Excel > Accessibility

Ribbon, Help, and other Microsoft Office

keyboard shortcuts
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You can use the keyboard to access commands on the Ribbon and to navigate to and move around in the Help

window. This topic also provides keyboard shortcuts for basic Microsoft Office functionality.

In this article

Keyboard access to the Ribbon

Keyboard shortcuts for using the Help window

Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Office basics

Keyboard access to the Ribbon

1. Press ALT.

The KeyTips are displayed over each feature that is available in the current view. The following example is

from Microsoft Office Word.

 The preceding image was excerpted from Training on Microsoft Office Online.

2. Press the letter that appears in the KeyTip over the feature that you want to use.

3. Depending on which letter you press, additional KeyTips may appear. For example, if the Home tab is
active and you press I, the Insert tab is displayed, along with the KeyTips for the groups on that tab.

4. Continue pressing letters until you press the letter of the command or control that you want to use. In

some cases, you must first press the letter of the group that contains the command.

NOTE To cancel the action that you are taking and hide the KeyTips, press ALT.

TIP If the Watch Window does not get focus after you select it by using the KeyTips, press ALT, and then

press CTRL+TAB.

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Keyboard shortcuts for using the Help window

The Help window provides access to all Office Help content. The Help window displays topics and other Help content.

To do this Press

Open the Help window. F1

Close the Help window. ALT+F4

Switch between the Help window and the active program. ALT+TAB

Go back to Program Name Home. ALT+HOME

Select the next item in the Help window. TAB

Select the previous item in the Help window. SHIFT+TAB

Perform the action for the selected item. ENTER

In the Browse Program Name Help section of the Help window, select the next or TAB or SHIFT+TAB
previous item.

In the Browse Program Name Help section of the Help window, expand or collapse the ENTER
selected item.

Select the next hidden text or hyperlink, including Show All or Hide All at the top of a TAB
Help topic.

Select the previous hidden text or hyperlink. SHIFT+TAB

Perform the action for the selected Show All, Hide All, hidden text, or hyperlink. ENTER
Move to the previous Help topic (Back button). ALT+LEFT ARROW or
BACKSPACE

Move to the next Help topic (Forward button). ALT+RIGHT ARROW

Scroll small amounts up or down within the current Help topic. UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW

Scroll larger amounts up or down within the current Help topic. PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN

Change whether the Help window appears connected to (tiled) or separate from (untiled) ALT+U
the active program.

Display a menu of commands for the Help window. This requires that the Help window is SHIFT+F10
the active focus. (Click in the Help window.)

Stop the last action (Stop button). ESC

Refresh the window (Refresh button). F5

Print the current Help topic. CTRL+P

NOTE If the cursor is not in the current Help topic, press F6 and then press CTRL+P.

Change the connection state. F6, and then click DOWN

ARROW

Type text in the Type words to search for box. F6, and then click DOWN
ARROW

Switch among areas in the Help window; for example, switch between the toolbar, Type F6
words to search for box, and Search list.

In a Table of Contents in tree view, select the next or previous item. UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW

In a Table of Contents in tree view, expand or collapse the selected item. LEFT ARROW, RIGHT
ARROW

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Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Office basics

Display and use windows

To do this Press

Switch to the next window. ALT+TAB

Switch to the previous window. ALT+SHIFT+TAB

Close the active window. CTRL+W or

CTRL+F4

Restore the size of the active window after you maximize it. CTRL+F5

Move to a task pane from another pane in the program window (clockwise direction). You may need F6
to press F6 more than once.
 NOTE If pressing F6 doesn't display the task pane that you want, try pressing ALT to place focus
on the menu bar or the Ribbon, and then press CTRL+TAB to move to the task pane.

Move to a pane from another pane in the program window (counterclockwise direction). SHIFT+F6

When more than one window is open, switch to the next window. CTRL+F6

Switch to the previous window. CTRL+SHIFT+F6

When a document window is not maximized, perform the Move command (on the Control menu CTRL+F7
for the window). Use the arrow keys to move the window, and, when finished, press ESC.

