Printable Excel Shortcuts Reference (Windows & Mac)
93 shortcuts for Windows and Mac side by side, grouped by what you are actually doing — navigation, selection, editing, formatting, formulas, data.
Navigation
Moving around a large sheet without touching the mouse — the shortcuts that pay for themselves fastest.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Jump to the edge of the data region | Ctrl + arrow | ⌘ + arrow |
| Go to cell A1 | Ctrl + Home | ⌘ + Fn + ← |
| Go to the last used cell | Ctrl + End | ⌘ + Fn + → |
| Move one screen down / up | Page Down / Page Up | Fn + ↓ / Fn + ↑ |
| Move one screen right / left | Alt + Page Down / Up | ⌥ + Fn + ↓ / ↑ |
| Next / previous worksheet | Ctrl + Page Down / Up | ⌥ + → / ← |
| Open the Go To dialog | Ctrl + G | ⌃ + G |
| Go to a named range or address | F5 | F5 |
| Switch between open workbooks | Ctrl + Tab | ⌘ + ` |
| Move within a selection | Tab / Shift + Tab | Tab / ⇧ + Tab |
Selection
Selecting the right range is most of the work; these turn a drag across 10,000 rows into one keystroke.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Select to the edge of the data region | Ctrl + Shift + arrow | ⌘ + ⇧ + arrow |
| Select the entire column | Ctrl + Space | ⌃ + Space |
| Select the entire row | Shift + Space | ⇧ + Space |
| Select the whole sheet | Ctrl + A | ⌘ + A |
| Select the current data region | Ctrl + Shift + 8 | ⌃ + ⇧ + Space |
| Extend the selection one cell | Shift + arrow | ⇧ + arrow |
| Select visible cells only Essential before copying from a filtered list. | Alt + ; | ⌘ + ⇧ + Z |
| Select cells with formulas Go To Special. The fastest formula audit there is. | Ctrl + G, Alt + S, F | ⌃ + G, then Special |
| Add a non-adjacent cell to the selection | Ctrl + click | ⌘ + click |
Editing
Entering and changing data. The fill and paste-special combos are the ones worth memorising first.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Edit the active cell in place | F2 | ⌃ + U |
| Confirm and stay in the cell Also fills an entire selection with one entry. | Ctrl + Enter | ⌃ + Enter |
| Start a new line inside a cell | Alt + Enter | ⌥ + Enter |
| Fill down from the cell above | Ctrl + D | ⌘ + D |
| Fill right from the cell to the left | Ctrl + R | ⌘ + R |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | ⌘ + C |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | ⌘ + X |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | ⌘ + V |
| Paste Special dialog | Ctrl + Alt + V | ⌘ + ⌃ + V |
| Paste values only | Ctrl + Alt + V, V, Enter | ⌘ + ⌃ + V, then Values |
| Undo / redo | Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y | ⌘ + Z / ⌘ + ⇧ + Z |
| Repeat the last action | F4 | ⌘ + Y |
| Delete cell contents | Delete | Delete |
| Delete the selected cells (with shift dialog) | Ctrl + - | ⌘ + - |
| Insert cells (with shift dialog) | Ctrl + Shift + + | ⌘ + ⇧ + + |
| Insert the current date A fixed value, unlike =TODAY(). | Ctrl + ; | ⌃ + ; |
| Insert the current time | Ctrl + Shift + ; | ⌃ + ⇧ + ; |
| Copy the value from the cell above | Ctrl + Shift + " | ⌃ + ⇧ + " |
Formatting
The number-format combos are the time-savers here: five keystrokes replace a trip to the ribbon.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Format Cells dialog | Ctrl + 1 | ⌘ + 1 |
| Bold / italic / underline | Ctrl + B / I / U | ⌘ + B / I / U |
| Strikethrough | Ctrl + 5 | ⌘ + ⇧ + X |
| General number format | Ctrl + Shift + ~ | ⌃ + ⇧ + ~ |
| Currency format | Ctrl + Shift + $ | ⌃ + ⇧ + $ |
| Percentage format | Ctrl + Shift + % | ⌃ + ⇧ + % |
| Date format | Ctrl + Shift + # | ⌃ + ⇧ + # |
| Time format | Ctrl + Shift + @ | ⌃ + ⇧ + @ |
| Comma / thousands format | Ctrl + Shift + ! | ⌃ + ⇧ + ! |
| Apply an outline border | Ctrl + Shift + & | ⌘ + ⌥ + 0 |
| Remove all borders | Ctrl + Shift + _ | ⌘ + ⌥ + - |
| Copy formatting (Format Painter) | Ctrl + Shift + C then V | ⌘ + ⇧ + C then V |
| Increase / decrease decimal places | Alt + H, 0 / 9 | Ribbon only |
Formulas
The F4 anchoring toggle and Ctrl + ` are the two most under-used keys in Excel.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle absolute / relative reference ($) Press while the reference is selected in the formula bar. | F4 | ⌘ + T |
