Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows & Mac
Every Excel shortcut for Windows and Mac side by side: navigation, formatting, formulas, Paste Special and Alt key tips.
Excel keyboard shortcuts (Windows & Mac) — freetoolsforweb.com
Last verified: against Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac. 195 shortcuts.
- Control plus Shift plus L means hold the keys together. Alt plus H then A then C means press them one after another (Microsoft writes “Alt+H, A, C”): these are the ribbon Key Tips you see when you tap Alt.
- On a Mac, many Windows-style Ctrl shortcuts also work in Excel, so the Mac column often lists both Command plus C and Control plus C. Function keys need Fn on most Mac laptops.
- A dash (—) means Microsoft documents no shortcut for that platform.
Showing all 195 shortcuts in 12 categories
Select cells, rows and columns#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select the current region, then the whole sheetPress once for the data around the active cell, again to add summary rows, a third time for the entire sheet. | Control plus Aor Control plus Shift plus Space bar | Command plus Aor Shift plus Command plus Space bar | |
| Select the entire column | Control plus Space bar | Control plus Space barCan clash with the macOS shortcut for switching input sources; turn that off in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts. | |
| Select the entire row | Shift plus Space bar | Shift plus Space bar | |
| Extend the selection by one cell | Shift plus arrow keys | Shift plus arrow keys | |
| Extend the selection to the last non-blank cell | Control plus Shift plus arrow keys | Shift plus Command plus arrow keys | |
| Extend the selection to the beginning of the row | No default shortcut | Shift plus Homeor Fn or Globe plus Shift plus Left arrow | |
| Extend the selection to the beginning of the sheet | Control plus Shift plus Home | Control plus Shift plus Homeor Fn or Globe plus Control plus Shift plus Left arrow | |
| Extend the selection to the last used cell | Control plus Shift plus End | Control plus Shift plus Endor Fn or Globe plus Control plus Shift plus Right arrow | |
| Extend the selection down one screen | No default shortcut | Shift plus Page Downor Fn or Globe plus Shift plus Down arrow | |
| Extend the selection up one screen | No default shortcut | Shift plus Page Upor Fn or Globe plus Shift plus Up arrow | |
| Turn Extend Selection mode on or off | F8 | F8On a Mac laptop, hold Fn with the F key unless "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" is on. | |
| Add a non-adjacent range to the selectionThen move with the arrow keys and select the next range. | Shift plus F8 | Shift plus F8 | |
| Select the current region around the active cell | Control plus Shift plus asterisk | No default shortcut | |
| Select only visible cells | No default shortcut | Shift plus Command plus asterisk | |
| Keep only the active cell selected | Shift plus BackspaceMicrosoft documents this one under Excel for the web; it is the same key in desktop Excel. | Shift plus DeleteThe Delete (backspace) key, not the forward-delete key. | |
| Select the current and next sheet | Control plus Shift plus Page Down | No default shortcut | |
| Select the current and previous sheet | Control plus Shift plus Page Up | No default shortcut | |
| Select the current array | No default shortcut | Control plus slash | |
| Select cells in a row that differ from the active cell | No default shortcut | Control plus backslash | |
| Select cells the selected formulas refer to directly | No default shortcut | Control plus Shift plus left bracket | |
| Select all cells the selected formulas refer to, directly or indirectly | No default shortcut | Control plus Shift plus left brace | |
| Select formulas that refer directly to the active cell | No default shortcut | Control plus right bracket | |
| Select all formulas that refer to the active cell, directly or indirectly | No default shortcut | Control plus Shift plus right brace |
Enter and edit data#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edit the active cell (cursor at the end) | F2 | F2or Control plus UOn a Mac laptop, hold Fn with the F key unless "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" is on. | |
| Start a new line in the same cell (line break) | Alt plus Enter | Option plus Returnor Control plus Option plus Return | |
| Enter the same value in every selected cellType the value, then press this instead of Enter. | Control plus Enter | Command plus Returnor Control plus Return | |
| Complete the entry and move down | Enter | Return | |
| Complete the entry and move up | Shift plus Enter | Shift plus Return | |
