Excel Keyboard Shortcuts Beyond Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V
Most Excel users know the basics: Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+V to paste, Ctrl+Z to undo. But beyond these universal shortcuts lies a wealth of keyboard combinations that can dramatically speed up your workflow - if you know they exist.
A recent discussion on r/excel asked users to share their most-used shortcuts that aren't the obvious ones. The thread attracted 145 comments from Excel users sharing the keyboard combinations they reach for daily. Here's what the community recommends.
Shortcuts for Selection and Navigation
One of the most commonly mentioned categories involves selecting and navigating data quickly.
Ctrl+Shift+Arrow lets you select entire data ranges in any direction. Once you're in a cell, hold Ctrl+Shift and press an arrow key to select all contiguous cells until a blank cell appears. Several users mentioned this as a fundamental workflow improvement.
Ctrl+Space and Shift+Space select the entire column or row, respectively, of your current cell. These were mentioned in the original post and echoed by multiple commenters as essential shortcuts.
Ctrl+* selects the entire current data region in one move. As one user put it, this selects "the whole block of data" around your active cell, which is particularly useful before converting a range to a table with Ctrl+T.
Ctrl+. (period) cycles through the corners of your selection, making it easier to navigate large selected ranges without scrolling.
For jumping around a worksheet, Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+End take you to the first and last cell in your sheet. One commenter noted these shortcuts work "across many programs to go to start or end of a document."
Between worksheets, Ctrl+PgDn and Ctrl+PgUp move you through sheet tabs. Though some users noted the awkward key placement, one creative solution was programming mouse side buttons to these combinations. Another user mentioned Alt+W+N to open a new Excel window for the same file, useful for viewing different parts of large workbooks simultaneously.
Working with Filters
Filter-related shortcuts appeared frequently in the thread, likely because filter operations typically require precise mouse movements.
Ctrl+Shift+L toggles filters on and off instantly. One user wrote: "I use that way more than I thought I would," and received 158 upvotes - the highest-rated comment in the thread.
Alt+A+C clears all applied filters without removing the filter dropdowns from your table. Multiple users called this one out specifically, with one noting it's "10/10."
Alt+; (semicolon) selects visible cells only, which is "absolutely lifesaver when you're working with filtered data," according to one commenter. When you have filtered or hidden rows, this shortcut ensures you only select the cells currently displayed, preventing accidental operations on hidden data.
Fill and Format Operations
Ctrl+D fills down and Ctrl+R fills right, copying the content from the cell above or to the left into your selected range.
Ctrl+Enter fills all selected cells instantly with the same value or formula. One user described it as a "massive time saver." Another enhanced this tip by noting you can use Ctrl+Click to select non-contiguous ranges, then use Ctrl+Enter to fill them all at once.
Ctrl+' (apostrophe) copies the cell above. One user distinguished this from Ctrl+D by noting they use Ctrl+' "to copy and edit the cell above."
F4 repeats your last action in Excel, which is particularly powerful for formatting. As one user discovered mid-thread: "Wait, you're telling me that if I use the formatting tool I can just press F4 and it will repeat the last action on a completely different cell? My mind is blown."
Ctrl+1 opens the Format Cells dialog, giving you quick access to all formatting options without navigating through ribbons.
Paste Special Variations
The original poster mentioned Alt+E+S+V for paste special values, and the thread expanded on paste special shortcuts significantly.
In newer versions of Office 365, Ctrl+Shift+V pastes values directly, which one user noted "has replaced Ctrl+V for me."
For those on older versions or preferring the traditional method, Alt+E+S+V remains reliable. One user shared Alt+E+S+V+E for paste and transpose.
Some users mentioned Right-click+S+V as an alternative approach to paste values using the context menu.
Date and Time Entry
Ctrl+; (semicolon) inserts today's date. A reply added that Ctrl+Shift+; inserts the current time. Both shortcuts insert static values rather than formulas, so they won't update when you reopen the file.
Column and Row Management
Alt+H+O+I auto-fits column width without touching the mouse. The top commenter mentioned this "saves me an embarrassing amount of time." One variation mentioned was setting the auto-fit command as the third icon on the Quick Access Toolbar, making it accessible via Alt+3.
Ctrl++ (plus) and Ctrl+- (minus) insert or delete columns and rows. Select a column or row first, then use these shortcuts. One user noted: "I mainly use this one to clear lots of columns to the right or rows to the bottom in case I left a few helper cells around."
Alt+H+I+C inserts a new column, while Alt+H+I+R inserts a new row. Some users also mentioned the Menu Key (the context menu key on keyboards) followed by I as another insertion method.
Quick Access Toolbar Shortcuts
Multiple users emphasized customizing the Quick Access Toolbar and using Alt+[number] to activate those commands. As one user explained: "Stick whatever you want on the quick access toolbar and use alt+# to activate it. Could be saveas, paste formulas, a macro from your personal workbook, etc."
One user added paste values as their first Quick Access Toolbar item, making it accessible via Alt+1. Another set up Alt+6/7/8/9 for add/delete row and add/delete column since they use those operations frequently.
Other Useful Shortcuts
Alt+= quickly inserts a SUM formula for a column or row of numbers.
Ctrl+H opens Find and Replace, though as one user admitted: "if I can remember to do it before I reflexively Ctrl+F."
F2 toggles between editing a formula and selecting cells, and also enters edit mode for the active cell. One user mentioned Ctrl+F2 to enter the formula bar.
Ctrl+` (the key to the left of 1) toggles between showing cell values and formulas, useful for auditing worksheets.
F9 can be used within the formula bar to evaluate part of a formula. Highlight a portion of a complex formula and press F9 to see what that section evaluates to - essential for debugging nested formulas.
Ctrl+E triggers Flash Fill, which one user called "the absolute GOAT for cleaning data." Type a pattern in the first cell and Excel attempts to auto-fill the rest based on your example.
Alt+D+P opens the classic PivotTable wizard, which some users prefer over the modern Alt+N+V+T approach, especially when not using the Data Model.
Learning Keyboard Shortcuts
Several patterns emerged from the discussion about how users actually learn and adopt shortcuts.
First, the Alt-key menu sequences (like Alt+H+O+I) follow the ribbon structure. Press Alt to see the key tips, then follow the sequence through the ribbon tabs and buttons. Once you've used a sequence a few times, it becomes muscle memory.
Second, users emphasized forcing yourself to use shortcuts even when the mouse seems faster initially. As one commenter put it about learning Alt-key sequences: "Just force yourself to do it and after a week or so it's memorized."
Third, several users noted that their hands "just sort of do it at this point" after enough repetition, suggesting that these shortcuts become automatic with practice.
The thread demonstrates that Excel efficiency isn't just about knowing more functions or formulas - it's also about reducing the friction between your intentions and the software. Every mouse movement to the ribbon, every precise click on a tiny dropdown arrow, adds seconds that compound over hours and days of work.
As always, the shortcuts that matter most are the ones aligned with your specific workflow. Someone who works extensively with filtered data will benefit more from Alt+; than someone who rarely filters. The key is identifying your repetitive tasks and learning the shortcuts that address them.
The full thread contains many more suggestions, including some creative AutoHotkey scripts and regional keyboard variations. You can read the complete discussion on Reddit.