Course / Keyboard Shortcuts

Moving and selecting at speed

Jump to the edges of your data, back to the top, and select whole columns and rows in a keystroke. Beginner · 6 min · Ctrl+Arrow, Ctrl+Home / End, Shift+Arrow, Shift+Space

Scrolling through a long list with the mouse is slow and easy to overshoot. A handful of keys take you anywhere in a sheet in one or two presses:

• Up Down Left Right: move one cell
• Ctrl+Down (or any arrow): jump to the edge of the data
• Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+End: go to A1, or to the last used cell
• Shift+Down: stretch the selection one cell at a time
• Ctrl+Shift+Down: select all the way to the edge of the data
• Shift+Space: select the whole row

> Using a Mac? The key symbols in these lessons already show ⌘ wherever Windows uses Ctrl.

Steps

1. This sheet lists 35 orders from a cleaning-supplies wholesaler. Starting at A1, use the arrow keys to reach B4: press Right once, then Down three times.

2. Who placed the most recent order? Instead of pressing Down 32 times, press Ctrl+Down once.

3. Press Ctrl+End to land on the last cell of the data, in the bottom-right corner. Then press Ctrl+Home to fly straight back to A1.

4. Ctrl+Arrow stops at blank cells, which makes it a handy gap detector. Move to C1, the Region header, and press Ctrl+Down. Where does it stop?

5. Order SO-2060 is from Oakridge Gym, and all of their other orders are in the North. Press Down to step into C21, type North and press Enter.

6. Select the units for the first five orders. Go to E2, then press Shift+Down four times so that E2:E6 is selected.

7. Now select every revenue figure in one go. Go to F2 and press Ctrl+Shift+Down.

8. Say you want to highlight order SO-2053 in row 14. Click any cell in row 14 and press Shift+Space to select the entire row.

Remember

• Ctrl+Down and the other Ctrl+Arrows jump to the edge of the data, and stop at gaps.
• Ctrl+Home goes to A1; Ctrl+End goes to the last used cell.
• Add Shift to any movement to select as you go: Shift+Down, Ctrl+Shift+Down.
• Shift+Space selects the current row.

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