Excel Shortcuts are super helpful tools that can make working with financial data faster and easier. If you’re an accountant, learning these shortcuts can save you a lot of time and make your work more efficient. Here are 20 Excel shortcuts every accountant should know in 2025, explained in simple terms so you can use them with ease.
Table of Excel Shortcuts
| No. | Shortcut Description | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoom In and Zoom Out | Ctrl + Alt + ‘+’ / Ctrl + Alt + ‘-‘ |
| 2 | Auto Fit Column Width and Row Height | Alt + H, O, I / Alt + H, O, A |
| 3 | Remove Gridlines | Alt + W, V, G |
| 4 | Select Entire Row | Shift + Space |
| 5 | Select Entire Column | Ctrl + Space |
| 6 | Set Column Width and Row Height Manually | Alt + H, O, W / Alt + H, O, H |
| 7 | Convert Text to Number Format | Ctrl + Shift + 1 |
| 8 | Convert Number to Percentage Format | Ctrl + Shift + % |
| 9 | Convert Number to Currency Format | Ctrl + Shift + $ |
| 10 | Remove Decimal | Alt + H, 9 |
| 11 | Add Decimal | Alt + H, 0 |
| 12 | Sum Formula | Alt + = |
| 13 | Toggle Formula View | Alt + ` |
| 14 | Group Rows and Columns | Shift + Alt + Right Arrow |
| 15 | Ungroup Rows and Columns | Shift + Alt + Left Arrow |
| 16 | Add Comment | Shift + F2 |
| 17 | Rename Excel Sheet | Alt + H, O, R |
| 18 | Add Filter | Ctrl + Shift + L |
| 19 | Remove Duplicates | Alt + A, M |
| 20 | Flash Fill | Ctrl + E |
Detailed Explanation of Excel shortcuts
1. Zoom In and Zoom Out
Sometimes, we need to adjust how much we see on the screen. If you want to make everything larger or smaller:
- Ctrl + Alt + ‘+’: Zooms in (makes everything bigger).
- Ctrl + Alt + ‘-‘: Zooms out (makes everything smaller).
This helps when you’re dealing with large sheets and want to focus on specific sections.
2. Auto Fit Column Width and Row Height
When you enter data in a cell, sometimes the text might be too long or too short. These shortcuts automatically adjust the columns and rows:
- Alt + H, O, I: Adjusts the column width to fit the longest entry.
- Alt + H, O, A: Adjusts the row height to fit the tallest entry.
This saves time by making sure the data fits perfectly in each cell.
3. Remove Gridlines
Gridlines are the faint lines that appear in the background of your sheet. If you want a cleaner look, use this shortcut to remove them:
- Alt + W, V, G: Hides the gridlines so you can focus on the data itself.
4. Select Entire Row
This shortcut helps you quickly select an entire row when you want to apply changes to it:
- Shift + Space: Selects the whole row that the active cell is in.
5. Select Entire Column
Similarly, if you want to select a whole column:
- Ctrl + Space: Selects the entire column of the active cell.
6. Set Column Width and Row Height Manually
If you want to set a specific width or height for rows or columns, this shortcut lets you do that:
- Alt + H, O, W: Allows you to set the exact column width.
- Alt + H, O, H: Lets you set the exact row height.
7. Convert Text to Number Format
Sometimes numbers get saved as text, which can cause issues with calculations. This shortcut converts text to a number format:
- Ctrl + Shift + 1: Changes text that looks like a number into an actual number.
8. Convert Number to Percentage Format
To turn a number into a percentage, use this shortcut:
- Ctrl + Shift + %: Converts the selected number into a percentage.
9. Convert Number to Currency Format
If you’re working with financial data and need to show numbers in currency format, use:
- Ctrl + Shift + $: Applies the currency format (like ₹ or $) to the selected cell.
10. Remove Decimal
To get rid of unnecessary decimal points, this shortcut helps:
- Alt + H, 9: Removes decimal places in the selected cells.
11. Add Decimal
If you need to add decimals back to numbers:
- Alt + H, 0: Adds decimal points to the selected number.
12. Sum Formula
If you need to quickly add up a range of numbers, this shortcut automatically inserts the SUM formula:
- Alt + =: Inserts the SUM formula for the selected range of cells.
13. Toggle Formula View
To switch between viewing the data and seeing the formulas used in cells, use this shortcut:
- Alt + `: Shows or hides formulas in the cells.
14. Group Rows and Columns
If you want to group rows or columns for better organization:
- Shift + Alt + Right Arrow: Groups selected rows or columns.
15. Ungroup Rows and Columns
If you want to ungroup previously grouped rows or columns:
- Shift + Alt + Left Arrow: Ungroups the selected rows or columns.
16. Add Comment
When you want to add a note or comment in a cell:
- Shift + F2: Opens the comment box in the selected cell.
17. Rename Excel Sheet
To rename your Excel worksheet, this shortcut is quick and easy:
- Alt + H, O, R: Renames the active sheet.
18. Add Filter
To quickly add a filter to your data:
- Ctrl + Shift + L: Adds filters to the columns, making it easier to sort and analyze data.
19. Remove Duplicates
If your data has repeated entries that you want to remove:
- Alt + A, M: Removes duplicate values from the selected range.
20. Flash Fill
Flash Fill automatically detects patterns in your data and fills them for you:
- Ctrl + E: Automatically fills the rest of the column with similar data patterns.
Helpful Links for Practice:
Final Thoughts
By mastering these 20 Excel shortcuts, accountants can speed up their work, reduce errors, and improve their overall productivity. Start using these shortcuts today to make your Excel experience much more efficient! kindly re visit our blog for similar content.
