How to work with excel

Sometimes, Excel seems too good to be true. All I have to do is enter a formula, and pretty much anything I’d ever need to do manually can be done automatically.

Need to merge two sheets with similar data? Excel can do it.

Need to do simple math? Excel can do it.

Need to combine information in multiple cells? Excel can do it.

In this post, I’ll go over the best tips, tricks, and shortcuts you can use right now to take your Excel game to the next level. No advanced Excel knowledge required.

What is Excel?

Microsoft Excel is powerful data visualization and analysis software, which uses spreadsheets to store, organize, and track data sets with formulas and functions. Excel is used by marketers, accountants, data analysts, and other professionals. It’s part of the Microsoft Office suite of products. Alternatives include Google Sheets and Numbers. 

Find more Excel alternatives here.

Excel is primarily used for creating financial documents because of its strong computational powers. You’ll often find the software in accounting offices and teams because it allows accountants to automatically see sums, averages, and totals. With Excel, they can easily make sense of their business’ data.

While Excel is primarily known as an accounting tool, professionals in any field can use its features and formulas — especially marketers — because it can be used for tracking any type of data. It removes the need to spend hours and hours counting cells or copying and pasting performance numbers. Excel typically has a shortcut or quick fix that speeds up the process.

You can also download Excel templates below for all of your marketing needs. 

After you download the templates, it’s time to start using the software. Let’s cover the basics first.

Excel Basics

If you’re just starting out with Excel, there are a few basic commands that we suggest you become familiar with. These are things like:

• Creating a new spreadsheet from scratch.
• Executing basic computations like adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.
• Writing and formatting column text and titles.
• Using Excel’s auto-fill features.
• Adding or deleting single columns, rows, and spreadsheets. (Below, we’ll get into how to add things like multiple columns and rows.)
• Keeping column and row titles visible as you scroll past them in a spreadsheet, so that you know what data you’re filling as you move further down the document.
• Sorting your data in alphabetical order. 

Let’s explore a few of these more in-depth. 

For instance, why does auto-fill matter? 

If you have any basic Excel knowledge, it’s likely you already know this quick trick. But to cover our bases, allow me to show you the glory of autofill. This lets you quickly fill adjacent cells with several types of data, including values, series, and formulas.

There are multiple ways to deploy this feature, but the fill handle is among the easiest. Select the cells you want to be the source, locate the fill handle in the lower-right corner of the cell, and either drag the fill handle to cover cells you want to fill or just double click:

Similarly, sorting is an important feature you’ll want to know when organizing your data in Excel. 

Sometimes you may have a list of data that has no organization whatsoever. Maybe you exported a list of your marketing contacts or blog posts. Whatever the case may be, Excel’s sort feature will help you alphabetize any list.

Click on the data in the column you want to sort. Then click on the «Data» tab in your toolbar and look for the «Sort» option on the left. If the «A» is on top of the «Z,» you can just click on that button once. If the «Z» is on top of the «A,» click on the button twice. When the «A» is on top of the «Z,» that means your list will be sorted in alphabetical order. However, when the «Z» is on top of the «A,» that means your list will be sorted in reverse alphabetical order.

Let’s explore more of the basics of Excel (along with advanced features) next. 

To use Excel, you only need to input the data into the rows and columns. And then you’ll use formulas and functions to turn that data into insights. 

We’re going to go over the best formulas and functions you need to know. But first, let’s take a look at the types of documents you can create using the software. That way, you have an overarching understanding of how you can use Excel in your day-to-day. 

Documents You Can Create in Excel

Not sure how you can actually use Excel in your team? Here is a list of documents you can create:

• Income Statements: You can use an Excel spreadsheet to track a company’s sales activity and financial health.
• Balance Sheets: Balance sheets are among the most common types of documents you can create with Excel. It allows you to get a holistic view of a company’s financial standing.
• Calendar: You can easily create a spreadsheet monthly calendar to track events or other date-sensitive information.

Here are some documents you can create specifically for marketers.

• Marketing Budgets: Excel is a strong budget-keeping tool. You can create and track marketing budgets, as well as spend, using Excel. If you don’t want to create a document from scratch, download our marketing budget templates for free.
• Marketing Reports: If you don’t use a marketing tool such as Marketing Hub, you might find yourself in need of a dashboard with all of your reports. Excel is an excellent tool to create marketing reports. Download free Excel marketing reporting templates here.
• Editorial Calendars: You can create editorial calendars in Excel. The tab format makes it extremely easy to track your content creation efforts for custom time ranges. Download a free editorial content calendar template here.
• Traffic and Leads Calculator: Because of its strong computational powers, Excel is an excellent tool to create all sorts of calculators — including one for tracking leads and traffic. Click here to download a free premade lead goal calculator.

This is only a small sampling of the types of marketing and business documents you can create in Excel. We’ve created an extensive list of Excel templates you can use right now for marketing, invoicing, project management, budgeting, and more.

In the spirit of working more efficiently and avoiding tedious, manual work, here are a few Excel formulas and functions you’ll need to know.

Excel Formulas

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the wide range of Excel formulas that you can use to make sense out of your data. If you’re just getting started using Excel, you can rely on the following formulas to carry out some complex functions — without adding to the complexity of your learning path.

• Equal sign: Before creating any formula, you’ll need to write an equal sign (=) in the cell where you want the result to appear.
• Addition: To add the values of two or more cells, use the + sign. Example: =C5+D3.
• Subtraction: To subtract the values of two or more cells, use the — sign. Example: =C5-D3.
• Multiplication: To multiply the values of two or more cells, use the * sign. Example: =C5*D3.
• Division: To divide the values of two or more cells, use the / sign. Example: =C5/D3.

Putting all of these together, you can create a formula that adds, subtracts, multiplies, and divides all in one cell. Example: =(C5-D3)/((A5+B6)*3).

For more complex formulas, you’ll need to use parentheses around the expressions to avoid accidentally using the PEMDAS order of operations. Keep in mind that you can use plain numbers in your formulas.

Excel Functions

Excel functions automate some of the tasks you would use in a typical formula. For instance, instead of using the + sign to add up a range of cells, you’d use the SUM function. Let’s look at a few more functions that will help automate calculations and tasks.

• SUM: The SUM function automatically adds up a range of cells or numbers. To complete a sum, you would input the starting cell and the final cell with a colon in between. Here’s what that looks like: SUM(Cell1:Cell2). Example: =SUM(C5:C30).
• AVERAGE: The AVERAGE function averages out the values of a range of cells. The syntax is the same as the SUM function: AVERAGE(Cell1:Cell2). Example: =AVERAGE(C5:C30).
• IF: The IF function allows you to return values based on a logical test. The syntax is as follows: IF(logical_test, value_if_true, [value_if_false]). Example: =IF(A2>B2,»Over Budget»,»OK»).
• VLOOKUP: The VLOOKUP function helps you search for anything on your sheet’s rows. The syntax is: VLOOKUP(lookup value, table array, column number, Approximate match (TRUE) or Exact match (FALSE)). Example: =VLOOKUP([@Attorney],tbl_Attorneys,4,FALSE).
• INDEX: The INDEX function returns a value from within a range. The syntax is as follows: INDEX(array, row_num, [column_num]).
• MATCH: The MATCH function looks for a certain item in a range of cells and returns the position of that item. It can be used in tandem with the INDEX function. The syntax is: MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type]).
• COUNTIF: The COUNTIF function returns the number of cells that meet a certain criteria or have a certain value. The syntax is: COUNTIF(range, criteria). Example: =COUNTIF(A2:A5,»London»).

Okay, ready to get into the nitty-gritty? Let’s get to it. (And to all the Harry Potter fans out there … you’re welcome in advance.)

Note: The GIFs and visuals are from a previous version of Excel. When applicable, the copy has been updated to provide instruction for users of both newer and older Excel versions.

1. Use Pivot tables to recognize and make sense of data.

Pivot tables are used to reorganize data in a spreadsheet. They won’t change the data that you have, but they can sum up values and compare different information in your spreadsheet, depending on what you’d like them to do.

Let’s take a look at an example. Let’s say I want to take a look at how many people are in each house at Hogwarts. You may be thinking that I don’t have too much data, but for longer data sets, this will come in handy.

To create the Pivot Table, I go to Data > Pivot Table. If you’re using the most recent version of Excel, you’d go to Insert > Pivot Table. Excel will automatically populate your Pivot Table, but you can always change around the order of the data. Then, you have four options to choose from.

• Report Filter: This allows you to only look at certain rows in your dataset. For example, if I wanted to create a filter by house, I could choose to only include students in Gryffindor instead of all students.
• Column Labels: These would be your headers in the dataset.
• Row Labels: These could be your rows in the dataset. Both Row and Column labels can contain data from your columns (e.g. First Name can be dragged to either the Row or Column label — it just depends on how you want to see the data.)
• Value: This section allows you to look at your data differently. Instead of just pulling in any numeric value, you can sum, count, average, max, min, count numbers, or do a few other manipulations with your data. In fact, by default, when you drag a field to Value, it always does a count.

Since I want to count the number of students in each house, I’ll go to the Pivot table builder and drag the House column to both the Row Labels and the Values. This will sum up the number of students associated with each house.