When a document window is not maximized, perform the Size command (on the Control menu for CTRL+F8
the window). Press the arrow keys to resize the window, and, when finished, press ESC.

Minimize a window to an icon (works for only some Microsoft Office programs). CTRL+F9

Maximize or restore a selected window. CTRL+F10

Copy a picture of the screen to the Clipboard. PRINT SCREEN

Copy a picture of the selected window to the Clipboard. ALT+PRINT SCREEN

Change or resize the font

To do this Press

Change the font. CTRL+SHIFT+F

Change the font size. CTRL+SHIFT+P

Increase the font size of the selected CTRL+SHIFT+>

text.

Decrease the font size of the CTRL+SHIFT+<

selected text.

Move around in text or cells

To do this Press

Move one character to the left. LEFT ARROW

Move one character to the right. RIGHT ARROW

Move one line up. UP ARROW

Move one line down. DOWN ARROW

Move one word to the left. CTRL+LEFT

ARROW

Move one word to the right. CTRL+RIGHT

ARROW

Move to the end of a line. END

Move to the beginning of a line. HOME

Move up one paragraph. CTRL+UP ARROW

Move down one paragraph. CTRL+DOWN

ARROW

Move to the end of a text box. CTRL+END

Move to the beginning of a text box. CTRL+HOME

In Microsoft Office PowerPoint, move to the next title or body text placeholder. If it is the last CTRL+ENTER
placeholder on a slide, this will insert a new slide with the same slide layout as the original slide.

Repeat the last Find action. SHIFT+F4

Move around in and work in tables

To do this Press

Move to the next cell. TAB

Move to the preceding cell. SHIFT+TAB

Move to the next row. DOWN ARROW

Move to the preceding row. UP ARROW

Insert a tab in a cell. CTRL+TAB

Start a new paragraph. ENTER

Add a new row at the bottom of the TAB at the end of the last
table. row

Access and use task panes

To do this Press

Move to a task pane from another pane in the program window. (You may need to press F6 F6
more than once.)

NOTE If pressing F6 doesn't display the task pane that you want, try pressing ALT to place
focus on the menu bar, and then press CTRL+TAB to move to the task pane.

When a menu or toolbar is active, move to a task pane. (You may need to press CTRL+TAB CTRL+TAB
more than once.)

When a task pane is active, select the next or previous option in the task pane. TAB or SHIFT+TAB

Display the full set of commands on the task pane menu. CTRL+DOWN ARROW

Move among choices on a selected submenu; move among certain options in a group of options DOWN ARROW or UP
in a dialog box. ARROW

Open the selected menu, or perform the action assigned to the selected button. SPACEBAR or ENTER

Open a shortcut menu; open a drop-down menu for the selected gallery item. SHIFT+F10
When a menu or submenu is visible, select the first or last command on the menu or submenu. HOME or END

Scroll up or down in the selected gallery list. PAGE UP or PAGE

DOWN

Move to the top or bottom of the selected gallery list. CTRL+HOME or

CTRL+END

Open the Research task pane. ALT+Click

NOTE This keyboard shortcut does not work in Microsoft Office PowerPoint or Microsoft Office
SharePoint Designer.

Access and use smart tags

To do this Press

Display the menu or message for a smart tag. If more than one smart tag is present, switch to the ALT+SHIFT+F10
next smart tag and display its menu or message.

Select the next item on a smart tag menu. DOWN ARROW

Select the previous item on a smart tag menu. UP ARROW

Perform the action for the selected item on a smart tag menu. ENTER

Close the smart tag menu or message. ESC

Tips

 You can ask to be notified by a sound whenever a smart tag appears. To hear audio cues, you must

have a sound card. You must also have Microsoft Office Sounds installed on your computer.