| Complete the entry and move rightOn a protected sheet, Tab moves between unlocked cells. | Tab | Tab | |
| Complete the entry and move left | Shift plus Tab | Shift plus Tab | |
| Cancel the entry in the cell or formula bar | Escape | Escape | |
| Clear the contents of the selected cellsRemoves values and formulas, keeps formatting, notes and comments. | Delete | Delete | |
| Delete text to the end of the line (while editing) | No default shortcut | Control plus Deleteor Fn or Globe plus Control plus Delete | |
| Undo | Control plus Z | Command plus Zor Control plus Z | |
| Redo | Control plus Y | Command plus Yor Control plus Yor Shift plus Command plus Z | |
| Repeat the last command or action | F4or Control plus YOutside formula editing. With a cell reference selected in a formula, F4 toggles $ references instead. | No default shortcut | |
| Cut | Control plus X | Command plus Xor Control plus X | |
| Copy | Control plus C | Command plus Cor Control plus C | |
| Paste | Control plus V | Command plus Vor Control plus V | |
| Fill down (copy the top cell into the cells below) | Control plus D | Command plus Dor Control plus D | |
| Fill right (copy the left cell into the cells to the right) | Control plus R | Command plus Ror Control plus R | |
| Insert today’s date | Control plus semicolon | Control plus semicolon | |
| Insert the current time | Control plus Shift plus colon | Command plus semicolon | |
| Copy the formula from the cell above | Control plus apostrophe | Control plus apostrophe | |
| Copy the value from the cell above | Control plus Shift plus quotation mark | Control plus Shift plus quotation mark | |
| Insert or edit a cell note | Shift plus F2 | Shift plus F2 | |
| Insert or reply to a threaded comment | Control plus Shift plus F2 | Shift plus Command plus F2 | |
| Insert or edit a hyperlink | Control plus K | Command plus Kor Control plus K | |
| Find | Control plus F | Command plus For Control plus For Shift plus F5 | |
| Find and replace | Control plus H | Control plus Hor Shift plus Command plus H | |
| Check spelling | F7 | F7 | |
| Open the thesaurus | No default shortcut | Shift plus F7or Control plus Option plus Command plus R | |
| Insert emoji and special characters | No default shortcut | Control plus Command plus Space bar | |
| Move cells and insert them between others (no overwrite)Hold Shift while dragging the selection border. Without Shift, the drop replaces the target cells. | Shift plus drag | Shift plus drag |
Paste Special (values, formats, formulas)#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open the Paste Special dialog | Control plus Alt plus VThe old menu sequence Alt+E then S also opens it. | Control plus Command plus Vor Control plus Option plus Vor Option plus Command plus V | |
| Paste values only (no formulas)In the Paste Special dialog, press the underlined letter, then Enter. | Control plus Alt plus V then V then Enter | No default shortcut | |
| Paste formulas only | Control plus Alt plus V then F then Enter | No default shortcut | |
| Paste formatting only | Control plus Alt plus V then T then Enter | No default shortcut | |
| Paste column widths only | Control plus Alt plus V then W then Enter | No default shortcut | |
| Paste comments and notes only | Control plus Alt plus V then C then Enter | No default shortcut | |
| Paste data validation only | Control plus Alt plus V then N then Enter | No default shortcut | |
| Paste everything except borders | Control plus Alt plus V then X then Enter | No default shortcut | |
| Paste formulas and number formats | Control plus Alt plus V then R then Enter | No default shortcut | |
| Paste values and number formats | Control plus Alt plus V then U then Enter | No default shortcut |
Format cells and numbers#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open the Format Cells dialog | Control plus 1 | Command plus 1or Control plus 1 | |
| Open Format Cells on the Font tab | Control plus Shift plus For Control plus Shift plus P | No default shortcut | |
| Bold | Control plus Bor Control plus 2 | Command plus Bor Control plus B | |
| Italic | Control plus Ior Control plus 3 | Command plus Ior Control plus I | |
| Underline | Control plus Uor Control plus 4 | Command plus U | |
| Strikethrough | Control plus 5 | Shift plus Command plus X | |
| Increase font size | No default shortcutMicrosoft lists Ctrl+Shift+> for Excel for the web only. | Shift plus Command plus greater-than sign | |
| Decrease font size | No default shortcutMicrosoft lists Ctrl+Shift+< for Excel for the web only. | Shift plus Command plus less-than sign | |
| Center-align cell contents | Alt plus H then A then C | Command plus E | |