2. Add more than one row or column.

As you play around with your data, you might find you’re constantly needing to add more rows and columns. Sometimes, you may even need to add hundreds of rows. Doing this one-by-one would be super tedious. Luckily, there’s always an easier way.

To add multiple rows or columns in a spreadsheet, highlight the same number of preexisting rows or columns that you want to add. Then, right-click and select «Insert.»

In the example below, I want to add an additional three rows. By highlighting three rows and then clicking insert, I’m able to add an additional three blank rows into my spreadsheet quickly and easily.

3. Use filters to simplify your data.

When you’re looking at very large data sets, you don’t usually need to be looking at every single row at the same time. Sometimes, you only want to look at data that fit into certain criteria.

That’s where filters come in.

Filters allow you to pare down your data to only look at certain rows at one time. In Excel, a filter can be added to each column in your data — and from there, you can then choose which cells you want to view at once.

Let’s take a look at the example below. Add a filter by clicking the Data tab and selecting «Filter.» Clicking the arrow next to the column headers and you’ll be able to choose whether you want your data to be organized in ascending or descending order, as well as which specific rows you want to show.

In my Harry Potter example, let’s say I only want to see the students in Gryffindor. By selecting the Gryffindor filter, the other rows disappear.

Pro Tip: Copy and paste the values in the spreadsheet when a Filter is on to do additional analysis in another spreadsheet.

4. Remove duplicate data points or sets.

Larger data sets tend to have duplicate content. You may have a list of multiple contacts in a company and only want to see the number of companies you have. In situations like this, removing the duplicates comes in quite handy.

To remove your duplicates, highlight the row or column that you want to remove duplicates of. Then, go to the Data tab and select «Remove Duplicates» (which is under the Tools subheader in the older version of Excel). A pop-up will appear to confirm which data you want to work with. Select «Remove Duplicates,» and you’re good to go.

You can also use this feature to remove an entire row based on a duplicate column value. So if you have three rows with Harry Potter’s information and you only need to see one, then you can select the whole dataset and then remove duplicates based on email. Your resulting list will have only unique names without any duplicates.

5. Transpose rows into columns.

When you have rows of data in your spreadsheet, you might decide you actually want to transform the items in one of those rows into columns (or vice versa). It would take a lot of time to copy and paste each individual header — but what the transpose feature allows you to do is simply move your row data into columns, or the other way around.

Start by highlighting the column that you want to transpose into rows. Right-click it, and then select «Copy.» Next, select the cells on your spreadsheet where you want your first row or column to begin. Right-click on the cell, and then select «Paste Special.» A module will appear — at the bottom, you’ll see an option to transpose. Check that box and select OK. Your column will now be transferred to a row or vice-versa.

On newer versions of Excel, a drop-down will appear instead of a pop-up.

6. Split up text information between columns.

What if you want to split out information that’s in one cell into two different cells? For example, maybe you want to pull out someone’s company name through their email address. Or perhaps you want to separate someone’s full name into a first and last name for your email marketing templates.

Thanks to Excel, both are possible. First, highlight the column that you want to split up. Next, go to the Data tab and select «Text to Columns.» A module will appear with additional information.

First, you need to select either «Delimited» or «Fixed Width.»

• «Delimited» means you want to break up the column based on characters such as commas, spaces, or tabs.
• «Fixed Width» means you want to select the exact location on all the columns that you want the split to occur.

In the example case below, let’s select «Delimited» so we can separate the full name into first name and last name.

Then, it’s time to choose the Delimiters. This could be a tab, semi-colon, comma, space, or something else. («Something else» could be the «@» sign used in an email address, for example.) In our example, let’s choose the space. Excel will then show you a preview of what your new columns will look like.

When you’re happy with the preview, press «Next.» This page will allow you to select Advanced Formats if you choose to. When you’re done, click «Finish.»

7. Use formulas for simple calculations.

In addition to doing pretty complex calculations, Excel can help you do simple arithmetic like adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing any of your data.

• To add, use the + sign.
• To subtract, use the — sign.
• To multiply, use the * sign.
• To divide, use the / sign.

You can also use parentheses to ensure certain calculations are done first. In the example below (10+10*10), the second and third 10 were multiplied together before adding the additional 10. However, if we made it (10+10)*10, the first and second 10 would be added together first.

8. Get the average of numbers in your cells.

If you want the average of a set of numbers, you can use the formula =AVERAGE(Cell1:Cell2). If you want to sum up a column of numbers, you can use the formula =SUM(Cell1:Cell2).

9. Use conditional formatting to make cells automatically change color based on data.

Conditional formatting allows you to change a cell’s color based on the information within the cell. For example, if you want to flag certain numbers that are above average or in the top 10% of the data in your spreadsheet, you can do that. If you want to color code commonalities between different rows in Excel, you can do that. This will help you quickly see information that is important to you.

To get started, highlight the group of cells you want to use conditional formatting on. Then, choose «Conditional Formatting» from the Home menu and select your logic from the dropdown. (You can also create your own rule if you want something different.) A window will pop up that prompts you to provide more information about your formatting rule. Select «OK» when you’re done, and you should see your results automatically appear.

10. Use the IF Excel formula to automate certain Excel functions.

Sometimes, we don’t want to count the number of times a value appears. Instead, we want to input different information into a cell if there is a corresponding cell with that information.

For example, in the situation below, I want to award ten points to everyone who belongs in the Gryffindor house. Instead of manually typing in 10’s next to each Gryffindor student’s name, I can use the IF Excel formula to say that if the student is in Gryffindor, then they should get ten points.

The formula is: IF(logical_test, value_if_true, [value_if_false])

Example Shown Below: =IF(D2=»Gryffindor»,»10″,»0″)

In general terms, the formula would be IF(Logical Test, value of true, value of false). Let’s dig into each of these variables.

• Logical_Test: The logical test is the «IF» part of the statement. In this case, the logic is D2=»Gryffindor» because we want to make sure that the cell corresponding with the student says «Gryffindor.» Make sure to put Gryffindor in quotation marks here.
• Value_if_True: This is what we want the cell to show if the value is true. In this case, we want the cell to show «10» to indicate that the student was awarded the 10 points. Only use quotation marks if you want the result to be text instead of a number.
• Value_if_False: This is what we want the cell to show if the value is false. In this case, for any student not in Gryffindor, we want the cell to show «0». Only use quotation marks if you want the result to be text instead of a number.

Note: In the example above, I awarded 10 points to everyone in Gryffindor. If I later wanted to sum the total number of points, I wouldn’t be able to because the 10’s are in quotes, thus making them text and not a number that Excel can sum.

The real power of the IF function comes when you string multiple IF statements together, or nest them. This allows you to set multiple conditions, get more specific results, and ultimately organize your data into more manageable chunks.

Ranges are one way to segment your data for better analysis. For example, you can categorize data into values that are less than 10, 11 to 50, or 51 to 100. Here’s how that looks in practice: 

=IF(B3<11,“10 or less”,IF(B3<51,“11 to 50”,IF(B3<100,“51 to 100”)))

It can take some trial-and-error, but once you have the hang of it, IF formulas will become your new Excel best friend.

11. Use dollar signs to keep one cell’s formula the same regardless of where it moves.

Have you ever seen a dollar sign in an Excel formula? When used in a formula, it isn’t representing an American dollar; instead, it makes sure that the exact column and row are held the same even if you copy the same formula in adjacent rows.

You see, a cell reference — when you refer to cell A5 from cell C5, for example — is relative by default. In that case, you’re actually referring to a cell that’s five columns to the left (C minus A) and in the same row (5). This is called a relative formula. When you copy a relative formula from one cell to another, it’ll adjust the values in the formula based on where it’s moved. But sometimes, we want those values to stay the same no matter whether they’re moved around or not — and we can do that by turning the formula into an absolute formula.

To change the relative formula (=A5+C5) into an absolute formula, we’d precede the row and column values by dollar signs, like this: (=$A$5+$C$5). (Learn more on Microsoft Office’s support page here.)

12. Use the VLOOKUP function to pull data from one area of a sheet to another.

Have you ever had two sets of data on two different spreadsheets that you want to combine into a single spreadsheet?

For example, you might have a list of people’s names next to their email addresses in one spreadsheet, and a list of those same people’s email addresses next to their company names in the other — but you want the names, email addresses, and company names of those people to appear in one place.

I have to combine data sets like this a lot — and when I do, the VLOOKUP is my go-to formula.

Before you use the formula, though, be absolutely sure that you have at least one column that appears identically in both places. Scour your data sets to make sure the column of data you’re using to combine your information is exactly the same, including no extra spaces.

The formula: =VLOOKUP(lookup value, table array, column number, Approximate match (TRUE) or Exact match (FALSE))

The formula with variables from our example below: =VLOOKUP(C2,Sheet2!A:B,2,FALSE)

In this formula, there are several variables. The following is true when you want to combine information in Sheet 1 and Sheet 2 onto Sheet 1.