 If you have access to the World Wide Web, you can download Microsoft Office Sounds from the

Microsoft Office Online Web site. After you install the sound files, do the following in Microsoft Office

Access 2007, Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007, and Microsoft Office Word

2007:

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Program Options.

2. Click Advanced.

3. Under General, select the Provide feedback with sound check box, and then click OK.
 NOTE When you select or clear this check box, the setting affects all Office programs that support

sound.

Resize and move toolbars, menus, and task panes

1. Press ALT to select the menu bar.

2. Press CTRL+TAB repeatedly to select the toolbar or task pane that you want.

3. Do one of the following:

Resize a toolbar

1. On the toolbar, press CTRL+SPACEBAR to display the Toolbar Options menu.

2. Click the Size command, and then press ENTER.

3. Use the arrow keys to resize the toolbar. Press CTRL+ the arrow keys to resize one pixel at

a time.

Move a toolbar

4. On the toolbar, press CTRL+SPACEBAR to display the Toolbar Options menu.

5. Click the Move command, and then press ENTER.

6. Use the arrow keys to position the toolbar. Press CTRL+ the arrow keys to move one pixel

at a time. To undock the toolbar, press DOWN ARROW repeatedly. To dock the toolbar vertically on

the left or right side, press LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW when the toolbar is all the way to the

left side or right side.

Resize a task pane

7. In the task pane, press CTRL+SPACEBAR to display a menu of additional commands.

8. Use the DOWN ARROW key to select the Size command, and then press ENTER.

9. Use the arrow keys to resize the task pane. Use CTRL+ the arrow keys to resize one pixel

at a time.
 Move a task pane

10. In the task pane, press CTRL+SPACEBAR to display a menu of additional commands.

11. Use the DOWN ARROW key to select the Move command, and then press ENTER.

12. Use the arrow keys to position the task pane. Use CTRL+ the arrow keys to move one pixel

at a time.

4. When you finish moving or resizing, press ESC.

Use dialog boxes

To do this Press

Move to the next option or option group. TAB

Move to the previous option or option group. SHIFT+TAB

Switch to the next tab in a dialog box. CTRL+TAB

Switch to the previous tab in a dialog box. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB

Move between options in an open drop-down list, or between options in a group Arrow keys
of options.

Perform the action assigned to the selected button; select or clear the selected SPACEBAR
check box.

Open the list if it is closed and move to that option in the list. First letter of an option in a drop-down
list

Select an option; select or clear a check box. ALT+ the letter underlined in an option

Open a selected drop-down list. ALT+DOWN ARROW

Close a selected drop-down list; cancel a command and close a dialog box. ESC

Perform the action assigned to a default button in a dialog box. ENTER

Use edit boxes within dialog boxes

An edit box is a blank box in which you type or paste an entry, such as your user name or the path to a folder.

To do this Press

Move to the beginning of the entry. HOME

Move to the end of the entry. END

Move one character to the left or right. LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW
 Move one word to the left. CTRL+LEFT ARROW

Move one word to the right. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW

Select or cancel selection one character to the left. SHIFT+LEFT ARROW

Select or cancel selection one character to the right. SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW

Select or cancel selection one word to the left. CTRL+SHIFT+LEFT ARROW

Select or cancel selection one word to the right. CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW

Select from the insertion point to the beginning of SHIFT+HOME

the entry.

Select from the insertion point to the end of the SHIFT+END

entry.

Use the Open and Save As dialog boxes

To do this Press

ALT+1
Go to the previous folder.

ALT+2
Up One Level button: open the folder up one level above the open
folder.

ALT+3
Search the Web button: close the dialog box and open your Web
search page.

ALT+3
Delete button: delete the selected folder or file.

ALT+4
Create New Folder button: create a new folder.

ALT+5
Views button: switch among available folder views.

Tools button: show the Tools menu. ALT+L

Display a shortcut menu for a selected item, such as a folder or file. SHIFT+F10

Move between options or areas in the dialog box. TAB

Open the Look in list. F4 or ALT+I

Refresh the file list. F5

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Excel > Accessibility

Excel shortcut and function keys

 Hide All

The following lists contain CTRL combination shortcut keys, function keys, and some other common shortcut keys,

along with descriptions of their functionality.

