Excel shortcuts cheat sheet
The Excel shortcuts worth learning first are Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste, Ctrl+D to fill a formula down, Ctrl+↓ to jump to the end of the data, Ctrl+Shift+↓ to select to it, Alt+= for AutoSum and F4 to add $ to a reference. On a Mac most of them use ⌘ instead of Ctrl, but a few are different keys.
Here they all are on one A4 page, free to download and print. There's a version for Excel on Windows, Excel on Mac and Google Sheets, and you don't need an account.
All the shortcuts
These are built-in shortcuts only, from Microsoft's and Google's own lists, so they work on a work laptop with no add-ins. They're the same ones our lessons teach. For the alternative keys each one also accepts, see the full shortcut reference.
Clipboard and editing
| Shortcut | Excel on Windows | Excel on Mac | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl+C | ⌘C | Ctrl+C or ⌘C on Mac |
| Paste | Ctrl+V | ⌘V | Ctrl+V or ⌘V on Mac |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z | ⌘Z | Ctrl+Z or ⌘Z on Mac |
| Redo | Ctrl+Y | ⌘Y | Ctrl+Y or ⌘Y on Mac |
| Fill down (copy the top cell into the cells below) | Ctrl+D | ⌘D | Ctrl+D or ⌘D on Mac |
| Fill right (copy the left cell into the cells to its right) | Ctrl+R | ⌘R | Ctrl+R or ⌘R on Mac |
| Edit the selected cell | F2 | F2 | F2 |
Moving around
| Shortcut | Excel on Windows | Excel on Mac | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jump to the edge of the data (down) | Ctrl+↓ | ⌘↓ | Ctrl+↓ or ⌘↓ on Mac |
| Jump to the edge of the data (up) | Ctrl+↑ | ⌘↑ | Ctrl+↑ or ⌘↑ on Mac |
| Jump to the edge of the data (left) | Ctrl+← | ⌘← | Ctrl+← or ⌘← on Mac |
| Jump to the edge of the data (right) | Ctrl+→ | ⌘→ | Ctrl+→ or ⌘→ on Mac |
| Go to the start of the sheet (A1) | Ctrl+Home | ⌃Home | Ctrl+Home or ⌘Home on Mac |
Selecting
| Shortcut | Excel on Windows | Excel on Mac | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select to the edge of the data (down) | Ctrl+Shift+↓ | ⇧⌘↓ | Ctrl+Shift+↓ or ⇧⌘↓ on Mac |
| Select to the edge of the data (up) | Ctrl+Shift+↑ | ⇧⌘↑ | Ctrl+Shift+↑ or ⇧⌘↑ on Mac |
| Select to the edge of the data (left) | Ctrl+Shift+← | ⇧⌘← | Ctrl+Shift+← or ⇧⌘← on Mac |
| Select to the edge of the data (right) | Ctrl+Shift+→ | ⇧⌘→ | Ctrl+Shift+→ or ⇧⌘→ on Mac |
| Select the whole column | Ctrl+Space | ⌃Space | Ctrl+Space or ⌃Space on Mac |
| Select the whole row | Shift+Space | ⇧Space | Shift+Space or ⇧Space on Mac |
| Select all | Ctrl+A | ⌘A | Ctrl+A or ⌘A on Mac |
Formulas
| Shortcut | Excel on Windows | Excel on Mac | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| AutoSum: insert a SUM of the numbers above (or to the left) | Alt+= | ⇧⌘T | No shortcut |
| Cycle a reference through $A$1, A$1, $A1, A1 (while editing a formula) | F4 | ⌘T | F4 |
Practise them
A list only gets you so far. Shortcuts stick once you've used them on real work a few times, so the lessons here make you use them on a spreadsheet in your browser and check you did.
- Shortcuts: move, select and sum without the mouse drills jumping, selecting and AutoSum (free with an account).
- Copying formulas and locking references with $ uses F4 and fill down (free with an account).
- Your first formulas: SUM, AVERAGE, MAX is the place to start if you're new to Excel (no account needed).
The set-up tips cover the laptop settings that stop function keys like F2 and F4 working.
Questions
Do I need an account to download it?
No. The PDFs are free to download, print and share, and you don't need to sign up. If you run a uni society or a careers page, you're welcome to link to this page.
Are these the same shortcuts in Excel for Mac?
Mostly the Ctrl key becomes ⌘, but a few are different keys altogether. AutoSum is Alt+= on Windows and ⇧⌘T on a Mac, and selecting a whole column is ⌃Space on a Mac. That is why there is a separate sheet for each.
Why is AutoSum missing from the Google Sheets version?
Google Sheets doesn't have an AutoSum shortcut, so the Sheets cheat sheet leaves it out. Type =SUM( and select the range instead.
Where do the shortcuts come from?
Microsoft's Keyboard shortcuts in Excel page and Google's Keyboard shortcuts for Google Sheets page. They're all built in, with no add-ins or macros, so they work on a work laptop as well as your own.