• Lookup Value: This is the identical value you have in both spreadsheets. Choose the first value in your first spreadsheet. In the example that follows, this means the first email address on the list, or cell 2 (C2).
• Table Array: The table array is the range of columns on Sheet 2 you’re going to pull your data from, including the column of data identical to your lookup value (in our example, email addresses) in Sheet 1 as well as the column of data you’re trying to copy to Sheet 1. In our example, this is «Sheet2!A:B.» «A» means Column A in Sheet 2, which is the column in Sheet 2 where the data identical to our lookup value (email) in Sheet 1 is listed. The «B» means Column B, which contains the information that’s only available in Sheet 2 that you want to translate to Sheet 1.
• Column Number: This tells Excel which column the new data you want to copy to Sheet 1 is located in. In our example, this would be the column that «House» is located in. «House» is the second column in our range of columns (table array), so our column number is 2. [Note: Your range can be more than two columns. For example, if there are three columns on Sheet 2 — Email, Age, and House — and you still want to bring House onto Sheet 1, you can still use a VLOOKUP. You just need to change the «2» to a «3» so it pulls back the value in the third column: =VLOOKUP(C2:Sheet2!A:C,3,false).]
• Approximate Match (TRUE) or Exact Match (FALSE): Use FALSE to ensure you pull in only exact value matches. If you use TRUE, the function will pull in approximate matches.

In the example below, Sheet 1 and Sheet 2 contain lists describing different information about the same people, and the common thread between the two is their email addresses. Let’s say we want to combine both datasets so that all the house information from Sheet 2 translates over to Sheet 1.

So when we type in the formula =VLOOKUP(C2,Sheet2!A:B,2,FALSE), we bring all the house data into Sheet 1.

Keep in mind that VLOOKUP will only pull back values from the second sheet that are to the right of the column containing your identical data. This can lead to some limitations, which is why some people prefer to use the INDEX and MATCH functions instead.

13. Use INDEX and MATCH formulas to pull data from horizontal columns.

Like VLOOKUP, the INDEX and MATCH functions pull in data from another dataset into one central location. Here are the main differences:

• VLOOKUP is a much simpler formula. If you’re working with large data sets that would require thousands of lookups, using the INDEX and MATCH function will significantly decrease load time in Excel.
• The INDEX and MATCH formulas work right-to-left, whereas VLOOKUP formulas only work as a left-to-right lookup. In other words, if you need to do a lookup that has a lookup column to the right of the results column, then you’d have to rearrange those columns in order to do a VLOOKUP. This can be tedious with large datasets and/or lead to errors.

So if I want to combine information in Sheet 1 and Sheet 2 onto Sheet 1, but the column values in Sheets 1 and 2 aren’t the same, then to do a VLOOKUP, I would need to switch around my columns. In this case, I’d choose to do an INDEX and MATCH instead.

Let’s look at an example. Let’s say Sheet 1 contains a list of people’s names and their Hogwarts email addresses, and Sheet 2 contains a list of people’s email addresses and the Patronus that each student has. (For the non-Harry Potter fans out there, every witch or wizard has an animal guardian called a «Patronus» associated with him or her.) The information that lives in both sheets is the column containing email addresses, but this email address column is in different column numbers on each sheet. I’d use the INDEX and MATCH formulas instead of VLOOKUP so I wouldn’t have to switch any columns around.

So what’s the formula, then? The formula is actually the MATCH formula nested inside the INDEX formula. You’ll see I differentiated the MATCH formula using a different color here.

The formula: =INDEX(table array, MATCH formula)

This becomes: =INDEX(table array, MATCH (lookup_value, lookup_array))

The formula with variables from our example below: =INDEX(Sheet2!A:A,(MATCH(Sheet1!C:C,Sheet2!C:C,0)))

Here are the variables:

• Table Array: The range of columns on Sheet 2 containing the new data you want to bring over to Sheet 1. In our example, «A» means Column A, which contains the «Patronus» information for each person.
• Lookup Value: This is the column in Sheet 1 that contains identical values in both spreadsheets. In the example that follows, this means the «email» column on Sheet 1, which is Column C. So: Sheet1!C:C.
• Lookup Array: This is the column in Sheet 2 that contains identical values in both spreadsheets. In the example that follows, this refers to the «email» column on Sheet 2, which happens to also be Column C. So: Sheet2!C:C.

Once you have your variables straight, type in the INDEX and MATCH formulas in the top-most cell of the blank Patronus column on Sheet 1, where you want the combined information to live.

14. Use the COUNTIF function to make Excel count words or numbers in any range of cells.

Instead of manually counting how often a certain value or number appears, let Excel do the work for you. With the COUNTIF function, Excel can count the number of times a word or number appears in any range of cells.

For example, let’s say I want to count the number of times the word «Gryffindor» appears in my data set.

The formula: =COUNTIF(range, criteria)

The formula with variables from our example below: =COUNTIF(D:D,»Gryffindor»)

In this formula, there are several variables:

• Range: The range that we want the formula to cover. In this case, since we’re only focusing on one column, we use «D:D» to indicate that the first and last column are both D. If I were looking at columns C and D, I would use «C:D.»
• Criteria: Whatever number or piece of text you want Excel to count. Only use quotation marks if you want the result to be text instead of a number. In our example, the criteria is «Gryffindor.»

Simply typing in the COUNTIF formula in any cell and pressing «Enter» will show me how many times the word «Gryffindor» appears in the dataset.

15. Combine cells using &.

Databases tend to split out data to make it as exact as possible. For example, instead of having a column that shows a person’s full name, a database might have the data as a first name and then a last name in separate columns. Or, it may have a person’s location separated by city, state, and zip code. In Excel, you can combine cells with different data into one cell by using the «&» sign in your function.

The formula with variables from our example below: =A2&» «&B2

Let’s go through the formula together using an example. Pretend we want to combine first names and last names into full names in a single column. To do this, we’d first put our cursor in the blank cell where we want the full name to appear. Next, we’d highlight one cell that contains a first name, type in an «&» sign, and then highlight a cell with the corresponding last name.

But you’re not finished — if all you type in is =A2&B2, then there will not be a space between the person’s first name and last name. To add that necessary space, use the function =A2&» «&B2. The quotation marks around the space tell Excel to put a space in between the first and last name.

To make this true for multiple rows, simply drag the corner of that first cell downward as shown in the example.

16. Add checkboxes.

If you’re using an Excel sheet to track customer data and want to oversee something that isn’t quantifiable, you could insert checkboxes into a column.

For example, if you’re using an Excel sheet to manage your sales prospects and want to track whether you called them in the last quarter, you could have a «Called this quarter?» column and check off the cells in it when you’ve called the respective client.

Here’s how to do it.

Highlight a cell you’d like to add checkboxes to in your spreadsheet. Then, click DEVELOPER. Then, under FORM CONTROLS, click the checkbox or the selection circle highlighted in the image below.

Once the box appears in the cell, copy it, highlight the cells you also want it to appear in, and then paste it.

17. Hyperlink a cell to a website.

If you’re using your sheet to track social media or website metrics, it can be helpful to have a reference column with the links each row is tracking. If you add a URL directly into Excel, it should automatically be clickable. But, if you have to hyperlink words, such as a page title or the headline of a post you’re tracking, here’s how.

Highlight the words you want to hyperlink, then press Shift K. From there a box will pop up allowing you to place the hyperlink URL. Copy and paste the URL into this box and hit or click Enter.

If the key shortcut isn’t working for any reason, you can also do this manually by highlighting the cell and clicking Insert > Hyperlink.

18. Add drop-down menus.

Sometimes, you’ll be using your spreadsheet to track processes or other qualitative things. Rather than writing words into your sheet repetitively, such as «Yes», «No», «Customer Stage», «Sales Lead», or «Prospect», you can use dropdown menus to quickly mark descriptive things about your contacts or whatever you’re tracking.

Here’s how to add drop-downs to your cells.

Highlight the cells you want the drop-downs to be in, then click the Data menu in the top navigation and press Validation.

From there, you’ll see a Data Validation Settings box open. Look at the Allow options, then click Lists and select Drop-down List. Check the In-Cell dropdown button, then press OK.

19. Use the format painter. 

As you’ve probably noticed, Excel has a lot of features to make crunching numbers and analyzing your data quick and easy. But if you ever spent some time formatting a sheet to your liking, you know it can get a bit tedious.

Don’t waste time repeating the same formatting commands over and over again. Use the format painter to easily copy the formatting from one area of the worksheet to another. To do so, choose the cell you’d like to replicate, then select the format painter option (paintbrush icon) from the top toolbar.

Excel Keyboard Shortcuts 

Creating reports in Excel is time-consuming enough. How can we spend less time navigating, formatting, and selecting items in our spreadsheet? Glad you asked. There are a ton of Excel shortcuts out there, including some of our favorites listed below.

Create a New Workbook

PC: Ctrl-N | Mac: Command-N

Select Entire Row

PC: Shift-Space | Mac: Shift-Space

Select Entire Column

PC: Ctrl-Space | Mac: Control-Space

Select Rest of Column

PC: Ctrl-Shift-Down/Up | Mac: Command-Shift-Down/Up

Select Rest of Row

PC: Ctrl-Shift-Right/Left | Mac: Command-Shift-Right/Left

Add Hyperlink

PC: Ctrl-K | Mac: Command-K

Open Format Cells Window

PC: Ctrl-1 | Mac: Command-1

Autosum Selected Cells

PC: Alt-= | Mac: Command-Shift-T

Other Excel Help Resources

• How to Make a Chart or Graph in Excel [With Video Tutorial]
• Design Tips to Create Beautiful Excel Charts and Graphs
• Totally Free Microsoft Excel Templates That Make Marketing Easier
• How to Learn Excel Online: Free and Paid Resources for Excel Training

Use Excel to Automate Processes in Your Team

Even if you’re not an accountant, you can still use Excel to automate tasks and processes in your team. With the tips and tricks we shared in this post, you’ll be sure to use Excel to its fullest extent and get the most out of the software to grow your business.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2017 but has been updated for comprehensiveness.