TIP To keep this reference available when you work, you may want to print this topic. To print this topic, press

CTRL+P.

NOTE If an action that you use often does not have a shortcut key, you can record a macro to create one.

In this article

CTRL combination shortcut keys

Function keys

Other useful shortcut keys

CTRL combination shortcut keys

Key Description

CTRL+SHIFT+( Unhides any hidden rows within the selection.

CTRL+SHIFT+) Unhides any hidden columns within the selection.

CTRL+SHIFT+& Applies the outline border to the selected cells.

CTRL+SHIFT_ Removes the outline border from the selected cells.

CTRL+SHIFT+~ Applies the General number format.

CTRL+SHIFT+$ Applies the Currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers in parentheses).

CTRL+SHIFT+% Applies the Percentage format with no decimal places.

CTRL+SHIFT+^ Applies the Exponential number format with two decimal places.

CTRL+SHIFT+# Applies the Date format with the day, month, and year.

CTRL+SHIFT+@ Applies the Time format with the hour and minute, and AM or PM.

CTRL+SHIFT+! Applies the Number format with two decimal places, thousands separator, and minus sign (-) for
negative values.

CTRL+SHIFT+* Selects the current region around the active cell (the data area enclosed by blank rows and blank
columns).
 In a PivotTable, it selects the entire PivotTable report.

CTRL+SHIFT+: Enters the current time.

CTRL+SHIFT+" Copies the value from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the Formula Bar.

CTRL+SHIFT+Plus Displays the Insert dialog box to insert blank cells.

(+)

CTRL+Minus (-) Displays the Delete dialog box to delete the selected cells.

CTRL+; Enters the current date.

CTRL+` Alternates between displaying cell values and displaying formulas in the worksheet.

CTRL+' Copies a formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the Formula Bar.

CTRL+1 Displays the Format Cells dialog box.

CTRL+2 Applies or removes bold formatting.

CTRL+3 Applies or removes italic formatting.

CTRL+4 Applies or removes underlining.

CTRL+5 Applies or removes strikethrough.

CTRL+6 Alternates between hiding objects, displaying objects, and displaying placeholders for objects.

CTRL+8 Displays or hides the outline symbols.

CTRL+9 Hides the selected rows.

CTRL+0 Hides the selected columns.

CTRL+A Selects the entire worksheet.

If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region. Pressing CTRL+A a second time
selects the current region and its summary rows. Pressing CTRL+A a third time selects the entire
worksheet.

When the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula, displays the Function
Arguments dialog box.

CTRL+SHIFT+A inserts the argument names and parentheses when the insertion point is to the right
of a function name in a formula.

CTRL+B Applies or removes bold formatting.

CTRL+C Copies the selected cells.

CTRL+C followed by another CTRL+C displays the Clipboard.

CTRL+D Uses the Fill Down command to copy the contents and format of the topmost cell of a selected
range into the cells below.

CTRL+F Displays the Find and Replace dialog box, with the Find tab selected.
 SHIFT+F5 also displays this tab, while SHIFT+F4 repeats the last Find action.

CTRL+SHIFT+F opens the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab selected.

CTRL+G Displays the Go To dialog box.

F5 also displays this dialog box.

CTRL+H Displays the Find and Replace dialog box, with the Replace tab selected.

CTRL+I Applies or removes italic formatting.

CTRL+K Displays the Insert Hyperlink dialog box for new hyperlinks or the Edit Hyperlink dialog box for
selected existing hyperlinks.

CTRL+N Creates a new, blank workbook.

CTRL+O Displays the Open dialog box to open or find a file.

CTRL+SHIFT+O selects all cells that contain comments.

CTRL+P Displays the Print dialog box.

CTRL+SHIFT+P opens the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab selected.