| Left-align cell contents | No default shortcut | Command plus L | |
| Choose a fill (background) color | Alt plus H then H | No default shortcut | |
| Open the Borders menu | Alt plus H then B | No default shortcut | |
| Apply an outline border | Control plus Shift plus ampersand | Option plus Command plus 0 | |
| Remove outline borders | Control plus Shift plus underscore | Option plus Command plus hyphen | |
| Add a border on the right of the selection | No default shortcut | Option plus Command plus Right arrow | |
| Add a border on the left of the selection | No default shortcut | Option plus Command plus Left arrow | |
| Add a border on the top of the selection | No default shortcut | Option plus Command plus Up arrow | |
| Add a border on the bottom of the selection | No default shortcut | Option plus Command plus Down arrow | |
| General number format | Control plus Shift plus tilde | Control plus Shift plus tilde | |
| Number format: 2 decimals, thousands separator | Control plus Shift plus exclamation point | Control plus Shift plus exclamation point | |
| Currency format, 2 decimals, negatives in parentheses | Control plus Shift plus dollar sign | Control plus Shift plus dollar sign | |
| Percentage format, no decimals | Control plus Shift plus percent sign | Control plus Shift plus percent sign | |
| Scientific (exponential) format, 2 decimals | Control plus Shift plus caret | Control plus Shift plus caret | |
| Date format (day, month, year) | Control plus Shift plus number sign | Control plus Shift plus number sign | |
| Time format (hour, minute, AM/PM) | Control plus Shift plus at sign | Control plus Shift plus at sign | |
| Open the Modify Cell Style dialog | No default shortcut | Shift plus Command plus L |
Rows, columns and outlines#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insert cells, rows or columnsSelect whole rows or columns first to insert them without the dialog. | Control plus Shift plus Plus | Control plus Shift plus equals | |
| Delete cells, rows or columns | Control plus hyphen | Command plus hyphenor Control plus hyphen | |
| Delete the current column (ribbon keys) | Alt plus H then D then C | No default shortcut | |
| Hide the selected rows | Control plus 9 | Control plus 9or Command plus left parenthesisor Control plus left parenthesis | |
| Unhide rows in the selection | Control plus Shift plus 9Microsoft documents this one under Excel for the web; it is the same key in desktop Excel. | Control plus Shift plus left parenthesisor Shift plus Command plus left parenthesis | |
| Hide the selected columns | Control plus 0 | Control plus 0or Command plus right parenthesisor Control plus right parenthesis | |
| Unhide columns in the selection | Control plus Shift plus 0Microsoft documents this one under Excel for the web; it is the same key in desktop Excel. | Control plus Shift plus right parenthesisor Shift plus Command plus right parenthesis | |
| Show or hide the outline (grouping) symbols | Control plus 8 | Control plus 8 | |
| Group the selected rows or columns | No default shortcut | Shift plus Command plus K | |
| Ungroup the selected rows or columns | No default shortcut | Shift plus Command plus J | |
| Expand grouped rows or columns | Shift plus scroll wheelHover over the collapsed group, hold Shift and scroll down. Shift and scroll up collapses it again. | No default shortcut |
Formulas, functions and calculation#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| AutoSum (insert a SUM formula) | Alt plus equals | Shift plus Command plus T | |
| Cycle absolute/relative references ($A$1, A$1, $A1, A1)Put the cursor on a cell reference in the formula first. | F4 | Command plus Tor F4 | |
| Insert Function / Formula Builder | Shift plus F3 | Shift plus F3 | |
| Open Function Arguments after typing a function nameWith the cursor right after the function name, e.g. =VLOOKUP | Control plus A | Control plus A | |
| Insert argument names and parentheses after a function name | Control plus Shift plus A | No default shortcut | |
| Enter a formula as a legacy array formula | No default shortcut | Shift plus Command plus Returnor Control plus Shift plus Return | |
| Show formulas instead of values (toggle) | Control plus grave accent | Control plus grave accent | |
| Calculate all open workbooks | F9 | F9or Command plus equals | |
| Calculate the active sheet | Shift plus F9 | Shift plus F9 | |
| Calculate all sheets, even unchanged ones | Control plus Alt plus F9 | Control plus Option plus F9 | |
| Recheck dependent formulas and calculate everything | Control plus Alt plus Shift plus F9 | Control plus Option plus Shift plus F9 | |
