Advanced Selection – Microsoft Excel Shortcuts
200 Excel Shortcuts for PC and Mac
So you think you’re fancy, huh? Just because you know how to copy and paste without the click of the mouse in Excel. Well, get ready to be even fancier (and more productive) because we’ve curated 200 of the best Excel keyboard shortcuts.
Advanced Selection
Navigating Excel to find certain cells based on data-driven criteria is a skill available even to Excel beginners. Try implementing shortcuts within this section to find cells such as dependents, precedents, and other advanced criteria.
| Shortcut | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Show "go-to" command center In order to find a specific cell within your spreadsheet, use the "go-to" box. Implementing this shortcut will allow you to type in the name of cell (such as b19,) and navigate directly to it. You can also use the "special" feature for more advanced searches. | Ctrl G | Control G |
| Select all cells with comments If your Excel sheet has been commented on by you or a peer, you can use this shortcut to easily access all cells that have attached comments. | Ctrl Shift O | Fn Control Shift O |
| Select all other cells in "region" With an active cell selected, use this shortcut to select all other cells within the region. By region, Excel is referring to all clustered cells around that which you have selected until a break in the data. | Ctrl Shift * | Shift Control Space |
| Select current region With an active cell selected, use this shortcut to select all other cells within the region including that which is active already. By region, Excel is referring to all clustered cells around that which you have selected until a break in the data. If you use this shortcut twice in a row, ALL active cells in the spreadsheet will be selected. | Ctrl A | ⌘ A |
| Select active array If you have selected a sell that is a part of a formula-based array, this shortcut automatically selects all other cells part of the same array. | Ctrl / | Control / |
| Select all different cells in row This shortcut allows you to select all data within a row that does not match the data within your active cell matching values. | Ctrl \ | Control \ |
| Select column difference This shortcut allows you to select all data within a column that does not match the data within your active cell matching values. | Ctrl Shift | | Control Shirt | |
| Select direct precedents Making use of a formula in your spreadsheet? Select any of your active formulas and this shortcut will select all cells directly referenced by that formula. These are the cells that your formula extracts data from in order to execute its function. | Ctrl [ | Control { |
| Select all precedents Making use of a formula in your spreadsheet? Select any of your active formulas and this shortcut will select all cells directly or indirectly referenced by that formula. This selection includes those from the prior shortcut, but also those that indirectly affect the data you are using. | Ctrl Shift { | Control Shift { |
| Select direct dependents Gain control of all cells that are "dependents" of the one you have selected. Dependent cells are those that are affected by your active cell through a formula. | Ctrl ] | Control ] |
| Select all dependents Gain control of all cells that are "dependents" of the one you have selected. Dependent cells are those that are affected by your active cell through a formula. This shortcut adds to your selection cells that are indirectly correlated through multiple formulas. | Ctrl Shift } | Control Shift } |
| Select all visible cells When working with a range of cells that includes hidden rows or columns, this shortcut is great for copy/paste or chart-making situations. Only the visible cells will be selected and those that are hidden/unwanted fort this action will remain untouched. | Alt ; | ⌘ Shift Z |