5 Excel Shortcuts You Probably Aren’t Using (But Should Be)
If you’re an occasional Excel user, using your mouse and clicking through menus is perfectly fine – it gets the job done. But when you really need to work in a spreadsheet — analyse data, clean it, move fast — suddenly the mouse feels painfully slow.
Here are five underrated Excel shortcuts that will instantly make you faster and look like an absolute pro.
1. Ctrl + Arrow Keys — Jump to the Edge of Your Data
Growing up on spreadsheets without a mouse using Lotus 1-2-3, I know this and couldn’t live without it! Skip the endless scrolling.
Use Ctrl + → / ← / ↑ / ↓ to jump straight to the edge of your data block.
Add Shift to select everything along the way.
2. F2 — Edit Cell Without Double-clicking
This seems simple, but F2 is a game changer. And for the record, it also works in Windows File Manager when renaming a file.
Tap F2 to edit the active cell from your keyboard. NOTE: Some keyboards may make this a little more awkward now. On my laptop, I need to hold down the Fn key to access F2, otherwise it just makes my laptop volume softer! 😂
Once I’m editing the cell, I might then use the Home key to get the cursor back to the start of the cell, or the End key to get to the end, or Shift-Home to select everything from the cursor to the start, etc etc.
3. Ctrl + Shift + L — Toggle Filters Instantly
I used to think that once you’ve turned on Filters for a table of data, you’d leave it on – but recently I’ve found myself turning it on temporarily to quickly sort the data, or to check the values in a column in the filter area, and then turning it straight off again.
Just hit Ctrl + Shift + L and filters appear (or disappear).
Perfect for anyone who lives in data.
4. Alt Menu Magic — Use Excel Without Your Mouse
Sometimes the fastest path is straight through the Ribbon using the Alt key.
Here are two deceptively powerful Alt-sequence shortcuts that could save you hundreds of click a week:
- Auto-fit Column Width
Alt → H → O → I
No dragging, no fiddling — just a perfectly sized column. There are similar keys for row heights too.
- Remove Duplicates
Alt → A → M
A must know for clean, reliable data.
5. Ctrl + ; — Insert Today’s Date Instantly
If you work with logs, trackers, or timestamps, this one’s pure gold.
Tap Ctrl + ; and Excel drops in today’s date automatically.
No typing, no formatting, no errors.
Why These Shortcuts Matter
These shortcuts aren’t the typical “Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V” everyone already knows.
They’re the high-impact, low-effort shortcuts that:
- speed up repetitive work
- reduce mouse usage
- make you look faster and more confident in Excel
And yes—once you start using them, there’s no going back.
If you and your team are wanting to learn more about Microsoft Excel to help you be more efficient and effective, we are here to help. Corporate Training Options specializes in customized Microsoft Excel courses across Australia—designed to meet you where you are.
Penned by Rhonda Garvin | Corporate Training Options