| Expand or collapse the formula bar | Control plus Shift plus U | Control plus Shift plus U | |
| Turn formula-checking tooltips on or off | Control plus Alt plus P | Control plus Option plus P | |
| Edit the active cell in the formula bar | Control plus F2 | No default shortcut | |
| Paste a defined name into a formula | F3 | No default shortcut | |
| Define a name | Alt plus M then M then D | Command plus F3or Control plus L | |
| Create names from the row and column labels | No default shortcut | Shift plus Command plus F3 | |
| Show the menu for an Error Checking button | Alt plus Shift plus F10 | No default shortcut | |
| Open the Smart Lookup pane | No default shortcut | Control plus Option plus Command plus L | |
| Open the Macro dialog (run, edit, delete macros) | Alt plus F8 | Option plus F8 | |
| Open the Visual Basic (VBA) editor | Alt plus F11 | Option plus F11 | |
| Open the Power Query editor | Alt plus F12 | Option plus F12 |
Data, tables, filters and charts#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create a table from the data range | Control plus Tor Control plus L | Command plus Tor Control plus T | |
| Turn filters (AutoFilter) on or off | Control plus Shift plus LListed in Microsoft’s Excel for the web and Mac tables; the same key works in Excel for Windows. | Shift plus Command plus For Control plus Shift plus L | |
| Open the drop-down in a cell (filter button, validation list) | Alt plus Down arrow | Option plus Down arrowAlso shows the AutoComplete list or a PivotTable field menu. | |
| Open the Sort dialog | No default shortcut | Shift plus Command plus R | |
| Show Quick Analysis for the selected data | Control plus Q | No default shortcut | |
| Flash Fill (fill the column from a pattern) | Control plus E | No default shortcut | |
| Insert a chart of the selected data on this sheet | Alt plus F1 | No default shortcut | |
| Insert a chart of the data as a new chart sheet | F11 | F11F11 may show the desktop instead; turn off that macOS shortcut or use Fn+F11. | |
| Refresh all external data in the workbook | Control plus Alt plus F5 | No default shortcut | |
| Stop a refresh in progress | Escape | No default shortcut | |
| Open Workbook Statistics | Control plus Shift plus G | No default shortcut |
Ribbon, Alt key tips and menus#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show the ribbon Key Tips (access keys)Then press the letter shown on a tab or button. | Altor F10 | No default shortcut | |
| Jump to the Search (Tell Me) box | Alt plus Q | No default shortcut | |
| File tab (Backstage) | Alt plus F | No default shortcut | |
| Home tab | Alt plus H | No default shortcut | |
| Insert tab | Alt plus N | No default shortcut | |
| Page Layout tab | Alt plus P | No default shortcut | |
| Formulas tab | Alt plus M | No default shortcut | |
| Data tab | Alt plus A | No default shortcut | |
| Review tab | Alt plus R | No default shortcut | |
| View tab | Alt plus W | No default shortcut | |
| Expand or collapse the ribbon | Control plus F1 | Option plus Command plus R | |
| Open the right-click (context) menu | Shift plus F10or Windows Menu key | Shift plus F10 | |
| Show the tooltip for the focused ribbon button | Control plus Shift plus F10 | No default shortcut | |
| Move focus between sheet, ribbon, task pane and status bar | F6or Shift plus F6 | F6or Shift plus F6 |
Workbooks, sheets and windows#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| New blank workbook | Control plus N | Command plus Nor Control plus N | |
| New workbook from a template | No default shortcut | Shift plus Command plus P | |
| Open a workbook | Control plus O | Command plus Oor Control plus O | |
| Save | Control plus S | Command plus Sor Control plus S | |
| Save As | F12 | Shift plus Command plus Sor F12 | |
| Close the workbook window | Control plus Wor Control plus F4 | Command plus Wor Control plus W | |
| Quit Excel | Alt plus F4 | Command plus Q | |
| Insert a new worksheet | Shift plus F11or Alt plus Shift plus F1 | Shift plus F11On a Mac laptop, hold Fn with the F key unless "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" is on. | |
| Switch to the next Excel window | Control plus F6 | No default shortcut | |
| Cycle through all Excel windows | Control plus Shift plus F6 | No default shortcut | |
| Minimize the workbook window | Control plus F9 | Control plus F9 | |
| Maximize or restore the workbook window | Control plus F10 | Control plus F10or Command plus F10 | |
| Hide Excel | No default shortcut | Command plus H | |
| Open Excel Help | F1 | F1or Command plus slash |
View, zoom and print#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print or print preview | Control plus P | Command plus Por Control plus P | |
