Universal Design SymbolEdit data by using shortcut keys


The following three tables give keyboard commands available in Microsoft Excel for:

  1. editing cells
  2. copying, inserting, and deleting a selection
  3. moving within a selection

In each table, the left column gives the desired action and the right column gives the associated keyboard shortcut.

1. Editing cells

Desired Action Keyboard Shortcut
Edit the active cell. F2
Cancel an entry in the cell or formula bar. ESC
Edit the active cell and then clear it, or delete the preceding character in the active cell as you edit the cell contents. BACKSPACE
Paste a name into a formula. F3
Complete a cell entry. ENTER
Enter a formula as an array formula. CONTROL+SHIFT+ENTER
Display the Formula Palette after you type a valid function name in a formula. CONTROL+A
Insert the argument names and parentheses for a function, after you type a valid function name in a formula. CONTROL+SHIFT+A

2. Copying, Inserting, and Deleting a selection

Desired Action Keyboard Shortcut
Copy the selection. CONTROL+C
Paste the selection. CONTROL+V
Cut the selection. CONTROL+X
Clear the contents of the selection. DELETE
Insert blank cells. CONTROL+SHIFT+=
Delete the selection. CONTROL+-
Undo the last action. CONTROL+Z

3. Moving within a selection

Desired Action Keyboard Shortcut
Move from top to bottom within the selection (down), or in the direction that is selected on the Edit tab (Tools menu, Options command). ENTER
Move from bottom to top within the selection (up), or opposite to the direction that is selected on the Edit tab (Tools menu, Options command). SHIFT+ENTER
Move from left to right within the selection, or move down one cell if only one column is selected. TAB
Move from right to left within the selection, or move up one cell if only one column is selected. SHIFT+TAB
Move clockwise to the next corner of the selection. CONTROL+.
Move to the right between nonadjacent selections. CONTROL+ALT+RIGHT ARROW
Move to the left between nonadjacent selections. CONTROL+ALT+LEFT ARROW

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