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25. All Excel Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows and Mac)

25.8 Ribbon KeyTips: the Alt Keys (Windows)

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Example first. Shahrukh wants Page Break Preview before printing. He presses Alt, letters appear on the ribbon (KeyTips), then he presses W (View) and I (Page Break Preview). Alt, W, L takes him back to Normal view. No mouse at all.

Ribbon KeyTips — in 30 seconds

What: Pressing Alt on Windows shows a letter on every ribbon tab and command. Press the letters in order to run any command, even ones that have no Ctrl shortcut.

Why: Every ribbon command becomes a keyboard command, and the sequence is shown on screen, so you never have to memorise it. Mac Excel has no KeyTips; use the menus or the Mac shortcuts.

Tiny example: Alt, W, I: Page Break Preview. Alt, W, L: Normal view. Alt, H, H: fill colour menu. Alt, H, A, C: centre.

First look at the data (before → after):

Ribbon KeyTips: before and after tables, fictional Blinkit Maharashtra data

Expected result — After each KeyTip sequence

Keys Result
Alt, W, I Page Break Preview
Alt, W, L Back to Normal view
Alt, H, A, C A1:D10 centre-aligned
Alt, Q Cursor in the ribbon Search box
Before table and formula as text

Before — Before: Normal view

Item State
View Normal
Ribbon Home tab
Selection A1:D10

Formula / click path

Alt  →  W  →  I
Alt  →  W  →  L
Alt  →  H  →  A  →  C

Do it step by step:

  1. Press and release Alt. Letters appear on the ribbon tabs.
  2. Press W for the View tab; letters appear on its commands.
  3. Press I for Page Break Preview.
  4. Press Alt, W, L to return to Normal view.
  5. Not sure of a letter? Press Alt, Q and type the command name.

Ribbon KeyTips: Windows and Mac side by side

To do this Windows Mac
Search the ribbon (Tell me) Alt+Q (menu: click the Search box)
File menu Alt+F (menu: File menu)
Home tab Alt+H (menu: Home tab)
Insert tab Alt+N (menu: Insert tab)
Page Layout tab Alt+P (menu: Page Layout tab)
Formulas tab Alt+M (menu: Formulas tab)
Data tab Alt+A (menu: Data tab)
Review tab Alt+R (menu: Review tab)
View tab Alt+W (menu: View tab)
Fill colour Alt+H, H (menu: Home › Fill Color)
Borders Alt+H, B (menu: Home › Borders)
Centre-align Alt+H, A, C Cmd+E
Delete column Alt+H, D, C (menu: Home › Delete › Delete Sheet Columns)
Define a name Alt+M, M, D Cmd+F3
Page Layout view Alt, W, P (menu: View › Page Layout)
Normal view Alt, W, L (menu: View › Normal)
Page Break Preview Alt, W, I (menu: View › Page Break Preview)
Show KeyTips (or F10) Alt or F10 —
Expand or collapse the ribbon Ctrl+F1 Cmd+Option+R
Move focus between sheet, ribbon and panes F6 F6 or Shift+F6

How to read "Alt+H, A, C": press Alt and H together (or Alt, then H), release, then press A, then C. Commas mean "one after the other".

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

  1. Switch to Page Layout view with KeyTips.
  2. Open the Data tab from the keyboard.
  3. Delete column D without the mouse.
Answer

Alt, W, P. Alt+A. Select a cell in column D, then Alt, H, D, C. (On Mac: View › Page Layout, the Data tab, and Home › Delete › Delete Sheet Columns.)

Ravindra Bagale's Tip

You do not need to learn KeyTips by heart. Press Alt, read the letters, and after a week your fingers will remember the five you use most.