| Zoom in | Control plus Alt plus equals | No default shortcut | |
| Zoom out | Control plus Alt plus hyphen | No default shortcut | |
| Full-screen view | Control plus Shift plus F1 | Control plus Command plus F | |
| Page Layout view | Alt plus W then P | No default shortcut | |
| Normal view | Alt plus W then L | No default shortcut | |
| Page Break Preview | Alt plus W then I | No default shortcut | |
| Hide objects, show objects or show placeholders | Control plus 6 | Control plus 6 | |
| Scroll sideways with the mouse wheelWheel up scrolls left, wheel down scrolls right. | Control plus Shift plus scroll wheel | Shift plus scroll wheel | |
| Turn Drawing mode on or off | No default shortcut | Control plus Command plus Z |
Copilot in Excel#
| Action | Windows | Mac | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open the Copilot pane | Alt plus C | Control plus Command plus I | |
| Accept the changes Copilot made | Control plus Enter | Command plus Return | |
| Switch between edit, chat and plan mode | Control plus Shift plus M | Shift plus Command plus M | |
| Confirm use of the selected files | Control plus J | Command plus J | |
| Start dictation for Copilot | Alt plus Shift plus H | Option plus Shift plus H | |
| Move focus between the grid and the Copilot pane | F6 | Shift plus F6 | |
| Stop a Copilot request | Escape | Escape |
Sources (5 official pages)
- Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts in Excel (Windows, macOS and Web tabs)
- Microsoft: Excel keyboard shortcuts and function keys (Word reference)
- Microsoft Support: Find or replace text and numbers on a worksheet
- Microsoft Support: Basic tasks using a screen reader with Excel
- Microsoft Support: Print a worksheet or workbook
Everything runs in your browser; searches are not sent anywhere. Shortcuts are checked against Microsoft's Excel documentation. Browse all free tools.
Found a problem, or something that could be better? We read every message and we fix things quickly.
This Excel shortcuts cheat sheet puts the Windows and Mac keys for Excel side by side, from the everyday ones (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Z, F2 to edit a cell) to the ones that save real time: Ctrl+Shift+L to turn on filters, F4 to lock a cell reference with $ signs, Alt+Enter for a line break inside a cell, Ctrl+; for today's date. Type what you want to do, or the keys you remember, and the list narrows as you type.
Every row was checked on 2026-10-18 against Microsoft's own "Keyboard shortcuts in Excel" article for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac, plus Microsoft's downloadable Excel reference and Excel help pages. Where Microsoft documents a shortcut only for Excel for the web, the row says so, and where a platform has no documented shortcut the cell shows a dash instead of a guess. Shortcuts refer to a US keyboard layout; other layouts can move the symbol keys.
How to use
- Scroll the categories, or click a chip (Formatting, Formulas, Paste Special...) to show one group.
- Type in the search box: words find actions ("freeze", "filter"), key names find combinations ("ctrl shift 4", "cmd t").
- Tick "Essentials only" for the 50 shortcuts worth memorising first.
- Click Copy on a row, or the action name to get a link to that exact shortcut.
- Press "Print / Save as PDF" for a two-column sheet with both Windows and Mac keys.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shortcut to paste values only in Excel?
On Windows, copy the cells, then press Ctrl+Alt+V to open Paste Special, press V for Values and press Enter. The older sequence Alt, E, S also opens Paste Special. On a Mac, Cmd+Ctrl+V (or Ctrl+Option+V) opens Paste Special, where you choose Values. In the same dialog, T pastes formats only, F formulas only and W column widths.
How do I start a new line inside an Excel cell?
Press Alt+Enter on Windows while typing in the cell. On a Mac press Option+Return or Ctrl+Option+Return. Pressing Enter on its own finishes the entry and moves to the next cell instead.
What does F4 do in Excel?
While you edit a formula with the cursor on a cell reference, F4 cycles it through $A$1, A$1, $A1 and A1, which locks the column, the row or both when you copy the formula. Outside a formula, F4 repeats your last action. On a Mac the reference shortcut is Cmd+T or F4 (Fn+F4 on most laptops).
What is the keyboard shortcut for filters in Excel?
Ctrl+Shift+L turns the filter buttons on or off for the current data range or table. On a Mac use Cmd+Shift+F or Ctrl+Shift+L. With a header cell selected, Alt+Down Arrow (Option+Down Arrow on a Mac) opens that column's filter menu.
Why don't some Excel shortcuts work on my Mac?