How To Use Excel: A Beginner’s Guide To Getting Started

How To Use Excel:
A Beginner’s Guide To Getting Started

Written by co-founder Kasper Langmann, Microsoft Office Specialist.

Excel is a powerful application—but it can also be very intimidating.

That’s why we’ve put together this beginner’s guide to getting started with Excel.

It will take you from the very beginning (opening a spreadsheet), through entering and working with data, and finish with saving and sharing.

It’s everything you need to know to get started with Excel.

If you want to tag along as you read, please download the free sample Excel workbook here.

Opening an Excel spreadsheet

When you first open Excel (by double-clicking the icon or selecting it from the Start menu), the application will ask what you want to do.

If you want to open a new Excel spreadsheet, click Blank workbook.

To open an existing spreadsheet (like the example workbook you just downloaded), click Open Other Workbooks in the lower-left corner, then click Browse on the left side of the resulting window.

Then use the file explorer to find the Excel workbook you’re looking for, select it, and click Open.

Workbooks vs. spreadsheets

There’s something we should clear up before we move on.

A workbook is an Excel file. It usually has a file extension of .XLSX (if you’re using an older version of Excel, it could be .XLS).

A spreadsheet is a single sheet inside a workbook. There can be many sheets inside of a workbook, and they’re accessed via the tabs at the bottom of the screen.

A spreadsheet (a.k.a. a sheet/tab) contains all the cells you can see and use in the >1 million rows >16,000 columns.

Working with the Ribbon

The Ribbon is the central control panel of Excel. You can do just about everything you need to directly from the Ribbon.

Where is this powerful tool? At the top of the window:

There are a number of tabs, including the File tab, Home tab, Insert tab, Data tab, Review tab, and a few others. Each tab contains different buttons.

Try clicking on a few different tabs to see which buttons appear below them.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

There’s also a very useful search bar in the Ribbon. It says Tell me what you want to do. Just type in what you’re looking for, and Excel will help you find it.

Most of the time, you’ll be in the Home tab of the Ribbon. But Formulas and Data are also very useful (we’ll be talking about formulas shortly).

Pro tip: Ribbon sections

In addition to tabs, the Ribbon also has some smaller sections. And when you’re looking for something specific, those sections can help you find it.

For example, if you’re looking for sorting and filtering options, you don’t want to hover over dozens of buttons finding out what they do.

Instead, skim through the section names until you find what you’re looking for:

Managing your sheets

As we saw, workbooks can contain multiple sheets.

You can manage those sheets with the sheet tabs near the bottom of the screen. Click a tab to open that particular worksheet.

If you’re using our example workbook, you’ll see two sheets, called Welcome and Thank You:

To add a new worksheet, click the + (plus) button at the end of the list of sheets.

You can also reorder the sheets in your workbook by dragging them to a new location.

And if you right-click a worksheet tab, you’ll get a number of options:

For now, don’t worry too much about these options. Rename and Delete are useful, but the rest needn’t concern you.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Entering data

Now it’s time to enter some data!

And while entering data is one of the most central and important things you can do in Excel, it’s almost effortless.

Just click into a blank cell and start typing.

Go ahead, try it! Type your name, birthday, and your favorite number into some blank cells.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

You can also copy (Ctrl + C), cut (Ctrl + X), and paste (Ctrl + V) any data you’d like (or read our full guide on copying and pasting here).

Try copying and pasting the data from multiple cells inthe example spreadsheet into another column.

You can also copy data from other programs into Excel.

Try copying this list of numbers and pasting it into your sheet:

• 17
• 24
• 9
• 00
• 3
• 12

That’s all we’re going to cover for basic data entry. Just know that there are lots of other ways to get data into your spreadsheets if you need them.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Basic calculations

Now that we’ve seen how to get some basic data into our spreadsheet, we’re going to do some things with it.

Running basic calculations in Excel is easy. First, we’ll look at how to add two numbers.

Important: start calculations with = (equals)

When you’re running a calculation (or a formula, which we’ll discuss next), the first thing you need to type is an equals sign. This tells Excel to get ready to run some sort of calculation.

So when you see something like =MEDIAN(A2:A51), make sure you type it exactly as it is—including the equals sign.

Let’s add 3 and 4. Type the following formula in a blank cell:

=3+4

Then hit Enter.

When you hit Enter, Excel evaluates your equation and displays the result, 7.

But if you look above at the formula bar, you’ll still see the original formula.

That’s a useful thing to keep in mind, in case you forget what you typed originally.

You can also edit a cell in the formula bar. Click on any cell, then click into the formula bar and start typing.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Performing subtraction, multiplication, and division is just as easy. Try these formulas:

• =4-6
• =2*5
• =-10/3

What we’re going to cover next is one of the most important things in Excel. We’re giving it a very basic overview here, but feel free to read our post on cell references to get the details.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Now let’s try something different. Open up the first sheet in the example workbook, click into cell C1, and type the following:

=A1+B1

Hit Enter.

You should get 82, the sum of the numbers in cells A1 and B1.

Now, change one of the numbers in A1 or B1 and watch what happens:

Because you’re adding A1 and B1, Excel automatically updates the total when you change the values in one of those cells.

Try doing different types of arithmetic on the other numbers in columns A and B using this method.

Unlocking the power of functions

Excel’s greatest power lies in functions. These let you run complex calculations with a few keypresses.

We’ll barely scratch the surface of functions here. Check out our other blog posts to see some of the great things you can do with functions!

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Many formulas take sets of numbers and give you information about them.

For example, the AVERAGE function gives you the average of a set of numbers. Let’s try using it.

Click into an empty cell and type the following formula:

=AVERAGE(A1:A4)

Then hit Enter.

The resulting number, 0.25, is the average of the numbers in cells A1, A2, A3, and A4.

Cell range notation

In the formula above, we used “A1:A4” to tell Excel to look at all the cells between A1 and A4, including both of those cells. You can read it as “A1 through A4.”

You can also use this to include numbers in different columns. “A5:C7” includes A5, A6, A7, B5, B6, B7, C5, C6, and C7.

There are also functions that work on text.

Let’s try the CONCATENATE function!

Click into cell C5 and type this formula:

=CONCATENATE(A5, ” “, B5)

Then hit Enter.

You’ll see the message “Welcome to Spreadsheeto” in the cell.

How did this happen? CONCATENATE takes cells with text in them and puts them together.

We put the contents of A5 and B5 together. But because we also needed a space between “to” and “Spreadsheeto,” we included a third argument: the space between two quotes.

Remember that you can mix cell references (like “A5″) and typed values (like ” “) in formulas.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Excel has dozens of useful functions. To find the function that will solve a particular problem, head to the Formulas tab and click on one of the icons:

Scroll through the list of available functions, and select the one you want (you may have to look around for a while).

Then Excel will help you get the right numbers in the right places:

If you start typing a formula, starting with the equals sign, Excel will help you by showing you some possible functions that you might be looking for:

And finally, once you’ve typed the name of a formula and the opening parenthesis, Excel will tell you which arguments need to go where:

If you’ve never used a function before, it might be difficult to interpret Excel’s reminders. But once you get more experience, it’ll become clear.

This is a tiny preview of how functions work and what they can do. It should be enough to get you going on the tasks you need to accomplish right away.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Saving and sharing your work

After you’ve done a bunch of work with your spreadsheet, you’re going to want to save your changes.

Hit Ctrl + S to save. If you haven’t yet saved your spreadsheet, you’ll be asked where you want to save it and what you want to call it.

You can also click the Save button in the Quick Access Toolbar:

It’s a good idea to get into the habit of saving often. Trying to recover unsaved changes is a pain!

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

The easiest way to share your spreadsheets is via OneDrive.

Click the Share button in the top-right corner of the window, and Excel will walk you through sharing your document.

You can also save your document and email it, or use any other cloud service to share it with others.

That’s it – Now what?

This was how to use Excel.

Or… at least a small fraction of it.

Microsoft Excel can be intimidating, but once you get the basics down, it’s easier to learn the more advanced functions.

This was your introduction to “the basics”. So, if you’re not ready to get some advanced Excel knowledge, go ahead and practice with some of the existing data at the office 🧑🏼‍💻

If you’re ready to take your next steps, go ahead and enroll in my 30-minute free online course where you learn: IF, SUMIF, VLOOKUP, and data cleaning.

These are some of the most important topics of Excel💪🏼

Other resources

Now, you can’t excel at Excel without mastering some of the lookup functions like VLOOKUP and the new XLOOKUP.

But also, you don’t wanna miss out on pivot tables. You can use these to transform your Microsoft Excel data into insightful reports in just a few clicks🤯

Or if you’re into automating Excel spreadsheet formatting, go ahead and read my guide to conditional formatting here.

Kasper Langmann2023-02-23T14:45:07+00:00

Introduction

Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows you to store, organize, and analyze information. While you may think Excel is only used by certain people to process complicated data, anyone can learn how to take advantage of the program’s powerful features. Whether you’re keeping a budget, organizing a training log, or creating an invoice, Excel makes it easy to work with different types of data.

