Windows & Mac:
Select row: Hide row:
Shift + spacebar Ctrl + 9
Select column: Hide column:
Ctrl + spacebar Ctrl + 0

shift space ctrl

ctrl 9A

18. SWITCH BETWEEN MULTIPLE FILES

Navigate from one Excel

file to another easily.

HOW TO:
Windows: Ctrl + tab
Mac: Command + tab
ctrl
ctrl tab

19. NAVIGATE TO LAST CELL

Navigate to the last

cell in a worksheet.

HOW TO:
Windows: Ctrl + End
Mac: Command + Arrow Key ctrl
ctrl end
ctrl

20. CURRENCY AND PERCENTAGE

QUICK FORMATTING

Quickly format columns to

represent currency
or percentages. 6.00% $12.00
7.00% $14.00
8.00% $16.00
HOW TO: 9.00% $18.00
10.00% $20.00
Windows & Mac:
11.00% $22.00
Currency: 12.00% $24.00
Highlight Column and press 13.00% $26.00
Ctrl + Shift + $ 14.00% $28.00

Percentage:
Highlight Column and press ctrl shift $
ctrl ctrl
Ctrl + Shift + %

WORKSHEET ORGANIZATION TIPS

21. RESIZE COLUMNS

Quickly resize columns

to better fit text.

HOW TO:
Hover on the line between
column you want to expand
and column next to it
and double-click.

22. COPY A FORMULA ACROSS CELLS

Copy and apply the same

formula across rows
or columns.
10 15 20
HOW TO:
Select the cell containing the
formula, then click the small
box in the bottom right-hand
corner and drag across
desired rows or columns.

23. INSERT SCREENSHOTS

Insert screenshots from other

programs or windows.

HOW TO:
Windows:
Click on the “Insert” tab,
then click “Screenshot” and
select the window you want
to insert into Excel.
Mac:
Click on the “Insert” tab,
then click the camera icon
for screen clipping.

24. HIDE DUPLICATES

Hide duplicate entries

across a worksheet.

HOW TO:
Highlight the entire
worksheet. Click the “Data”
tab and under “Filter”
click “Advanced”.
Check the “Unique records
only” box, then click “OK”.

25. HIDE SPECIFIC DATA

Hide specific cells so data can Format Cells

be used but is not visible.

HOW TO: ;;;

Select desired cell and

right-click, then select Custom

“Format Cells”.
Under “Category”, select
“Custom”, then type “;;;”
into the “Type” box” and OK
click “OK”.

26. TEXT TO COLUMNS

Convert multiple data points

from a single column to Convert Text to Columns Wizard - Step 2 of 3

separate columns.
Tab
Joe Lee Semicolon
Comma
Space
Other:

HOW TO: Joe Lee

Highlight the column you

want to separate and click
the “Data” tab, then click
“Text to columns”.
Select “Delimited” and click Joe Lee
“Next”, then check the
“Space” box under
“Delimiters” and
click “Finish”.

27. TRANSPOSE ROWS AND COLUMNS

Switch existing data from

columns to rows or from
rows to columns.

HOW TO:
Cut
Copy data with Ctrl + C (or Copy
Command + C on Mac), then Paste
click the cell where you want to Paste Special...
place it and right-click. Select
“Paste Special” from the
dropdown menu, then check
“Transpose” on the menu

28. INPUT DATA INTO MULTIPLE CELLS

Quickly input the same

data into multiple cells
simultaneously.

HOW TO: test test test test

Highlight desired number
of cells by dragging
your cursor.
Type data into the first cell
and hit Ctrl + Enter.

29. SAVE CHART TEMPLATES

Save chart designs

for later use.

HOW TO:
Save as Template...
Right-click finished chart
and select “Save
as Template”. Chart Title

Apply template by selecting

data for chart and clicking
the “Insert” tab, then click
“Recommended Charts”.
Click the “All Charts” tab
and then the “Templates
folder”, select the
appropriate template in the
“My Templates” box and
click “OK”.

EXCEL FORMULAS

SUM COUNT TRIM

Sums two or more Counts the number Removes spaces
numbers together. of cells in a range. within cells
(excludes single
FORMULA: FORMULA: spaces between
=SUM(A1,B1) =COUNT(A1:A20) words).
FORMULA:
=TRIM(A1)

VLOOKUP IF STATEMENTS
Searches for a value in the Allows you to create “if this then
leftmost column and returns a that” statements.
value in the same row from a
column you specify. FORMULA:

FORMULA: +IF(given_statement, return

this if given statement is true,
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, return this if given statement
table_array, col_index_num, is false)
range_lookup)