Excel Shortcuts You Didn’t Know You Needed

Excel Shortcuts You Didn’t Know You Needed

Formula for Success: Time-Saving Excel Features Series

This post is part of my Time-Saving Excel Features series, where we explore ways to work faster and more efficiently in Excel. Here’s what we’re covering:

🔹 Post 1: Excel Shortcuts You Didn’t Know You Needed (You are here!)

🔹 Post 2: How to Use Flash Fill to Automate Data Entry

🔹 Post 3: The Best Uses of AutoFill to Speed Up Your Work

🔹 Post 4: The Magic of Paste Special: More Than Just Copy-Paste

Why Learn These Excel Shortcuts?

Excel has hundreds of shortcuts, but some of the most powerful ones go under the radar. Learning these lesser-known shortcuts will help you:

✅ Save time by reducing clicks and manual work.

✅ Work smarter with advanced selection, formatting, and formula tricks.

✅ Boost accuracy by eliminating repetitive data entry and errors.

Essential Shortcuts You Might Not Be Using

1️⃣ Quickly Repeat Your Last Action

📌 Shortcut: F4

• Repeats the last formatting or command you applied.
• Works for inserting rows, formatting text, and more.
• ✅ Example: Bold a cell (Ctrl + B), then press F4 to apply the same formatting elsewhere.

2️⃣ Instantly Select Visible Cells Only

📌 Shortcut: Alt + ;

• Useful when working with filtered lists.
• ✅ Example: Copy only the visible data from a filtered table without grabbing hidden rows.

3️⃣ Enter the Same Data in Multiple Cells at Once

📌 Shortcut: Ctrl + Enter

• Instead of pressing Enter, this fills the same value into all selected cells.
• ✅ Example: Type a date in multiple selected cells simultaneously.

4️⃣ Jump to the Next Open Cell Instantly

📌 Shortcut: Ctrl + Arrow Key

• Moves to the next populated or empty cell in a row or column.
• ✅ Example: Jump to the last row in a dataset instantly (Ctrl + ↓).

5️⃣ Apply Borders Without Using the Mouse

📌 Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + &

• Instantly applies borders to selected cells.
• ✅ Example: Format tables quickly without opening the formatting menu.

6️⃣ Toggle Filter Mode Instantly

📌 Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + L

• Adds or removes filters in tables.
• ✅ Example: Quickly sort and filter data without clicking through menus.

7️⃣ Auto-Sum Without Typing a Formula

📌 Shortcut: Alt + =

• Automatically inserts a SUM function for selected cells.
• ✅ Example: Select a column of numbers and press Alt + = to sum instantly.

8️⃣ Open the Format Cells Dialog Fast

📌 Shortcut: Ctrl + 1

• Brings up all formatting options in one place.
• ✅ Example: Change number formats, fonts, alignment, and borders quickly.

9️⃣ Copy Values Without Formulas

📌 Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + V (for newer Excel versions) or Alt + E + S + V

• Pastes values only, removing formulas.
• ✅ Example: Convert formula-driven results into static numbers instantly.

🔟 Insert the Current Date & Time Instantly

📌 Shortcut:

• Current date: Ctrl + ;
• Current time: Ctrl + Shift + :
• ✅ Example: Quickly timestamp entries without typing manually.

Pro Tip: Combine Shortcuts for Maximum Speed

✅ Select data (Ctrl + A) → Format cells (Ctrl + 1) → Apply AutoSum (Alt + =) in seconds.

✅ Copy values (Ctrl + C) → Paste without formulas (Alt + E + S + V) → Apply filters (Ctrl + Shift + L) for fast data cleanup.

Final Thoughts

These time-saving shortcuts will help you work smarter, not harder in Excel. The more shortcuts you integrate into your workflow, the faster and more efficient you'll become.

📢 Next up: How to Use Flash Fill to Automate Data Entry! Stay tuned!

📩 What’s your favorite Excel shortcut? Share it in the comments!

#ExcelTips #FormulaForSuccess #ExcelShortcuts #Productivity #TimeSaving