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25. All Excel Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows and Mac)

25.3 Data Entry and Editing Shortcuts

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Example first. Five new orders all come from Pune. Instead of typing "Pune" five times, Zoya selects C2:C6, types Pune once and presses Ctrl+Enter (Mac: Cmd+Return). All five cells fill at once. Ctrl+; then stamps today's date in the Date column.

Data entry shortcuts — in 30 seconds

What: Data entry shortcuts type, fill, copy down and undo without leaving the keyboard: fill many cells at once, fill down, a new line inside a cell, today's date.

Why: Typing speed in Excel is mostly about not reaching for the mouse between entries. These keys remove most of the repeated typing.

Tiny example: Select C2:C6, type Pune, press Ctrl+Enter: five cells show Pune. Ctrl+D copies C2 down a selection. Ctrl+; enters today's date as a real date.

First look at the data (before → after):

Data entry shortcuts: before and after tables, fictional Blinkit Maharashtra data

Expected result — After Ctrl+Enter

Row C: City
2 Pune
3 Pune
4 Pune
5 Pune
6 Pune
Before table and formula as text

Before — Before: City column empty

Row C: City
2 —
3 —
4 —
5 —
6 —

Formula / click path

Select C2:C6
Type Pune
Ctrl+Enter   (Mac: Cmd+Return or Ctrl+Return)

Do it step by step:

  1. Select C2:C6.
  2. Type Pune (do not press Enter yet).
  3. Press Ctrl+Enter (Mac: Cmd+Return). All five cells fill.
  4. Click B2 and press Ctrl+; (same on Mac) to enter today's date.
  5. Made a mistake? Press Ctrl+Z (Mac: Cmd+Z).

Data entry shortcuts: Windows and Mac side by side

To do this Windows Mac
Edit the active cell F2 F2 or Ctrl+U
Start a new line in the same cell Alt+Enter Option+Return
Fill the selected cells with the same entry Ctrl+Enter Cmd+Return or Ctrl+Return
Complete the entry and move up Shift+Enter Shift+Return
Fill down from the top cell Ctrl+D Cmd+D or Ctrl+D
Fill right from the left cell (menu: Home › Editing › Fill › Right) Cmd+R or Ctrl+R
Enter the current date Ctrl+Semicolon (;) Ctrl+Semicolon (;)
Enter the current time Ctrl+Shift+Colon (:) Cmd+Semicolon (;)
Copy the formula from the cell above Ctrl+Apostrophe (') Ctrl+Apostrophe (')
Copy the value from the cell above Ctrl+Shift+Straight quotation mark (") Ctrl+Shift+Straight quotation mark (")
Undo / redo Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y Cmd+Z / Cmd+Y
Cancel the entry Esc Esc
Insert or edit a note Shift+F2 Shift+F2
Flash Fill Ctrl+E (menu: Data › Data Tools › Flash Fill)
Insert cells / delete cells Ctrl+Shift+Plus sign (+) / Ctrl+Minus sign (-) Ctrl+Shift+Equal sign (=) / Cmd+Hyphen (-)

Ctrl+; versus =TODAY(): the shortcut types a fixed date that never changes; =TODAY() changes every day. Use the shortcut for an order date, the formula for an "as on" date.

Practice task (try it before you open the answer):

  1. Fill "Delivered" into I2:I6 in one go.
  2. Put "Blinkit" and "Pune" on two lines inside one cell.
  3. Copy the formula in G2 to G3 with a shortcut, without copy and paste.
Answer

Select I2:I6, type Delivered, Ctrl+Enter (Mac: Cmd+Return). Type Blinkit, press Alt+Enter (Mac: Option+Return), type Pune, press Enter. In G3 press Ctrl+Apostrophe (') on both platforms, or select G2:G3 and press Ctrl+D (Mac: Cmd+D).

Ravindra Bagale's Tip

Ctrl+Enter is the most underrated key in Excel. It also works for formulas: select a whole column of blank cells, type one formula, and Ctrl+Enter fills it with adjusted references.