Watch the video below to learn more about Excel.

About this tutorial

The procedures in this tutorial will work for all recent versions of Microsoft Excel, including Excel 2019, Excel 2016, and Office 365. There may be some slight differences, but for the most part these versions are similar. However, if you’re using an earlier version, you may want to refer to one of our other Excel tutorials instead.

The Excel Start Screen

When you open Excel for the first time, the Excel Start Screen will appear. From here, you’ll be able to create a new workbook, choose a template, and access your recently edited workbooks.

• From the Excel Start Screen, locate and select Blank workbook to access the Excel interface.

  

The parts of the Excel window

Some parts of the Excel window (like the Ribbon and scroll bars) are standard in most other Microsoft programs. However, there are other features that are more specific to spreadsheets, such as the formula bar, name box, and worksheet tabs.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to become familiar with the parts of the Excel interface.

Working with the Excel environment

The Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar are where you will find the commands to perform common tasks in Excel. The Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, and sharing your document.

The Ribbon

Excel uses a tabbed Ribbon system instead of traditional menus. The Ribbon contains multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands. You will use these tabs to perform the most common tasks in Excel.

• Each tab will have one or more groups.

  

• Some groups will have an arrow you can click for more options.

  

• Click a tab to see more commands.

  

• You can adjust how the Ribbon is displayed with the Ribbon Display Options.

  

Certain programs, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, may install additional tabs to the Ribbon. These tabs are called add-ins.

To change the Ribbon Display Options:

The Ribbon is designed to respond to your current task, but you can choose to minimize it if you find that it takes up too much screen space. Click the Ribbon Display Options arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon to display the drop-down menu.

There are three modes in the Ribbon Display Options menu:

• Auto-hide Ribbon: Auto-hide displays your workbook in full-screen mode and completely hides the Ribbon. To show the Ribbon, click the Expand Ribbon command at the top of screen.

  

• Show Tabs: This option hides all command groups when they’re not in use, but tabs will remain visible. To show the Ribbon, simply click a tab.

  

• Show Tabs and Commands: This option maximizes the Ribbon. All of the tabs and commands will be visible. This option is selected by default when you open Excel for the first time.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Located just above the Ribbon, the Quick Access Toolbar lets you access common commands no matter which tab is selected. By default, it includes the Save, Undo, and Repeat commands. You can add other commands depending on your preference.

To add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar:

1. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Quick Access Toolbar.
2. Select the command you want to add from the drop-down menu. To choose from additional commands, select More Commands.

   

3. The command will be added to the Quick Access Toolbar.

   

How to use Tell me:

The Tell me box works like a search bar to help you quickly find tools or commands you want to use.

1. Type in your own words what you want to do.

   

2. The results will give you a few relevant options. To use one, click it like you would a command on the Ribbon.

   

Worksheet views

Excel has a variety of viewing options that change how your workbook is displayed. These views can be useful for various tasks, especially if you’re planning to print the spreadsheet. To change worksheet views, locate the commands in the bottom-right corner of the Excel window and select Normal view, Page Layout view, or Page Break view.

• Normal view is the default view for all worksheets in Excel.

  

• Page Layout view displays how your worksheets will appear when printed. You can also add headers and footers in this view.

  

• Page Break view allows you to change the location of page breaks, which is especially helpful when printing a lot of data from Excel.

  

Backstage view

Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, and sharing your workbooks.

To access Backstage view:

1. Click the File tab on the Ribbon. Backstage view will appear.

   

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using Backstage view.

Challenge!

1. Open Excel.
2. Click Blank Workbook to open a new spreadsheet.
3. Change the Ribbon Display Options to Show Tabs.
4. Using the Customize Quick Access Toolbar, click to add New, Quick Print, and Spelling.
5. In the Tell me bar, type the word Color. Hover over Fill Color and choose yellow. This will fill a cell with the color yellow.
6. Change the worksheet view to the Page Layout option.
7. When you’re finished, your screen should look like this:

   

8. Change the Ribbon Display Options back to Show Tabs and Commands.
9. Close Excel and Don’t Save changes.

/en/excel/understanding-onedrive/content/

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Examples in Each Chapter

We use practical examples to give the user a better understanding of the concepts.

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Copy Values Tool

Example values can be copied from the tutorial and into your spreadsheet, making it easy for you to tag along
step-by-step:

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Case Based Learning

We have created active learning activities, so you can test and build your knowledge. Making the learning experience more fun and engaging.

Solve Case »

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Why Study Excel?

Excel is the world’s most used spreadsheet program.

Example use areas:

1. Data analytics
2. Project management
3. Finance and accounting

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Log in to your account, and start earning points!

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One of the FASTEST ways to Learn Excel is to learn some of the Excel TIPS and TRICKS, period and if you learn a single Excel tip a day you can learn 30 new things in a month.

But you must have a list that you can refer to every day instead of searching here and there. Well, I’m super PROUD to say that this is the most comprehensive list with all the basic and advanced tips that you can find on the INTERNET.

In this LIST, I have covered 300+ Excel TIPS and TRICKS which you can learn to Level Up your Excel Skills.

1. Add Serial Numbers

If you work with large data then it’s better to add a serial number column to it. For me, the best way to do this is to apply the table (Control + T) to the data and then add 1 in the above serial number, just like below.

To do this, you simply need to add 1 to the first cell of the column and then create a formula to add 1 to the above cell’s value. As you are using a table, whenever you create a new entry in the table, Excel will automatically drop down the formula and you will get the serial number.

2. Insert Current Date and Time

The best way to insert the current date and time is to use the NOW function which takes the date and time from the system and returns it.

The only problem with this function is it’s volatile, and whenever you recalculate something it updates its value. And if you don’t want to do this, the best way is to convert it to hard value. You can also use the below VBA code.

Sub timestamp()
Dim ts As Date
With Selection
.Value = Now
.NumberFormat = "m/d/yyyy h:mm:ss AM/PM"
End With
End Sub

Or these methods to insert a timestamp in a cell.

3. Select Non-Continues Cells

Normally we all do it this way, hold the control key, and select cells one by one. But I have found that there is a far better way for this. All you have to do is, select the first cell and then press SHIFT + F8.

This gives you add or remove selection mode in which you can select cells just by selecting them.

4. Sort Buttons

If you deal with data that needs to sort frequently then it’s better to add a button to the quick access toolbar (if it’s not there already).

All you need to do is click on the down arrow on the quick access toolbar and then select “Sort Ascending” and “Sort Descending”. It adds both buttons to the QAT.

5. Move Data

I’m sure you think about copy-paste but you can also use drag-drop for this.

Simply select the range where you have data and then click on the border of the selection. By holding it move to the place where you need to put it.

6. Status Bar

The status bar is always there but we hardly use it to the full. If you right-click on it, you can see there are a lot of options you can add.

7. Clipboard

There is a problem with normal copy-paste that you can only use a single value at a time.

But here is the kicker: When you copy a value, it goes to the clipboard and if you open the clipboard you can paste all the values which you have copied. To open a clipboard, click on the go to Home Tab ➜ Editing and then click on the down arrow.

It will open the clipboard on the left side, and you can paste values from there.

8. Bullet Points

The easiest way to insert bullet points in Excel is by using custom formatting and here are the steps for this:

1. Press Ctrl + 1 and you will get the “Format Cell” dialogue box.
2. Under the number tab, select custom.
3. In the input bar, enter the following formatting.
   1. ● General;● General;● General;● General
4. In the end, click OK.

Now, whenever you enter a value in the cell Excel will add a bullet before that.

9. Worksheet Copy

To create a copy of a worksheet in the same workbook drag and drop in the best way.

You just need to click and hold the mouse on the sheet’s name tab and then drag and drop it, to the left or right, where you want to create a copy.

10. Undo-Redo

Just like sort buttons you can also add undo and redo buttons to the QAT. The best part about those buttons is you can use them to undo a particular activity without pressing the shortcut key again and again.

More Basic Tips: Delta Symbol | Degree Symbol | Formula to Value | Concatenate a Range of Cells | Insert a Check Mark Symbol in Excel | Convert Negative Number into Positive | Highlight Blank Cells in Excel

11. AutoFormat

If you deal with financial data, then auto format can be one of your best tools. It simply applies the format to small as well as large data sets (especially when data is in tabular form).

1. First of all, you need to add it to the quick access toolbar (here are the steps).
2. After that, whenever you need to apply the format, just select the data where you want to apply it and click on the AUTO FORMAT button from the quick access toolbar.
3. It will show you a window to select the formatting type and after selecting that click OK.

The AUTOFORMAT is a combination of six different formattings and you have the option to disable any of them while applying it.

12. Format Painter

The simple idea with the format painter is to copy and paste formatting from one section to another. Let’s say you have specific formatting (Font Style and Color, Background Color to a Cell, Bold, Border, etc.) in the range B2:D7, and with format painter, you can copy that formatting to range B9: D14 with a click.

1. First of all, select the range B2:D7.
2. After that, go to the Home Tab ➜ Clipboard and then click on “Format Painter”.
3. Now, select cell C1 and it will automatically apply the formatting on B9: D14.

The format painter is fast and makes it easy to apply to format from one section to another.

