Most people overlook the row of function keys at the top of their keyboard. They often ignore, misunderstand, or underuse them. If you work with Excel spreadsheets regularly, those F-keys can be your secret weapon for working faster, smarter, and with far less frustration.
Most function-key shortcuts also work in Google Sheets, but you may need toenable compatible spreadsheet shortcutsfrom the Help menu to access some familiar Excel shortcuts. you may also assign custom shortcuts to macros.
12F1 – Help Center Access
While working in Excel, there are times when you try to build a formula but can’t quite remember the syntax or what a specific argument does. Your first instinct might be to open a web browser and search for an answer, but there’s a much faster, more integrated way. Press F1, and Excel’s Help pane appears instantly.
The best part is that this help is context-sensitive. If you select a cell containing aVLOOKUP functionand press F1, Excel shows the help article specifically for VLOOKUP, complete with syntax, detailed descriptions of each argument, and examples.
11F2 – Edit Active Cell
This shortcut might be basic, but it’s one of the most effective if you love working through the keyboard and don’t use a mouse. Simply select the cell you want to edit and press the F2 key. The cell immediately enters edit mode, placing the cursor at the end of the content.
You can instantly start typing to add more information, or use the arrow keys to move the cursor for precise edits. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference in speed when you make lots of small adjustments across a sheet.
10F3 – Paste Defined Names
If you’re not usingnamed ranges in your Excel spreadsheets, you’re missing out on something useful. Named ranges make formulas far more readable and manageable. For example, instead of referencing cryptic cell addresses like A1:A100, you can use descriptive names like SalesData or ExpenseCategories.
When you’re writing a formula and need to insert a named range, press F3. This opens the Paste Name dialog box, which displays a neat list of all the named ranges in your workbook.
Select the one you want, click OK, and Excel inserts it perfectly into your formula. This eliminates guesswork, prevents typos, and ensures your formulas are accurate.
9F4 – Repeat Last Action
If you apply a format to a cell and want to repeat it across others without redoing the whole process, use F4. For example, if you bold a heading, select the next heading and hit F4—it’s bolded instantly. This works for many actions, including formatting and inserting rows or columns. It’s a low-effort way to be more efficient.
In formulas, F4 also toggles reference types. Writing=B1+C1, but need B1 locked? Place the cursor on B1, tap F4, and it cycles through $B$1, B$1, $B1, and back to B1. This gives you fine control over your references without manually adding dollar signs.
8F5 – Go To Any Cell or Range
In a large worksheet, scrolling to find a specific cell or range wastes time. With the F5 shortcut, you may quickly navigate anywhere in your sheet. Press F5 to bring up the Go-To box, where you can enter cell references, named ranges, or even jump to specific features like comments or formulas.
The dialog also shows a list of recently visited locations, making it easy to bounce between areas of your spreadsheet. Plus, the Special button adds even more power, letting you select cells based on their properties—such as all formulas, all blank cells, or all cells with conditional formatting.
This is incredibly useful for auditing your work or performing bulk edits.
7F6 – Cycle Through Panes
Your Excel window contains several distinct areas: the ribbon at the top, the worksheet grid, the sheet tabs at the bottom, and the status bar. If you’ve used the Split view, you have even more panes.
Press F6 to jump between these panes without using your mouse. Each press moves your focus to the next area, letting you use arrow keys or other shortcuts to navigate within it.
6F7 – Run Spell Check
Spelling still matters—even in spreadsheets. If your file includes labels, comments, or notes, use F7 to run aquick spell check.
It scans your active worksheet, including cell values, comments, headers, and even text within charts, for potential typos and offers correction suggestions.
5F8 – Activate Extend Mode
Normally, selecting a range of cells with the keyboard involves holding down Shift while pressing the arrow keys. F8 offers an alternative. Press F8 once to turn on Extend Mode (you’ll see it noted in the status bar). Now you may release the key. Each time you press an arrow key, the selection expands from your starting cell.
You can also click another cell to instantly select the entire rectangular range between your starting point and your click. Press F8 again or Esc to turn the mode off. The real advantage emerges when you need to select irregular ranges or when precision matters more than speed.
4F9 – Recalculate Workbooks
By default,Excel recalculates formulasautomatically whenever a dependent cell changes. In large, complex workbooks, this can cause noticeable lag. Switching to Manual Calculation mode prevents automatic updates, letting you choose when recalculations happen.
Press F9 to update every formula in all open workbooks, Shift+F9 to update only the active sheet, or select a specific range and press F9 to recalculate just that part. This control is especially useful with volatile functions, complex array formulas, or data linked to external sources—cases where recalculation is resource-intensive.
By batching edits and triggering calculations only when needed, you may work more efficiently and avoid constant slowdowns.
3F10 – Show Menu Bar Access Keys
F10 reveals access keys for ribbon commands, creating keyboard shortcuts for virtually any spreadsheet function.
Press F10, and small letters appear over each ribbon tab and quick access toolbar item. Alt+H takes you to the Home tab, Alt+N to Insert, and so on. Once in a tab, additional letters appear for specific commands, allowing you to execute them entirely from the keyboard.