Two usual causes. First, the top-row keys control brightness and volume by default, so F-key shortcuts need Fn held down unless you turn on "Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" in System Settings > Keyboard. Second, macOS uses some of the same keys itself (for example Ctrl+Space for switching input sources, and F11 for Show Desktop); Microsoft marks these as conflicts and suggests turning the macOS shortcut off in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts.
How do I find the shortcut for a ribbon command that isn't listed?
On Windows, press and release Alt. Excel shows a letter (Key Tip) on each ribbon tab; press one, and the buttons on that tab get letters too. Pressing them in sequence is the shortcut: Alt, H, H opens the fill color menu, and Alt, W, P switches to Page Layout view. Alt+Q jumps to the Search box, where you can type any command name.
The Excel shortcuts worth learning first
If you learn only a handful, make it these. Each one replaces several mouse clicks you make many times a day:
• Ctrl+Arrow (Cmd+Arrow on Mac): jump to the end of a block of data; add Shift to select it on the way
• Ctrl+Space and Shift+Space: select the whole column or row
• Ctrl+Shift+Plus and Ctrl+Minus: insert or delete cells, rows or columns
• F2: edit the active cell without retyping it
• Ctrl+D and Ctrl+R: fill down and fill right from the first cell
• Ctrl+Enter: put what you typed into every selected cell at once
• Alt+= (Cmd+Shift+T on Mac): AutoSum
• F4: lock a reference with $ while editing a formula
• Ctrl+1: the Format Cells dialog; Ctrl+Shift+$ and Ctrl+Shift+% for currency and percentage
• Ctrl+T: turn a range into a table, then Ctrl+Shift+L for filters
• Ctrl+` (grave accent): show every formula instead of its result, handy when checking a sheet someone else built
Excel on Windows vs Mac: what actually changes
The rule of thumb is that Command on a Mac does what Ctrl does on Windows, but Excel for Mac also accepts many of the Windows Ctrl shortcuts, which is why the Mac column often shows both. The exceptions are where people get stuck:
• Ribbon Key Tips (Alt, then letters) exist only on Windows. On a Mac, use the menu bar or the shortcuts in the Mac column.
• Line break in a cell: Alt+Enter on Windows, Option+Return on Mac.
• Lock a reference: F4 on Windows, Cmd+T or F4 on Mac.
• Current time: Ctrl+Shift+: on Windows, Cmd+; on Mac. Today's date is Ctrl+; on both.
• Strikethrough: Ctrl+5 on Windows, Cmd+Shift+X on Mac.
• Home, End and Page Up/Down: on a MacBook keyboard without those keys, add Fn to the arrow keys (Fn+Left for Home).
Number formats (Ctrl+Shift+$, %, #, @, !) use the same keys on both systems.
Alt key tips and Paste Special: shortcuts for everything else
Excel for Windows has far more commands than dedicated shortcuts, and Key Tips fill the gap. Tap Alt and each ribbon tab shows a letter: F for File, H for Home, N for Insert, P for Page Layout, M for Formulas, A for Data, R for Review and W for View. Press one and the buttons on that tab get their own letters, so any button becomes a short sequence. Examples Microsoft documents: Alt, H, A, C centers cell contents; Alt, H, B opens borders; Alt, H, D, C deletes the column; Alt, M, M, D defines a name.
You don't hold the keys together; press and release each one. Older Excel 2003 menu sequences such as Alt, E, S (Paste Special) still work if you know the whole sequence.
Paste Special works the same way. After Ctrl+Alt+V, one letter picks what to paste: V values, F formulas, T formats, W column widths, C comments and notes, N data validation, X everything except borders, R formulas and number formats, U values and number formats. Press Enter to apply.
Related free tools
- Google Sheets Shortcuts — Every Google Sheets shortcut for Windows, Mac and Chromebook, with a note wherever Excel uses different keys.
- Windows Keyboard Shortcuts — Every Windows 11 shortcut in one searchable, printable list: Win key, Snap, desktops, screenshots, File Explorer.
- Mac Keyboard Shortcuts — Every macOS shortcut with ⌘ ⌥ ⌃ ⇧ symbols explained: screenshots, window tiling, Finder, Safari and special characters.
- Percentage Calculator — Every common percentage question on one page, each showing the formula with your numbers. Plus fraction ↔ decimal ↔ percent.
- Online Calculator — A clean, iPhone-style calculator that works with your keyboard and numpad. Percent, sign, history, copy — no ads, nothing installed.