CTRL E makes complicated tasks easier than ever, thanks to Flash Fill. Flash Fill automatically fills data down a column based on detected patterns. Just enter how you want the data to appear, hit CTRL E, and Excel will fill the pattern down the column in a flash.
2. ALT =
Let Excel do the math for you with this shortcut! ALT = detects data in adjacent cells and automatically sums it using the SUM function. Just select an empty cell adjacent to the data that needs to be added and press ALT =.
3. ALT H O I
If you are unable to see your data, ALT H O I is here to help! Press ALT H O I to automatically adjust the column widths to fit the size of your data.
4. ALT ↓
If you are entering repetitive data in Excel, ALT ↓ is a must-know shortcut. The Alt ↓ shortcut displays a dropdown list of all values previously entered in the column. Now, you can simply select any value, which will automatically be entered into the active cell!
5. CTRL `
When cranking out formulas in Excel, checking each one individually in the formula bar can be tedious. Instead, try the CTRL ` shortcut! CTRL ` toggles between displaying the cells’ formulas and values in the active worksheet.
6. CTRL ENTER
Dragging formulas down columns and then again across rows can be a drag. Say goodbye to the fill handle and hello to CTRL ENTER! CTRL ENTER fills the active cell’s contents into selected cells. Note: The active cell has to be in editing mode for this to work.
7. CTRL T
Start getting into the routine of using Tables with CTRL T. CTRL T converts data to an Excel Table. Tables are a powerful tool that clean up formatting, auto-fill formulas down columns, automatically expand and update linked charts when new rows are added, and more!
8. ALT F1
If you are spending too much time creating charts to visualize data, meet ALT F1. These two magical keys automatically create a bar chart using the selected data and insert it right into the active worksheet!
9. ALT W VG
Are you team gridlines or no gridlines? If you're team no gridlines, this ones for you. The ALT W VG shortcut removes all gridlines from the active worksheet.
10. CTRL SHIFT L
Last but not least, CTRL SHIFT L. CTRL SHIFT L makes analyzing large data sets a little easier by adding the Sort&Filter toggles to the top row of the data set, so you can quickly sort and filter data.
Like these shortcuts and want more? Shop all of my shortcut merch and downloadable guides at the link below.
6 essential text formatting hacks every Excel user should know: ✍️
1. Split Cell
Can’t decide whether to label a row or column? Try splitting the cell to label both. To split a cell, enter both labels on separate lines and move the top header to the right of the cell. Next, open the Format Cells box > Border Tab > Split Diagonal Border > OK.
2. Rotate Text
Rotating text is a great way to clean up your worksheet by removing unnecessary space in cells caused by long data headers. To rotate text, simply select the cells containing the text you want to rotate > Home tab > Orientation > Select desired orientation.
7 Excel Data Visualization Tricks to learn in 5 minutes or less. 📊
1. Sparklines
A sparkline is a mini in-cell line chart that visually represents data trends.
To add a sparkline, go to the Insert tab > Line > insert the range of the cells you want to visualize and hit okay. Lastly, fill the sparklines down the column using the fill handle.
2. Color Scales
Color Scales highlight cells in a range to indicate how large or small the value is compared to other values.
To add color scales, select the cells you want to visualize > Home tab > Conditional Formatting > Color Scales > Select any style.
Here is a breakdown of why you should avoid merging cells at all costs and a better alternative if you still feel strongly about merging cells:
You're unable to sort data if it contains merged cells. Below we have historical sales data with rows without data merged into one cell. Watch what happens when I try to sort the total sales in descending order.
Merged cells can make copy and pasting data difficult. Let’s say we received Taylor’s sales data and wanted to copy and paste it in. Again, it doesn’t work.
5 Excel functions you’ll never forget with my new Laptop Sleeve:
1. DATEDIF
Need to calculate time between dates? Meet Excel’s secret date function: DATEDIF. DATEDIF calculates time between two dates (start_date and end_date) based on the specified unit argument. Units: Y=complete years, M=complete months, and D=complete days.
2. TEXTJOIN
Combining cells in Excel can be more tedious than data entry if not done properly. To make combining cells as easy as possible, utilize TEXTJOIN. TEXTJOIN combines multiple text arguments (text1, text2, etc.) into one value with the delimiter separating each value.
Five shortcuts that will make life a little bit easier when working with formulas in Excel:
1. F4
When working with formulas, locking cells is extremely important. Instead of typing out the $ signs, try hitting F4.
F4 toggles through absolute/relative referencing. This allows you to add both $ signs with one keystroke after entering a cell reference in your formula.
2. Alt =
Summing data in Excel can be such a simple, yet tedious task. If you spend too much time summing data, try Alt =.
Alt = automatically sums data detected around the cell. Just select the cells that you want to add totals to, hit Alt =, and let Excel do the work for you!