Related: Format Painter Shortcut

13. Cell Message

Let’s say you need to add a specific message to a cell, like “Don’t delete the value”, “enter your name” or something like that.

In this case, you can add a cell message for that particular cell. When the user will select that cell, it will show the message you have specified. Here are the steps to do this:

1. First, select the cell to which you want to add a message.
2. After that, go to the Data Tab ➜ Data Tools ➜ Data Validation ➜ Data Validation.
3. In the data validation window, go to the Input Message tab.
4. Enter the title, and message, and make sure to tick mark “Show input message when the cell is selected”.
5. In the end, click OK.

Once the message is shown you can drag and drop it to change its position.

14. Strikethrough

Unlike Word, in Excel, there is no option on the ribbon to apply strikethrough. But I have figured out that there are 5 ways to do it and the easiest of all of them is a keyboard shortcut.

All you need to do is select the cell where you want to apply the strikethrough and use the below keyboard shortcut.

Ctrl + 5

And if you are using MAC then:

⌘ + ⇧ + X

Quick Note: You can use the same shortcut keys if you need to do this for partial text.

15. Add Barcode

It is one of those secret tips that most Excel users are unaware of. To create a bar-code in Excel all you need to do is install this bar-code font from ID-AUTOMATIC.

Once you install this font, you will have to type the number in a cell for which you want to create a bar code and then apply the font style.

learn more about this tip

16. Month Name

Alright, let’s say you have a date in a cell, and you want that date to show as a month or a year. For this, you can apply custom formatting.

• First, select the cell with a date and open formatting options (use Ctrl + 1).
• Select the “Custom” option and add “MMM” or “MMMMMM” for the month or “YYYY” for the year format.
• In the end, click OK.

Custom formatting just changes the formatting of the cell from date to year/month, but the value remains the same.

17. Highlight Blank Cells

When you work with large data sheets it’s hard to identify the blank cells. So, the best way is to highlight them by applying a cell color.

• First, select all the data from the worksheet using the shortcut key Ctrl + A.

• After that, go to Home Tab ➜ Editing ➜ Find & Select ➜ Go to Special.

• From Go to Special dialog box, select Blank and click OK.

• At this point, you have all the blank cells selected and now apply a cell color using font settings.

…but you can also use conditional formatting for this

18. Font Color with Custom Formatting

In Excel, we can apply custom formatting and in custom formatting, there is an option to use font colors (limited but useful).

For example, if you want to use the Green color for positive numbers and the red color for negative numbers then you need to use the custom format.

[Green]#,###;[Red]-#,###;0;

1. First, select the cells where you want to apply this format.
2. After that open the format option using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + 1 and go to the “Custom” category and the custom format in the input dialogue box.
3. In the end, click OK.

19. Theme Color

We all have some favorite fonts and colors which we use in Excel. Let’s say you received a file from your colleague and now you want to change the font and colors for the worksheet from that file. The point is, you need to do this one by one for each worksheet and that takes time.

But if you create a custom theme with your favorite colors and fonts then you can change the style of the worksheet with a single click. For this, all you have to do is apply your favorite designs to the tables, colors to the shapes and charts, and font style, and then save it as a custom theme.

1. Go to the Page Layout Tab ➜ Themes ➜ Save Current Theme. It opens a “Save As” dialogue box, names your theme, and saves it.
2. And now, every time you need just one click to change any worksheet style to your custom style.

20. Clear Formatting

This is a simple keyboard shortcut that you can use to clear formatting from a cell or range of cells.

Alt ➜ H ➜ E ➜ F

Or, otherwise, you can also use the clear formatting option from the Home Tab (Home Tab ➜ Editing ➜ Clear ➜ Formats).

21. Sentence Case

In Excel, we have three different functions (LOWER, UPPER, and PROPER) to convert text into different cases. But there is no option to convert a text into a sentence case. Here is the formula which you can use:

=UPPER(LEFT(A1,1))&LOWER(RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-1))

This formula converts the first letter of a sentence into capital and the rest all in small (learn how this formula works).

22. Random Numbers

In Excel, there are two specific functions that you can use to generate random numbers. First is RAND which generates random numbers between 0 and 1.

And second is RANDBETWEEN which generates random numbers within the range of two specific numbers.

ALERT: These functions are volatile so whenever you re-calculate your worksheet or hit enter, they update their values so make sure to use them with caution. You can also use RANDBETWEEN to generate random letters and random dates.

23. Count Words

In Excel, there is no specific function to count words. You can count characters with LEN but not words. But, you can use the following formula which can help you to count words from a cell.

=LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1,” “,”))+1

This formula counts the number of spaces from a cell and adds 1 to it after that which equals the total number of words in a cell.

24. Calculate the Age

The best way to calculate a person’s age is by using the DATEDIF. This mysterious function is specifically made to get the difference between a date range.

And the formula will be:

=”Your age is “& DATEDIF(Date-of-Birth,Today(),”y”) &” Year(s), “& DATEDIF(Date-of-Birth,TODAY(),”ym”)& ” MONTH(s) & “& DATEDIF(Date-of-Birth,TODAY(),”md”)& ” Day(s).”

25. Calculate the Ratio

I have figured out that there are four different ways to calculate the ratio in Excel but using a simple divide method is the easiest one. All you need to do is divide the larger number into the smaller ones and concatenate it with a colon and one and here’s the formula you need to use:

=Larger-Number/Smaller-Number&”:”&”1″

This formula divides the larger number by the smaller one so that you can take the smaller number as a base (1).

26. Root of Number

To calculate the square root, cube root, or any root of a number the best way is to use the exponent formula. In the exponent formula, you can specify the Nth number for which you want to calculate the root.

=number^(1/n)

For example, if you want to calculate a square root of 625 then the formula will be:

=625^(1/2)

28. Month’s Last Date

To simply get the last date of a month you can use the following dynamic formula.

=DATE(YEAR(TODAY()),MONTH(TODAY())+1,0)

29. Reverse VLOOKUP

As we all know there is no way to look up to left for a value using VLOOKUP. But if you switch to INDEX MATCH you can look up in any direction.

30. SUMPRODUCT IF

You can use the below formula to create a conditional SUMPRODUCT and product values using a condition.

=SUMPRODUCT(–(C7:C19=C2),E7:E19,F7:F19)

31. Smooth Line

If you love to use a line chart, then you are awesome but it would be more awesome if you use a smooth line in the chart. This will give a smart look to your chart.

1. Select the data line in your chart and right-click on it.
2. Select “Format Data Series”.
3. Go to Fill & Line ➜ Line ➜ Tick mark “Smoothed Line”.

33. Hide Axis Labels

This charting tip is simple but still quite functional. If you don’t want to show axis label values in your chart you can delete them. But the better way is to hide them instead of deleting them. Here are the steps:

1. Select the Horizontal/Vertical axis in the chart.
2. Go to “Format Axis” Labels.
3. In the label position, select “None”.

And again, if you want to show it then just select “Next to axis”.

34. Display Units

If you are dealing with large numbers in your chart, you can change the units for axis values.

1. Select the chart axis of your chart and open the format “Format Axis” options.
2. In axis options, go to “Display Units” where you can select a unit for your axis values.

35. Round Corner

I often use Excel charts with rounded corners and if you like to use round corners too, here are the simple steps.

1. Select your chart and open formatting options.
2. Go to Fill and Line ➜ Borders.
3. In borders sections, tick mark rounded corners.

36. Hide Gap

Let’s say you have a chart with monthly sales in which June has no amount and the cell is empty. You can use the following options for that empty cell.

• Show the gap for the empty cell.
• Use zero.
• Connect data points with the line.

Here are the steps to use these options.

1. Right, click on your chart & select “Select Data”.
2. In the select data window, click on “Hidden and Empty Cell”.
3. Select your desired option from “Show Empty Cell as”.

Make sure to use “Connect data points with the line” (recommended).

38. Chart Template

Let’s say you have a favorite chart formatting you want to apply every time you create a new chart. You can create a chart template to use anytime in the future and the steps are as follow.

• Once you have done with your favorite formatting, right-click on it & select “Save As Template”.

• Using the save as dialog box, save it in the template folder.
• To insert a new one with your favorite template, select it from templates in the insert chart dialog.

39. Default Chart

You can use a shortcut key to insert a chart, but the problem is, it will only insert the default chart, and in Excel, the default chart type is “Column Chart”. So if your favorite chart is a line chart, then the shortcut is useless for you. But let’s conquer this problem. Here are the steps to fix this:

• Go to Insert Tab ➜ Charts.
• Click on the arrow at the bottom right corner.
• Then in your insert chart window, go to “All Charts” and then select the chart category.
• Right, click on the chart style you want to make your default Select “Set as Default Chart”.
• Click OK.

40. Hidden Cells

When you hide a cell from the data range of a chart, it will hide that data point from the chart as well. To fix this, just follow these steps.

1. Select your chart and right-click on it.
2. Go to ➜ Select Data ➜ Hidden and empty cells.
3. From the pop-up window, tick the mark “Show data in hidden rows and columns”.

41. Print Titles

Let’s say you have headings on your table, and you want to print those headings on every page you print. In this case, you can fix “Print Titles” to print those headings on each page.

• Go to “Page Layout Tab” ➜ Page Set Up ➜ Click on Print Titles.
• Now in the page setup window go to the sheet tab and specify the following things.

