Excel Keyboard Shortcuts
The Excel shortcuts that save the most time — Mac and Windows keys side by side, ready to copy.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edit active cell | ⌃U or F2 | F2 | |
| Enter same value in all selected cells | ⌃⏎ | Ctrl+Enter | |
| Insert current date | ⌃; | Ctrl+; | |
| AutoSum | ⌘⇧T | Alt+= | |
| Select entire column / row | ⌃Space / ⇧Space | Ctrl+Space / Shift+Space | |
| Go to edge of data region | ⌘Arrow | Ctrl+Arrow | |
| Select to edge of data | ⌘⇧Arrow | Ctrl+Shift+Arrow | |
| Fill down / right | ⌃D / ⌃R | Ctrl+D / Ctrl+R | |
| Toggle absolute reference | ⌘T | F4 | |
| Format as currency | ⌃⇧$ | Ctrl+Shift+$ | |
| Format as percent | ⌃⇧% | Ctrl+Shift+% | |
| Open Format Cells | ⌘1 | Ctrl+1 | |
| Create table | ⌘T | Ctrl+T | |
| Insert / delete rows | ⌘⇧+ / ⌘- | Ctrl+Shift++ / Ctrl+- | |
| Select entire worksheet | ⌘A | Ctrl+A | |
| Select current region | ⌃⇧Space | Ctrl+Shift+* | |
| Copy | ⌘C | Ctrl+C | |
| Cut | ⌘X | Ctrl+X | |
| Paste | ⌘V | Ctrl+V | |
| Paste Special | ⌃⌘V | Ctrl+Alt+V | |
| Undo | ⌘Z | Ctrl+Z | |
| Redo | ⌘Y | Ctrl+Y | |
| Find | ⌘F | Ctrl+F | |
| Find and Replace | ⌃H | Ctrl+H | |
| Start a new line inside a cell | ⌃⌥⏎ | Alt+Enter | |
| Bold | ⌘B | Ctrl+B | |
| Italic | ⌘I | Ctrl+I | |
| Underline | ⌘U | Ctrl+U | |
| Strikethrough | ⌘⇧X | Ctrl+5 | |
| Format as number (2 decimals) | ⌃⇧! | Ctrl+Shift+! | |
| Format as date | ⌃⇧# | Ctrl+Shift+# | |
| Insert function | ⇧F3 | Shift+F3 | |
| Recalculate all sheets | F9 | F9 | |
| Show / hide formulas | ⌃` | Ctrl+` | |
| Go to cell A1 | ⌃Fn+← | Ctrl+Home | |
| Go to last used cell | ⌃Fn+→ | Ctrl+End | |
| Go To dialog | ⌃G | Ctrl+G or F5 | |
| Toggle AutoFilter | ⌘⇧F | Ctrl+Shift+L | |
| Save | ⌘S | Ctrl+S | |
| ⌘P | Ctrl+P | ||
| New workbook | ⌘N | Ctrl+N | |
| Open | ⌘O | Ctrl+O | |
| Close workbook | ⌘W | Ctrl+W |
The two that matter most
Two shortcuts do most of the heavy lifting in Excel. ⌘/Ctrl + Arrow jumps to the last non-empty cell in that direction — instantly get to the bottom of a 50,000-row column without scrolling. Add Shift to select everything on the way. And F4 (⌘T on Mac) cycles a cell reference through absolute and mixed forms ($A$1 → A$1 → $A1 → A1) while you edit a formula, so you never retype dollar signs.
Fill without dragging
Select a range that starts with your source cell and press Ctrl+D (down) or Ctrl+R (right) to copy the formula into the rest — faster and more precise than dragging the fill handle.
Paste values, not formulas
After copying a range, press Ctrl+Alt+V (⌃⌘V on Mac) to open Paste Special — then V pastes values only, dropping the formulas. This is the single most-searched Excel shortcut after copy/paste, because it stops broken references when you move data between sheets.
Filter in one keystroke
Ctrl+Shift+L (⌘⇧F on Mac) toggles AutoFilter on the current table, so you can sort and filter without touching the ribbon.
Working in Excel? A few task shortcuts save the most time: AutoSum (Alt+=), Freeze Panes, Insert Row, and Flash Fill (Ctrl+E).
FAQ
Do Excel shortcuts differ between Mac and Windows?
Yes for the modifier keys — Windows uses Ctrl and Alt where the Mac uses ⌘ and ⌥ — but the letter keys are almost identical. This page lists both. A few Windows keys (like Alt+= for AutoSum) map to different combos on the Mac.
What is the shortcut to enter a formula in every selected cell at once?
Type the formula, then press Ctrl+Enter (⌃⏎ on Mac) instead of Enter. Excel fills the whole selection, adjusting relative references per cell.
How do I toggle absolute references quickly?
While editing a formula, put the cursor in the reference and press F4 on Windows (⌘T on Mac). Repeat to cycle through $A$1, A$1, $A1, A1.
What is the Excel shortcut to paste values only?
Copy the cells, then press Ctrl+Alt+V on Windows (⌃⌘V on Mac) to open Paste Special and choose Values — or press V once the dialog is open. This pastes the calculated numbers without the underlying formulas.
How many Excel keyboard shortcuts are there?
Excel has hundreds, but around 40 cover almost everything most people do daily — navigation (Ctrl+Arrow), selection (Ctrl+Space), editing (F2, Ctrl+Enter), formatting (Ctrl+1) and formulas (F4, Alt+=). This page lists the 40+ that actually save time, with the Mac and Windows keys side by side.