| Show all formulas instead of results The fastest way to audit a sheet you did not build. | Ctrl + ` | ⌃ + ` |
| AutoSum the range above or left | Alt + = | ⌘ + ⇧ + T |
| Insert Function dialog | Shift + F3 | ⇧ + F3 |
| Recalculate the whole workbook | F9 | Fn + F9 |
| Recalculate the active sheet only | Shift + F9 | ⇧ + Fn + F9 |
| Evaluate part of a formula in place Press Esc afterwards or the value replaces the formula. | Select the part, then F9 | Select, then Fn + F9 |
| Expand or collapse the formula bar | Ctrl + Shift + U | ⌃ + ⇧ + U |
| Accept a function autocomplete | Tab | Tab |
| Enter as an array formula (legacy) Unnecessary in Excel 365, where formulas spill. | Ctrl + Shift + Enter | ⌃ + ⇧ + Enter |
| Define a name for the selection | Ctrl + Alt + F3 | ⌃ + ⌥ + F3 |
| Paste a name into a formula | F3 | F3 |
Rows, columns and sheets
Structural changes. Note that hiding and unhiding use different combos, which is the usual source of frustration.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Insert a row or column Select the whole row or column first. | Ctrl + Shift + + | ⌘ + ⇧ + + |
| Delete a row or column Select the whole row or column first. | Ctrl + - | ⌘ + - |
| Hide rows / columns | Ctrl + 9 / Ctrl + 0 | ⌃ + 9 / ⌃ + 0 |
| Unhide rows / columns Column unhide is blocked by default on some Windows builds; use the ribbon. | Ctrl + Shift + 9 / 0 | ⌃ + ⇧ + 9 / 0 |
| Group / ungroup rows or columns | Alt + Shift + → / ← | ⌘ + ⇧ + K / J |
| Insert a new worksheet | Shift + F11 | ⇧ + F11 |
| Rename the active sheet | Alt + H, O, R | Double-click the tab |
| Auto-fit column width | Alt + H, O, I | Double-click the column edge |
Data and tables
Filtering, tables and PivotTables — the shortcuts that turn a raw export into something analysable.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle AutoFilter on the selection | Ctrl + Shift + L | ⌘ + ⇧ + F |
| Open the filter dropdown on a column | Alt + ↓ | ⌥ + ↓ |
| Create an Excel Table from the range | Ctrl + T | ⌃ + T |
| Insert a PivotTable | Alt + N, V | Ribbon only |
| Refresh the active query or pivot | Alt + F5 | ⌘ + ⌥ + R |
| Refresh everything | Ctrl + Alt + F5 | ⌘ + ⌥ + ⇧ + R |
| Open Data Validation | Alt + A, V, V | Ribbon only |
| Flash Fill the column | Ctrl + E | Ribbon only |
| Remove duplicates | Alt + A, M | Ribbon only |
Workbook and file
Saving, printing and the two shortcuts that recover from a mistake fastest.
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Save | Ctrl + S | ⌘ + S |
| Save As | F12 | ⌘ + ⇧ + S |
| Open | Ctrl + O | ⌘ + O |
| New workbook | Ctrl + N | ⌘ + N |
| Print / Print Preview | Ctrl + P | ⌘ + P |
| Close the workbook | Ctrl + W | ⌘ + W |
| Find | Ctrl + F | ⌘ + F |
| Find and Replace | Ctrl + H | ⌃ + H |
| Insert a hyperlink | Ctrl + K | ⌘ + K |
| Insert or edit a comment | Shift + F2 | ⇧ + F2 |
| Spell check | F7 | ⌘ + ; |
| Open the VBA editor | Alt + F11 | ⌥ + F11 |
| Show the Macro dialog | Alt + F8 | ⌥ + F8 |
| Minimise or restore the ribbon | Ctrl + F1 | ⌘ + ⌥ + R |
About this sheet
Both platforms are shown in the same table rather than on separate sheets, because the people who most need a shortcut reference are the ones moving between a Windows desktop and a Mac laptop. The list is deliberately not exhaustive: a 350-row dump is a worse reference than a curated set you can actually absorb, so this covers what people do daily and notes the handful of combos that need a selection made first.
Free to use, share and republish — including commercially. Attribution isn't required, but it's what keeps these free to make, and there's one ready to paste below.
Questions
Is this cheat sheet free?
Yes, and there is no email gate. The whole table is on this page, and the download is built in your browser when you click it.
Can I print it?
Yes — the print layout drops the navigation and page furniture and keeps the tables, so it comes out as a clean reference rather than a screenshot of a web page.
What formats can I download?
Excel (.xlsx) and CSV. Both hold exactly the rows shown on this page.
Do the Mac shortcuts really differ?
Often, yes — and not predictably. Some map ⌘ where Windows uses Ctrl, others use ⌃ instead, and a few have no Mac equivalent at all. That is why both columns are shown together rather than on separate pages.