10 most useful excel shortcuts to increase productivity and efficiency
Here are the 10 most useful Excel shortcuts that greatly improve speed and productivity when working with spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel.
Essential Excel Shortcuts to enhance working speed and efficiency
1. Save Workbook – Ctrl + S
Saves the current workbook instantly, helping avoid data loss with frequent updates.
2. AutoSum – Alt + =
Quickly inserts the AutoSum formula, allowing fast calculation of totals for rows or columns.
3. Insert Today’s Date – Ctrl + ;
Inserts the current date in the selected cell, perfect for record-keeping and logging.
4. Select Entire Row or Column – Shift + Space / Ctrl + Space
Shift + Space selects the whole row, and Ctrl + Space selects the whole column, making bulk editing easier.
5. Format as Currency – Ctrl + Shift + $
Applies currency formatting to selected numbers, making budgets and accounts clearer.
6. Insert or Delete Rows – Ctrl + + / Ctrl + –
Ctrl + + inserts a new row or column, while Ctrl + – deletes the selected row or column.
7. Find and Replace – Ctrl + F / Ctrl + H
Ctrl + F opens the Find dialog for quick searching, and Ctrl + H opens Find and Replace to modify data in bulk.
8. Enable Filtering – Ctrl + Shift + L
Turns on auto filter for easy sorting and filtering of large datasets.
9. Undo/Redo – Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y
Ctrl + Z undoes the last action, and Ctrl + Y redoes what was undone, providing safety as you experiment.
10. Create Pivot Table – Alt + N, V
Initiates the Pivot Table dialog, allowing dynamic data analysis without mouse navigation.
These shortcuts allow for quicker navigation, data entry, formatting, and editing, making Excel work more efficient and enjoyable.
