What is the shortcut to AutoSum in Excel?

Press Alt+= (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+T (Mac) to insert a SUM formula for the selected range in Excel. This is one of the most time-saving shortcuts for spreadsheet work.

How do I insert the current date in Excel with a keyboard shortcut?

Press Ctrl+; (semicolon) to insert today's date in the active cell in Excel. Press Ctrl+Shift+; to insert the current time.

How do I move between sheets in Excel?

Press Ctrl+PageDown to move to the next sheet and Ctrl+PageUp to move to the previous sheet in Excel. These shortcuts work on both Windows and Mac.

Browse all keyboard shortcut cheat sheets

Microsoft Excel Keyboard Shortcuts (Microsoft 365) — Complete Cheat Sheet

Work faster in Microsoft Excel with shortcuts for navigation, formulas, formatting, and data management.

39 shortcuts across 4 categories · Windows · macOS

Microsoft Excel has one of the richest keyboard shortcut systems of any application, covering navigation across massive spreadsheets, formula entry, data formatting, and pivot table management. Power users rely on these shortcuts to process and analyze data far faster than mouse-based workflows allow.

Navigation & Selection

Action	Shortcut	Description
Move to Edge of Data	`Ctrl` + `Arrow`	Jump to the last filled cell in the direction of the arrow
Go to Cell	`Ctrl` + `G`	Navigate to a specific cell address or named range
Go to Beginning	`Ctrl` + `Home`	Go to cell A1
Go to Last Used Cell	`Ctrl` + `End`	Jump to the last used cell in the sheet
Next Sheet	`Ctrl` + `Page Down`	Switch to the next worksheet tab
Previous Sheet	`Ctrl` + `Page Up`	Switch to the previous worksheet tab
Select Entire Row	`Shift` + `Space`	Select the entire row of the active cell
Select Entire Column	`Ctrl` + `Space`	Select the entire column of the active cell
Select All	`Ctrl` + `A`	Select all cells in the current data region, then all cells
Extend Selection	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Arrow`	Extend the selection to the last filled cell

Formulas & Functions

Action	Shortcut	Description
Enter Formula	`=`	Start entering a formula in the active cell
AutoSum	`Alt` + `=`	Insert a SUM formula for the cells above or to the left
Function Wizard	`Shift` + `F3`	Open the Insert Function dialog
Calculate Now	`F9`	Force recalculation of all formulas in the workbook
Toggle Absolute Reference	`F4`	Cycle through absolute/relative reference modes ($A$1, A$1, $A1, A1)
Show Formulas	`Ctrl` + `	Toggle display of formula text vs. values in all cells
Trace Precedents	`Ctrl` + `[`	Select cells that are referenced by the formula in the active cell
Enter Array Formula	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Enter`	Confirm an array formula (legacy method)
Name Box	`Ctrl` + `F3`	Open the Name Manager to define named ranges

Formatting

Action	Shortcut	Description
Format Cells Dialog	`Ctrl` + `1`	Open the Format Cells dialog box
Bold	`Ctrl` + `B`	Toggle bold on the selected cells
Italic	`Ctrl` + `I`	Toggle italic on the selected cells
Underline	`Ctrl` + `U`	Toggle underline on the selected cells
Currency Format	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `$`	Apply currency format with two decimal places
Percentage Format	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `%`	Apply percentage format with no decimal places
Date Format	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `#`	Apply date format (DD-MMM-YY)
Number Format	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `!`	Apply number format with two decimal places and comma separator
Add Border	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `&`	Apply an outline border to the selected cells
Remove Border	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `_`	Remove all borders from the selected cells

Data & Tools

Action	Shortcut	Description
Find & Replace	`Ctrl` + `H`	Open the Find and Replace dialog
Filter	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `L`	Toggle AutoFilter on the selected range
Sort Dialog	`Alt` + `A` + `S` + `S`	Open the Sort dialog box
Insert Row	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `+`	Insert a new row above the selection
Delete Row	`Ctrl` + `-`	Delete the selected row or column
Fill Down	`Ctrl` + `D`	Fill the selected cells with the value from the topmost cell
Fill Right	`Ctrl` + `R`	Fill the selected cells with the value from the leftmost cell
Insert Current Date	`Ctrl` + `;`	Insert the current date into the active cell
Insert Current Time	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `:`	Insert the current time into the active cell
Create Table	`Ctrl` + `T`	Convert the selected range to an Excel table

Microsoft Excel Tips & Tricks

F4 toggles absolute references while editing a formula: Click on a cell reference inside a formula and press F4 to cycle through $A$1 (fully absolute), A$1, $A1, and A1 — no need to type dollar signs manually.
Ctrl+Enter fills multiple cells at once: Select a range of cells, type a value or formula, then press Ctrl+Enter instead of Enter — it fills all selected cells simultaneously.
Alt+= is the fastest way to SUM: Select the cell below a column of numbers and press Alt+= — Excel automatically adds a SUM formula for the range above.

Frequently Asked Questions — Microsoft Excel

Do these shortcuts work in Google Sheets?: The universal ones (Ctrl+Arrows, Ctrl+Shift+Arrows, Ctrl+D) mostly do; ribbon-based Alt sequences don't. We keep a separate Google Sheets cheat sheet for the full mapping.
What version of Excel does this page cover?: Current Microsoft 365 on Windows, with Mac differences noted. Legacy versions (2016/2019) match for nearly everything on this page.
Which single shortcut should a beginner learn first in Excel?: Ctrl + Arrow keys. It changes how you move through a spreadsheet, and every other selection trick builds on it.

The shortcuts that separate fast Excel users from everyone else

Ctrl + Arrow keys — jump to the edge of the current data region. This is the Excel navigation shortcut; scrolling through 10,000 rows is for tourists.
Ctrl + Shift + Arrow keys — same jump, but selecting as you go. Select an entire column of data in one keystroke.
Ctrl + Space / Shift + Space — select the whole column / whole row of the active cell.
F4 — two jobs: repeats your last action, and while editing a formula it cycles a reference through $A$1 → A$1 → $A1 → A1. The second use alone justifies learning it.
F2 — edit the active cell without double-clicking, and while editing, see which cells a formula references.
Ctrl + D / Ctrl + R — fill down / fill right from the cell above or to the left. Combined with Ctrl+Shift+Arrow selection, this fills formulas through huge ranges instantly.
Alt + = (AutoSum) — sums the range above or beside you. One keystroke instead of typing =SUM(...).
Ctrl + T — convert a range to a Table, which upgrades everything around it: auto-expanding formulas, structured references, one-key filtering.
Alt + Enter — line break inside a cell, the answer to one of the most-searched Excel questions of all time.
Ctrl + ` (backtick) — toggle showing all formulas at once. The fastest way to audit a sheet someone else built.

The Alt-key sequences nobody tells beginners about

On Windows, tapping Alt by itself lights up letters over every ribbon tab, and Excel veterans navigate the entire interface this way. A few worth committing to memory: Alt, H, O, I auto-fits column width; Alt, E, S, V is the ancient but immortal Paste Special → Values (modern equivalent: Ctrl+Alt+V, then V); Alt, H, B, A applies all borders. These look absurd written down and feel completely natural within a week.

Mac users: the important differences

Most Ctrl shortcuts map to Cmd, but not all — and Excel for Mac is the app where the differences bite hardest. F4 for absolute references doesn't work on Mac; use Cmd + T while editing a formula instead (which means Cmd+T does not create a Table on Mac — that's Ctrl+T there too, confusingly). Function keys often need Fn held. If a shortcut fails on your Mac, that's the first thing to check.