Excel keyboard shortcuts: the most useful shortcuts for everyday work
Work faster in Excel without reaching for the mouse. Here are the most useful shortcuts for Windows with a Swiss keyboard, plus everything as a printable PDF.
Download PDF ↓The 10 most important Excel shortcuts
If you only learn ten shortcuts, learn these. They save the most time in everyday work.
All Excel shortcuts by task
More than 50 shortcuts for Windows with a Swiss keyboard and English user interface, grouped by what you want to do.
Navigate and select
| Ctrl+Arrow key | Jump to the edge of the data region |
| Ctrl+Shift+Arrow key | Select to the edge of the data region |
| Ctrl+Home | Go to cell A1 |
| Ctrl+End | Go to the last used cell |
| Ctrl+A | Select the data region, twice: entire sheet |
| Shift+Space | Select the entire row |
| Ctrl+Space | Select the entire column |
| F5/Ctrl+G | Go To (cell, range or name) |
| Ctrl+Page Down/Ctrl+Page Up | Next or previous worksheet |
Enter and edit
| F2 | Edit the cell, cursor at the end |
| Alt+Enter | Line break within a cell |
| Ctrl+Enter | Fill the entry into all selected cells |
| Ctrl+D | Fill down |
| Ctrl+R | Fill right |
| Ctrl+E | Flash Fill |
| Ctrl+; | Insert the current date |
| Ctrl+Shift+: | Insert the current time |
| Ctrl+Z/Ctrl+Y | Undo / Redo |
| Shift+F2 | Insert or edit a note |
Format
| Ctrl+1 | Format Cells dialog |
| Ctrl+B | Bold |
| Ctrl+I | Italic |
| Ctrl+U | Underline |
| Ctrl+5 | Strikethrough |
| Ctrl+Shift+1 | Number with thousands separator and 2 decimals |
| Ctrl+Shift+3 | Date format |
| Ctrl+Shift+4 | Currency format |
| Ctrl+Shift+5 | Percentage format |
Formulas and functions
| = | Start a formula |
| F4 | Toggle reference: absolute, mixed, relative |
| Shift+F3 | Insert Function dialog |
| Alt+= | Insert AutoSum |
| Tab | Accept the suggested function |
| F9 | Calculate all workbooks |
| Ctrl+F3 | Open the Name Manager |
Tables, filters and data
| Ctrl+T | Format the range as an Excel table |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Turn filters on or off |
| Alt+Arrow down | Open the filter menu of the current column |
| Ctrl+Q | Open Quick Analysis |
| Alt+F1 | Create a chart from the selected data |
| Ctrl++ | Insert cells, rows or columns |
| Ctrl+- | Delete cells, rows or columns |
| Ctrl+9/Ctrl+0 | Hide rows / columns |
| Ctrl+F/Ctrl+H | Find / Replace |
Workbooks and worksheets
| Shift+F11 | Insert a new worksheet |
| Ctrl+N | New workbook |
| Ctrl+S | Save |
| F12 | Save As |
| Ctrl+P | Print and print preview |
| Ctrl+W | Close the workbook |
| Ctrl+F1 | Show or hide the ribbon |
| Alt | Show KeyTips on the ribbon |
Excel keyboard shortcuts as a PDF
All shortcuts on two pages, to print or keep next to your keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Ctrl + B not make text bold for me?
Shortcuts depend on the language of your Office installation. In the German user interface, bold is Ctrl + Shift + F and italic is Ctrl + Shift + K. This page lists the shortcuts for the English user interface.
What is different on a Swiss keyboard?
Some shortcuts depend on where a character sits on the keyboard. Ctrl + Plus is easiest with the plus key on the numeric keypad. For the date and time shortcuts, the key position can vary with your language settings.
Do these shortcuts work in Excel for the web?
Most of them do. Some are reserved by the browser, such as Ctrl + N or Ctrl + W, which open or close a browser window instead of a workbook.
What is the fastest way to learn shortcuts?
Start with the top ten and use them deliberately for a week. Also press the Alt key: Excel then shows the KeyTip for every command on the ribbon.
Work faster and with more confidence in Excel
Shortcuts are a start. In our Excel training courses you work with your own data and learn to build reports efficiently and without errors.