1. Print Area: Select the entire data which you want to print.
2. Rows to repeat at the top: Heading row(s) which you want to repeat on every page.
3. Columns to repeat at the left: Column(s) which you want to repeat at the left side of every page (if any).

42. Page Order

Specifying the page order is quite useful when you want to print large data.

• Go to File Tab ➜ Print ➜ Print Setup ➜ Sheets Tab.
• Now here, you have two options:
  • The First Option: To print your pages using a vertical order.
  • The Second Option: To print your pages using a horizontal order.

If you add comments to your reports then you can print them as well. At the end of all printed pages, you can get a list of all the comments.

• Go to File Tab ➜ Print ➜ Print Setup ➜ Sheets Tab.
• In the print section, select “At the end of the sheet” using the comment dropdown.
• Click OK.

44. Scale to Fit

Sometimes we struggle to print entire data on a single page. In this situation, you can use the “Scale to Fit” option to adjust the entire data into a single page.

1. Go to File Tab ➜ Print ➜ Print Setup ➜ Page Tab.
2. Next, you need to adjust two options:
   1. Adjust % of normal size.
   2. Specify the number of pages in which you want to adjust your entire data using width and length.

Instead of using the page number in the header and footer, you can also use a custom header and footer.

• Go to File Tab ➜ Print ➜ Print Setup ➜ Header/Footer.
• Click on the custom header or footer button.

• Here you can select the alignment of the header/footer.

• And the following options can be used:
  1. Page Number
  2. Page Number with total pages.
  3. Date
  4. Time
  5. File Path
  6. File Name
  7. Sheet Name
  8. Image

46. Center on Page

Imagine you have less data to print on a page. In this case, you can align it at the center of the page while printing.

1. Go to File Tab ➜ Print ➜ Print Setup ➜ Margins.
2. In “Center on Page” you have two options to select.
   • Horizontally: Aligns data to the center of the page.
   • Vertically: Aligns data to the middle of the page.

Before printing a page make sure to see the changes in the print preview.

47. Print Area

The simple way to print a range is to select that range and use the option “print selection”. But what if you need to print that range frequently, in that case, you can specify the printing area and print it without selecting it every time.

Go to the Page Layout Tab, click on the Print Area drop-down, and after that, click on the Set Print Area option.

48. Custom Margin

• Go to File Tab ➜ Print.
• Once you click on print, you’ll get an instant print preview.
• Now from the bottom right side of the window, click on the “Show Margins” button.

It will show all the margins applied and you can change them just by dragging and dropping.

49. Error Values

You can replace all the error values while printing with a specific value (three other values to use as a replacement).

• Go to File Tab ➜ Print ➜ Print Setup ➜ Sheet.
• Select the replacement value from the “Cell error as” dropdown.
• You have three options to use as a replacement.
  1. Blank
  2. Double minus sign.
  3. “#N/A” error for all the errors.

• After selecting the replacement value, click OK.

I believe using a “Double minus sign” is the best way to present errors in a report while printing it on a page.

Related: Ignore All the Errors

50. Custom Start Page Number

If you want to start the page number from a custom number let’s say 5. You can specify that number and the rest of the pages will follow that sequence.

• Go to File Tab ➜ Print ➜ Print Setup ➜ Page.
• In the input box “First page Number”, enter the number from where you want to start the page number.

• In the end, click OK.

This option will only work if you have applied the header/footer in your worksheet.

51. Tracking Important Cells

Sometimes we need to track some important cells in a workbook and for this, the best way is to use the watch window. In the watch window, you add those important cells and then get some specific information about them in one place (without navigating to each cell).

• First, go to Formula Tab ➜ Formula Auditing ➜ Watch Window.

• Now in the “Watch Window” dialog box, click on “Add Watch”.

• After that select the cell or range of cells that you want to add and click OK.

Once you hit OK, you’ll get some specific information about the cell(s) in the watch window.

52. Flash Fill

Flash fill is one of my favorite options to use in Excel. It’s like a copycat, perform the task which you have performed. Let me give you an example.

Here are the steps to use it: You have dates in the range A1: A10 and now, you want to get the month from the dates in the B column.

All you need to do is to type the month of the first date in cell B1 and then come down to cell B2 and press the shortcut key CTRL + E. Once you do this it will extract the month from the rest of the dates, just like below.

53. Combine Worksheets

I’m sure somewhere in the past you have received a file from your colleague where you have 12 different worksheets for 12 months of data. In this case, the best solution is to combine all of those worksheets using the “Consolidate” option, and here are the steps for this.

• First, add a new worksheet and then go to Data Tab ➜ Data Tools ➜ Consolidate.

• Now in the “Consolidate” window, click on the upper arrow to add the range from the first worksheet and then click on the “Add” button.
• Next, you need to add references from all the worksheets using the above step.

• In the end, click OK.

54. Protect a Workbook

Adding a password to a workbook is quite simple, here are the steps.

• While saving a file when you open a “Save As” dialog box go to Tools General Options.

• Add a password to “Password to Open” and click OK.

• Re-enter the password and click OK again.
• In the end, save the file.

Now, whenever you re-open this file it will ask you to enter the password to open it.

55. Live Image

In Excel, using a live image of a table can help you resize it according to space, and to create a live image there are two different ways in which you can use it.

One is camera tools and the second is the paste special option. Here are the steps to use the camera tool and for paste special use the below steps.

1. Select the range you want to paste as an image and copy it.
2. Go to the cell and right-click, where you want to paste it.
3. Go to Paste Special ➜ Other Paste ➜ Options Linked Picture.

56. Userform

A few of the Excel users know that there is a default data entry form is there which we can use. And the best part is there is no need to write a single line of code for this.

Here’s how to use it:

1. First of all, make sure you have a table with headings where you want to enter the data.
2. After that select any of the cells from that table and use the shortcut key Alt + D + O + O to open the user form.

57. Custom Tab

We all have some favorite options or some options which we use frequently. To access all those options in one place you create a tab and add them to it.

1. First, go to File Tab ➜ Options ➜ Customize Ribbon.
2. Now click on “New Tab” (this will add a new tab).
3. After that right-click on it and name it and then name the group.
4. Finally, we need to add options to the tab and for this go to “Choose Commands From” and add them to the tab one by one.
5. In the end, click OK.

59. Text to Speech

This is an option where you can make Excel speak the text you have entered into a cell or a range of cells.

60. Named Range

To create a named range the easiest method is to select the range and create it using the “Create from Selection” option. Here are the steps to do this:

• Select the column/row for which you want to create a named range.
• Right-click and click on “Define name…”.

• Select the option to add the name for the named range and click OK.

That’s it.

61. Trim

TRIM can help you to remove extra spaces from a text string. Just refer to the cell from where you want to remove the spaces and it will return the trimmed value in the result.

62. Remove Duplicates

One of the most common things we face while working with large data is “Duplicate Values”. In Excel, removing these duplicate values is quite simple. Here’s how to do this.

1. First, select any of the cells from the data or select the entire data.
2. After that, go to Data ➜ Data Tools ➜ Remove Duplicates.
3. At this point, you have the “Remove Duplicates” window, and from this window, select/de-select the columns which you want to consider/not consider while removing duplicate values.
4. In the end, click OK.

Once you click OK, Excel will remove all the rows from the selected data where values are duplicates and show a message with the number of values removed and unique values left.

64. Remove Specific Character

In the range, A1: A5 and you want to concatenate all of them in a single cell. Here’s how to do this with fill justify.

1. All you need to do is select that column and open the find and replace dialog box.
2. After that click on the “Replace” tab.
3. Now here, in “Find What” enter the character you want to replace and make sure to leave “Replace with” blank.
4. Now click on “Replace All”.

The moment you click on “Replace All” Excel will remove that particular character from the entire column.

Related: Remove First Character from a Cell in Excel

65. Combine Text

So, you have text in multiple cells, and you want to combine all the text into one cell. No, this time not with fill justify. We are doing it with TEXT JOIN. If you use Office 365, there is a new function TEXTJOIN which is a game-changer when it comes to the concatenation of text.

Here’s the syntax:

TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2], …)

All you need to do is to add a delimiter (if any), and TRUE if you want to ignore empty cells, and in the end, refer to the range.

66. Unpivot Data

Look at the below table, you can use it as a report but you can’t use it further as raw data. No, you can’t. But if you convert this table to something like the one below you can use it easily anywhere.

But if you convert this table into something like the one below you can use it easily anywhere. So how to do this?

here are the simple steps you need to follow.

67. Delete Error Cells

Mostly while working with large data it is obvious to have error values but it’s not good to keep them. The easiest way to deal with these error values is to select them and delete them and these are the simple steps.

• First of all, go to Home Tab ➜ Editing ➜ Find & Replace ➜ Go To Special.
• In the Go To dialog box, select formula, and tick mark errors.

• In the end, click OK.

Once you click OK it will select all the errors and then you can simply delete all by using the “Delete” button.

68. Arrange Columns

Let’s say you want to arrange columns from the data using custom order. The normal way is to cut and paste them one by one.

But we also have an out-of-the-box way. In Excel, you can sort columns just like you sort rows and by using the same methods you can arrange them in a custom order.