CTRL+R Uses the Fill Right command to copy the contents and format of the leftmost cell of a selected
range into the cells to the right.

CTRL+S Saves the active file with its current file name, location, and file format.

CTRL+T Displays the Create Table dialog box.

CTRL+U Applies or removes underlining.

CTRL+SHIFT+U switches between expanding and collapsing of the formula bar.

CTRL+V Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the insertion point and replaces any selection. Available only
after you have cut or copied an object, text, or cell contents.

CTRL+W Closes the selected workbook window.

CTRL+X Cuts the selected cells.

CTRL+Y Repeats the last command or action, if possible.

CTRL+Z Uses the Undo command to reverse the last command or to delete the last entry that you typed.

CTRL+SHIFT+Z uses the Undo or Redo command to reverse or restore the last automatic correction
when AutoCorrect Smart Tags are displayed.

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Function keys
Ke
y Description

F1 Displays the Microsoft Office Excel Help task pane.

CTRL+F1 displays or hides the ribbon.

ALT+F1 creates a chart of the data in the current range.

ALT+SHIFT+F1 inserts a new worksheet.

F2 Edits the active cell and positions the insertion point at the end of the cell contents. It also moves the insertion
point into the Formula Bar when editing in a cell is turned off.

SHIFT+F2 adds or edits a cell comment.

CTRL+F2 displays the Print Preview window.

F3 Displays the Paste Name dialog box.

SHIFT+F3 displays the Insert Function dialog box.

F4 Repeats the last command or action, if possible.

CTRL+F4 closes the selected workbook window.

F5 Displays the Go To dialog box.

CTRL+F5 restores the window size of the selected workbook window.

F6 Switches between the worksheet, ribbon, task pane, and Zoom controls. In a worksheet that has been split (View
menu, Manage This Window, Freeze Panes, Split Window command), F6 includes the split panes when
switching between panes and the ribbon area.

SHIFT+F6 switches between the worksheet, Zoom controls, task pane, and ribbon.

CTRL+F6 switches to the next workbook window when more than one workbook window is open.

F7 Displays the Spelling dialog box to check spelling in the active worksheet or selected range.

CTRL+F7 performs the Move command on the workbook window when it is not maximized. Use the arrow keys to
move the window, and when finished press ENTER, or ESC to cancel.

F8 Turns extend mode on or off. In extend mode, Extended Selection appears in the status line, and the arrow keys
extend the selection.

SHIFT+F8 enables you to add a nonadjacent cell or range to a selection of cells by using the arrow keys.

CTRL+F8 performs the Size command (on the Control menu for the workbook window) when a workbook is not
maximized.
 ALT+F8 displays the Macro dialog box to create, run, edit, or delete a macro.

F9 Calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks.

SHIFT+F9 calculates the active worksheet.

CTRL+ALT+F9 calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks, regardless of whether they have changed since the
last calculation.

CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+F9 rechecks dependent formulas, and then calculates all cells in all open workbooks, including
cells not marked as needing to be calculated.

CTRL+F9 minimizes a workbook window to an icon.

F10 Turns key tips on or off.

SHIFT+F10 displays the shortcut menu for a selected item.

ALT+SHIFT+F10 displays the menu or message for a smart tag. If more than one smart tag is present, it switches to
the next smart tag and displays its menu or message.

CTRL+F10 maximizes or restores the selected workbook window.

F11 Creates a chart of the data in the current range.

SHIFT+F11 inserts a new worksheet.

ALT+F11 opens the Microsoft Visual Basic Editor, in which you can create a macro by using Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA).

F12 Displays the Save As dialog box.

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Other useful shortcut keys

Key Description

ARROW Move one cell up, down, left, or right in a worksheet.

KEYS
CTRL+ARROW KEY moves to the edge of the current data region (data region: A range of cells that contains
data and that is bounded by empty cells or datasheet borders.) in a worksheet.

SHIFT+ARROW KEY extends the selection of cells by one cell.

CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW KEY extends the selection of cells to the last nonblank cell in the same column or row
as the active cell, or if the next cell is blank, extends the selection to the next nonblank cell.

LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW selects the tab to the left or right when the ribbon is selected. When a
submenu is open or selected, these arrow keys switch between the main menu and the submenu. When a
ribbon tab is selected, these keys navigate the tab buttons.
 DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW selects the next or previous command when a menu or submenu is open.
When a ribbon tab is selected, these keys navigate up or down the tab group.

In a dialog box, arrow keys move between options in an open drop-down list, or between options in a group
of options.

DOWN ARROW or ALT+DOWN ARROW opens a selected drop-down list.

BACKSPAC Deletes one character to the left in the Formula Bar.

E
Also clears the content of the active cell.

In cell editing mode, it deletes the character to the left of the insertion point.

DELETE Removes the cell contents (data and formulas) from selected cells without affecting cell formats or
comments.

In cell editing mode, it deletes the character to the right of the insertion point.

END Moves to the cell in the lower-right corner of the window when SCROLL LOCK is turned on.

Also selects the last command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.

CTRL+END moves to the last cell on a worksheet, in the lowest used row of the rightmost used column. If
the cursor is in the formula bar, CTRL+END moves the cursor to the end of the text.

CTRL+SHIFT+END extends the selection of cells to the last used cell on the worksheet (lower-right corner). If
the cursor is in the formula bar, CTRL+SHIFT+END selects all text in the formula bar from the cursor position
to the end—this does not affect the height of the formula bar.

ENTER Completes a cell entry from the cell or the Formula Bar, and selects the cell below (by default).

In a data form, it moves to the first field in the next record.

Opens a selected menu (press F10 to activate the menu bar) or performs the action for a selected
command.

In a dialog box, it performs the action for the default command button in the dialog box (the button with the
bold outline, often the OK button).

ALT+ENTER starts a new line in the same cell.

CTRL+ENTER fills the selected cell range with the current entry.

SHIFT+ENTER completes a cell entry and selects the cell above.

ESC Cancels an entry in the cell or Formula Bar.

Closes an open menu or submenu, dialog box, or message window.

It also closes full screen mode when this mode has been applied, and returns to normal screen mode to
display the Ribbon and status bar again.

HOME Moves to the beginning of a row in a worksheet.

 Moves to the cell in the upper-left corner of the window when SCROLL LOCK is turned on.

Selects the first command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.

CTRL+HOME moves to the beginning of a worksheet.

CTRL+SHIFT+HOME extends the selection of cells to the beginning of the worksheet.

PAGE Moves one screen down in a worksheet.

DOWN
ALT+PAGE DOWN moves one screen to the right in a worksheet.

CTRL+PAGE DOWN moves to the next sheet in a workbook.

CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE DOWN selects the current and next sheet in a workbook.

PAGE UP Moves one screen up in a worksheet.

ALT+PAGE UP moves one screen to the left in a worksheet.

CTRL+PAGE UP moves to the previous sheet in a workbook.

CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE UP selects the current and previous sheet in a workbook.

SPACEBAR In a dialog box, performs the action for the selected button, or selects or clears a check box.

CTRL+SPACEBAR selects an entire column in a worksheet.

SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects an entire row in a worksheet.

CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects the entire worksheet.

 If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects the current region. Pressing
CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR a second time selects the current region and its summary rows. Pressing
CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR a third time selects the entire worksheet.

 When an object is selected, CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects all objects on a worksheet.

ALT+SPACEBAR displays the Control menu for the Microsoft Office Excel window.

TAB Moves one cell to the right in a worksheet.

Moves between unlocked cells in a protected worksheet.

Moves to the next option or option group in a dialog box.

SHIFT+TAB moves to the previous cell in a worksheet or the previous option in a dialog box.

CTRL+TAB switches to the next tab in dialog box.

CTRL+SHIFT+TAB switches to the previous tab in a dialog box.

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