Excel is a very powerful and popular spreadsheet tool. It has more than 750 million to 2 billion people user and over 5 million people use it every day.
Still, you often find yourself spending lots of time on repetitive tasks in Excel. Run one formula, create a chart, and then have to do the same action multiple times?
Here’s a way to make your work faster: learn a few handy Excel tips and keyboard shortcuts.
Read on to learn the top tips to help you boost productivity in Excel.
1. Create Quick Calculations Using Formulas
Using formulas to create quick calculations in Excel is an easy way to get accurate data with minimal effort. Knowing tips and shortcuts can save an excel user time, frustration and effort.
Selecting the correct formula for the task, such as Count, Sum, Average and Vlook up, can be quickly accomplished. Knowing the operator precedence, such as knowing how to use the + and – signs and where to place parentheses, can reduce calculation errors.
Additionally, excel data analysis techniques allow users to manage information more effectively and accurately, and can be extremely beneficial for businesses.
Lastly, using the autofill feature is a useful tool to quickly duplicate a calculation in a similar fashion over multiple cells or areas. Follow these tips and shortcuts to create quick calculations using formulas and make the most of your excel workbook.
2. Make Data Entry Easier
Data entry can be a tedious and time-consuming task. It is important to ensure that time is not wasted while completing data entry tasks.
Excel is a powerful tool that can be used to make data entry easier and faster. Excel offers many shortcuts and tips to make data entry easier.
Some tips include using auto-fill to fill consecutive cells, using the filter option to find data quickly, using shortcut keys to quickly select cells, and using templates to quickly make data entry entries.
3. Master Keyboard Shortcuts
Master Keyboard shortcuts are an essential part of using Excel properly. With the right shortcuts, you can drastically improve your efficiency and productivity within the program.
Here are some shortcuts every user should know:
Ctrl + A
Select all the data from the current worksheet. The shortcut helps users avoid having to select all of the cells by hand. Additionally, users can deselect all data with the same shortcut by pressing it twice.
Ctrl + S
One of the most important commands for any Excel user is the ‘Save’ command. Before performing any additional functions, be sure to press ‘Ctrl+S’ or ‘F12’ to save your file, thus avoiding any loss of important data due to an unexpected failure or power outage.
Ctrl + C
This keyboard shortcut is one of the most useful Excel shortcuts. It copies the current selection for pasting elsewhere. This can be extremely helpful when you need to reuse data without going through the tedious process of re-typing it.
Ctrl + V
One of the most important shortcuts to know is Ctrl + V, which is used to paste data. This key combination is essential in manipulating data rapidly, as it avoids having to manually copy-paste multiple times.
Ctrl + X
One easy to use shortcut is Ctrl + X which is the shortcut to cut any selected cell or group of cells. This will allow users to quickly cut away the unneeded section and paste it elsewhere.
Ctrl + Arrow
It allows you to quickly and easily jump to the far ends of a column or row. It also works when you want to find a certain item in a list – pressing Ctrl + arrow will take you to the first cell containing the item.
Ctrl + L
Ctrl + L is one of the most important shortcuts, as it allows you to quickly create and rearrange cell ranges. It also provides an easy way to create and edit conditional formatting rules.
Ctrl + H
CTRL H, or “find and replace” is a powerful tool that can quickly search an entire sheet or workbook and replace text, numbers, or formulas with whatever you please. It can help users save time and keep workbooks uniform and consistent.
Ctrl + F
the Ctrl F command is essential. This shortcut allows users to swiftly search for and locate information and data within any Excel spreadsheet.
Ctrl + P
It is a great shortcut to use when you need to print a document or select a printer. It saves time by avoiding the need to go through the File menu or click the Print button; instead, you can use the shortcut to quickly select or change the printer you want to print with.
Ctrl + Page Break
It is an essential shortcut for all Excel users. This combination allows a user to insert page breaks into a worksheet quickly and easily.
With master keyboard shortcuts, users can work quickly, efficiently and productively.
4. Tame a Chaotic Spreadsheet
Taming a chaotic spreadsheet requires the proper knowledge and application of Excel features. Some essential tips for working with spreadsheets include using the sort and filter functions, creating formulas and functions for easy calculations, and utilizing keyboard shortcuts for quickly navigating the document.
Other essential techniques include utilizing formatting options, consolidating data from multiple sheets, and utilizing the “Find” function to quickly locate specific information.
Following these simple tips and shortcuts can go a long way in making a chaotic spreadsheet streamlined and organized.
5. Go Beyond Layout and Design
Users should go beyond layout and design and learn some useful tips and shortcuts. Knowing these tips and shortcuts can save time and effort and make working with Excel simpler.
By understanding the basics of layout and design and supplementing it with these tips and shortcuts, Excel users can become more efficient and get more out of their spreadsheets.
6. Automate your Spreadsheet
Automation is an effective and user-friendly way to make working in Excel easier.
Some examples include using custom formulas to automate calculations, incorporating dropdowns and checkboxes to streamline data entry, and using keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys to move between cells more quickly.
Additionally, macros can be used to create commands that perform multiple functions, eradicating the need to manually undertake repetitive tasks.
7. Exploring Conditional Formatting
Conditional formatting is an incredibly useful tool in Excel and makes it easy to quickly analyse and compare data. As such, it’s important that every user knows a few tips and shortcuts when using it.
One important tip is to take advantage of built-in rules. Excel offers a range of rules that can be used to quickly add formatting to summarized or grouped data.
Additionally, users can also create custom rules to further refine their analysis. Furthermore, users should take advantage of Preview mode. This feature can be used to see what the end result of their formatting will be before applying them.
Lastly, users can easily manage their formats by giving them meaningful names and sorting them into distinct groups. By learning about these tips and shortcuts, users can quickly improve their data analysis and presentation.
8. Performing Complex Calculations
Excel is a powerful tool for performing complex calculations. However, with all the features available, it can be overwhelming for inexperienced users. To help, here are some tips and shortcuts that every Excel user should know.
First, there are several built-in functions that can quickly and accurately perform complex calculations. From SUM() and AVERAGE() to IF() and CHOOSE(), these functions can help you to automate calculations, saving you time.
Additionally, Excel’s auto fill feature can help quickly fill out a column or row with a formula, enabling you to quickly fill a cell in with the correct calculations.
Finally, be sure to use the Select and Replace tool. This powerful tool allows you to search for a given value and replace it with a new computation, making it easy to quickly edit a large spreadsheet.
9. Creating and Modifying Charts & Graphs
Creating and modifying charts and graphs in Excel is a breeze. There are countless shortcuts and tips that can make it even easier.
One of the most useful shortcuts is to use the Alt key + G to open the Insert Chart dialog box and quickly select the type of chart or graph that you want to create.
To edit a chart or graph after it has been created, you can use the Chart Tools context tab and the ribbon to modify everything from the chart type to the chart layout and even the formatting of the chart.
Using the ribbon to customize the chart to your liking will make it easier and faster to work with charts and graphs in Excel.
Furthermore, you can use Excel’s built-in color palette to quickly apply different shading, gradients, and other skin tones to the chart. With these shortcuts and tips, you can quickly and easily create and modify charts and graphs in Excel.
A Guide to Knowing Excel Tips Today
Using Excel tips and tricks can save you time and allow you to be more productive. It’s an essential tool for any business or professional. Try out these tips to improve your Excel experience today!
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