Appendix B: Excel Shortcut Keys

Many users have discovered that using their keyboard can often be much more efficient than using their mouse. This appendix lists the most useful shortcut keys available in Excel. The shortcuts are arranged by context.

The keys listed assume that you're not using the Transition Navigation Keys, which are designed to emulate Lotus 1-2-3. You can select the Transition Navigation Keys option of the Advanced tab of the Excel Options dialog box (in the Lotus Compatibility section).

Note

On the surface, the Ribbon interface appears to be designed for a mouse. However, you can access nearly all the Ribbon commands by using the keyboard. Press the Alt key, and Excel displays “keytips” next to each command. Just press the key that corresponds to the command you need. For example, the command to toggle worksheet gridlines is View ⇒ Show ⇒ Gridlines. The keyboard equivalent is Alt, followed by WVG. Note that you don't need to keep the Alt key depressed while you type the subsequent letters.

Table B.1 Moving through a Worksheet

Key(s)

What It Does

Navigation keys (, , uparrow, down)

Moves left, right, up, or down one cell

Navigation keys* (, , uparrow, )

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