10 Microsoft Excel Tricks Everyone Should Know

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The creation of the office software suite has been a major boon to employees in all kinds of industries who need to ensure things are correctly tracked and accounted for. One of the best and most effective means of keeping financial data current and accurate is Excel, a spreadsheet from Microsoft Office with various valuable functions and features. While those familiar with this app have likely picked up a few Excel tips and tricks, all users can benefit from knowing these handy shortcuts regardless of their experience level. So check out these ten Microsoft Excel tricks that everyone should know and learn more about how they can make your Excel formula and more that much easier. 

Find and Replace with CTRL + F to Keep Things Moving Along 

Microsoft Excel offers users a similar functionality to Microsoft Word in that it is straightforward to search for specific data or text within a spreadsheet. By simply pressing CTRL + F, a search window will appear that allows you to enter the numbers, words, or other data you are interested in. After determining where and how often your sought-after information is located in the spreadsheet, you can enter text into the Replace field of the window and replace single or multiple usages of your desired text. 

Use Strikethroughs to Indicate a Finished Task with CRTL + 5 

If you find yourself working with other colleagues on a shared spreadsheet and need an effective means of showing that you have checked off or finished a particular task, there is an easy solution. Rather than having to email your coworkers about any jobs you have completed, you can simply add what is known as a strikethrough to indicate that a job is done. Whether you are interested in striking through a single cell or a row of cells, simply highlight the data in question and press CRTL + 5, creating a line that bifurcates the cell or cells selected. 

Hide Columns and Rows with CRTL + 0 and CRTL + 9 

Sometimes it can be beneficial to get unimportant columns and rows out of view so you can concentrate on the job at hand. Select any cell in the said column to hide a particular column and press CTRL + 0 to remove the column from sight. Select any cell in said row to conceal a specific row and press CTRL + 9 to remove the row from view. Multiple columns and rows can be hidden simultaneously highlighting a group of cells and using both commands to hide any columns and rows affected. 

Use the ALT + = AutoSum Trick to Get Speedy Calculations 

The AutoSum function is a handy tool for quickly adding up several different cells, but did you know that you do not need to enter a formula to get the results of AutoSum? You do not even need to type. Simply select the cells which contain data that needs to be summed and press ALT + + simultaneously. The final sum will be automatically added to the cell beneath the last number entered, making it very easy to locate. 

How to Add a Hyperlink to an Excel Cell with CTRL + K 

Suppose you primarily use Excel to track information like metrics on the use of social media or other specific websites. In that case, adding hyperlinks to your Excel spreadsheet can be very useful for ease of access. Since adding URLs directly to cells can be a bit more challenging, a much simpler solution is to attach a hyperlink directly to some text and create a column for the data sources you track regularly. All you need to do is select the text you want to hyperlink, press CTRL + K and hit the Enter key to connect the text to your desired URL. 

Create Effortless Borderlines for Cells with CRTL + Shift + & 

Rather than taking the time and trouble to use the Excel toolbar to create borderlines for cells, there is a much simpler way to do so. All you need to do is select the cells you want to make a borderline for and press CTRL + Shift + & simultaneously. Doing this will instantly create a borderline around your selected cells to help distinguish them from other data collections. 

Add and Delete Rows and Columns with CTRL + Shift + Plus or Minus 

To add rows or columns in Microsoft Excel as desired, select a column or row and press CTRL + Shift + (+) to add new fields. Columns will appear to the right of the selected column, and rows will appear below the selected row. Use CTRL + Shift + (-) to delete selected rows and columns. 

Include the Current Date and Time with This Shortcut 

When your data entries need to include information about the current date and time, press CRTL + ; to add the current date and CTRL + Shift + ; to include the current time. 

Navigate Cells with CTRL + Shift + Arrow Keys Rather Than Using the Mouse 

Rather than manually navigating your Excel spreadsheet, CRTL + Shift + Arrow Keys will let you jump to the top, bottom, left, and right of the sheet as far as it goes. 

Fill Multiple Cells Identically and Simultaneously with CTRL + Enter 

Having to enter the same data repeatedly can be frustrating, especially when the cells are not contiguous, so use CTRL + Enter to save time. Hold CTRL down and select any number of cells, then enter text into the final cell and press CTRL + Enter to copy the data to all selected cells. 

Many other shortcuts can help improve your experience using Excel. Check out Microsoft’s website and Excel to learn more about other Excel tips and tricks and how they will make things easier for you.

*The opinions reflected in this article are the sole opinions of the author and do not reflect any official positions or claims by Acer Inc.

About Dan VanPatten: Dan is a full-time technology writer with interests in gaming, gadgetry, and all things PC tech related. He writes about a variety of topics including technology news, product reviews, and software. His experience stems from years of experience writing & producing content for technology newsletters & publications.