⇢ Complete Tip

69. Convert to Date

Sometimes you have dates that are stored as text and you can use them in a calculation and further analysis. To simply convert them back to valid dates you can use the DATEVALUE function.

Other ways to convert text to date

71. Format Painter

Before I started to use format painter for applying cell formatting, I was using paste special with the shortcut key.

1. Select the cell or a range from where you want to copy cell formatting.
2. Go to ➜ the Home Tab ➜ Clipboard.
3. Make double-click on the “Format Painter” button.
4. As soon as you do this, your cursor will convert into a paintbrush.
5. You can apply that formatting anywhere in your worksheet, in another worksheet, or, even in another workbook.

72. Rename a Worksheet

I always found it quicker than using a shortcut key to change the name of a worksheet. All you have to do is just double-click on the sheet tab and enter a new name.

Let me tell you why this method is faster than using a shortcut. Suppose if want to rename more than one worksheet using a shortcut key.

Before you change the name of a worksheet, you need to activate it. But if you use the mouse it will automatically activate that worksheet and edit the name with only two clicks.

73. Fill Handle

I am sure shortcut addicts always use a shortcut key to drag formulas and values in downward cells. But using a fill handle is more impressive than using a shortcut key.

1. Select the cell in which you have a formula or a value that you want to drag.
2. Make a double click on the small square box at the right bottom of the cell selection border.

This method only works if you have values in the corresponding column and it works only in the vertical direction.

74. Hide Ribbon

If you want to work in a distraction-free mode, you can do this by collapsing your Excel ribbon.

Just make double-click on the active tab in your ribbon and it will collapse the ribbon. And if you want to expand it back just double-click on it again.

75. Edit a Shape

You often use shapes in our worksheets to present some messages and you have to insert some text into those shapes. Besides the typical method, you can use a double click to edit a shape and insert the text into it.

You can also use this method to edit and enter text in a text box or into a chart title.

76. Column Width

Whenever you have to adjust the column width you can double-click on the right edge of the column header. It auto-sets the column width according to the column data.

The same method can be used to auto-adjust row width.

77. Go to the Last Cell

This trick can be useful if you are working with a large dataset. By using a double click, you can go to the last cell in the range which has data.

You have to click on the right edge of the active cell to go to the right side and on the left edge if you want to go to the left side.

78. Chart Formatting

If you use Control + 1 to open formatting options to format a chart, then I bet you’ll love this trick. All you have to do is just make double-click on the border of the graph to open the formatting option.

79. Pivot Table Double Click

Let’s say someone sent you a pivot table without the source data. As you already know Excel stores data in a pivot cache before creating a pivot table.

You can extract data from a pivot table by double-clicking on data values. As soon as you do this Excel will insert a new worksheet with the data which has been used in the pivot table.

There is a right-click drop-down menu in Excel that few users know about. To use this menu all you need to do is select a cell or a range of the cell and then right-click and while holding it, drop the selection to somewhere else. 

81. Default File Saving Location

Normally while working on Excel I create more than 15 Excel files every day. And, if I save each of these files to my desktop it looks nasty. To solve this problem, I have changed my default folder for saving a workbook, and here’s you can do this.

1. First, go to the File tab and open Excel options.
2. In Excel options, go to the “Save” category.
3. Now, there is an input bar where you can change the default local file location.
4. From this input bar, change the location address and in the end, click OK.

From now onward, when you open the “Save As” dialog box Excel will show you the location you have specified.

82. Disable Start Screen

I’m sure just like me you hate when you open Microsoft Excel (or any other Office app) and you see the start pop-up screen. It takes time depending on your system’s speed and the add-ins you have installed. Here are the steps to disable the start-up screen in Microsoft Office.

1. First, go to the File tab and open Excel options.
2. In Excel options, go to the “General” category.
3. From the option, drill down to the “Start-Up” options and un-tick the “Show the Start screen when this application starts”.
4. In the end, click OK.

From now onward, whenever you start Excel it will directly open the workbook without showing the start-up screen.

83. Developer Tab

Before you start writing VBA codes the first thing you need to do is to enable the “Developer Tab”. When you first install Microsoft Excel, a developer wouldn’t be there. So, you need to enable it from the settings.

1. First, go to the File tab and click on the “Customize Ribbon” category.
2. Now from the tab list, tick marks the developer tab and click OK.

Now when you come back to your Excel window, you’ll have a developer tab on the ribbon.

84. Enable Macros

When you open a macro-enabled file, you need to enable macro options to run VBA codes. Follow these simple steps:

1. First, go to the File tab and click on the “Trust Center” category.
2. From here click on “Trust Center Settings”.
3. Now in “Trust Center Settings”, click on macro settings.
4. After that, click on “Enable all macros with Notifications”.
5. In the end, click OK.

85. AutoCorrect Option

If you do a lot of data entry in Excel, then this option can be a game-changer for you. With the auto-correct option, you can tell Excel to change a text string into another when you type it.

Let me tell you an example:

My name is “Puneet” but sometimes people write it like “Punit” but the correct spelling is the first one. So, what I can do is, use autocorrect and tell Excel to change “Punit” into “Puneet”. Follow these simple steps:

1. First, go to the File tab and go to options and click on the “Proofing” category.
2. After that, click on “AutoCorrect Option” and this will open the auto-correct window.
3. Here in this window, you have two input bars to specify the text to replace and text to replace with.
4. Enter both values and then click OK.

86. Custom List

Just think like this, you have a list of 10 products that you sell. Whenever you need to insert those product names you can insert them using a custom list. Let me tell you how to do this:

1. First, go to the File tab and go to options and click on the “Advanced” category.
2. Now, drill down and go to the “General” section and click on “Edit Custom List…”.
3. Now in this window, you can enter the list, or you can also import it from a range of cells.
   In the end, click OK.

Now, to enter the custom list you have just created, enter the first entry of the list in the cell and then drill down that cell using the fill handle.

87. Apply Table

If you use pivot tables a lot then it’s important to apply the table to the raw data. With a table, there is no need to update the pivot table’s data source, and it drag-down formulas automatically when you add a new entry.

To apply the table to the data just use Ctrl + T keyboard shortcut key and click OK.

88. Gridline Color

If you are not happy with the default color of cell gridlines then you can simply change it with a few clicks and follow these simple steps for this:

• First, go to the File tab and click on the “Advanced” category.
• Now, go to the “Display options for this workbook” section and select the color you want to apply.

• In the end, click OK.

Related – Print Gridlines

89. Pin to Taskbar

This is one of my favorite one-time sets up to save time in the long run. The thing is instead of going to the start menu to open Microsoft Excel, the best way is to point it to the taskbar.

This way you can open it by clicking on the icon from the taskbar.

90. Macro to QAT

If you have a macro code that you need to use frequently. Well, the easiest way to run a macro code is to add it to the Quick Access Toolbar.

1. First, go to the File tab and click on the “Quick Access Toolbar” category.
2. After that, from “Choose Command from”, select Macros.
3. Now select the macro (you want to add to QAT) and click on add.
4. From here click on “Modify” and select an icon for the macro button.
5. In the end, click OK.

Now you have a button on QAT that you can use to run the macro code you have just specified.

Related – How to Record a Macro in Excel

91. Select Formula Cells

Let’s say you want to convert all the formulas into values and the cells where you have formulas are non-adjacent. So instead of selecting each cell one by one, you can select all the cells where you have a formula. Here are the steps:

1. First, go to Home Tab ➜ Editing ➜ Find & Select ➜ Go To Special.
2. In the “Go To Special” dialog box, select formulas and click OK.

92. Multiply using Paste Special

To do some one-time calculations you can use the paste special option and save yourself from writing formulas.

93. Highlight Duplicate Values

Well, you can use a VBA code to highlight values but the easiest way is to use conditional formatting. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. First of all, select the range where you want to highlight the duplicate values.
2. After that, go to Home Tab ➜ Styles ➜ Highlight Cells Rule ➜ Duplicate Values.
3. Now from the dialog box, select the color to use and click OK.

Once you click OK, all the duplicate values will get highlighted.

94. Quick Analysis Tool

If you ever noticed that when you select a range of cells in Excel, a small icon at the bottom of the selection appears? This icon is called the “Quick Analysis Tool”.

When you click on this icon you can see some of the options which are there on the ribbon which you can directly use from here to save time.

95. RUN Command

Yes, you can also open your Excel application using the RUN command.

• For this, all you have to do is open RUN (Window Key + R) and then type “excel” into it.
• In the end, hit enter.

96. Open Specific File

I’m sure like me you also have a few or maybe one of those kinds of workbooks that you open every day when you start working on Excel. There is an option in Excel which you can use to open a specific file(s) whenever you start Excel in your system. Here are the steps.

1. Go to File ➜ Options ➜ Advanced ➜ General.
2. In general, enter the location (yes, you have to type) of the folder where you have those file(s) in “At startup open all the files in”.

97. Open Excel Automatically

Whenever I “Turn ON” my laptop the first thing I do is open Excel and I’m sure you do the same thing. Well, I’ve got a better idea here, you can add Excel to your system’s startup folder.

1. First, open “File Explorer” by using the Windows key + E.
2. Now, enter the below address into the address bar to open the folder (change the username with your actual username).
   • C:UsersUserAppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup
3. After that, open the Start Screen, right-click on the Excel App, and click Open file location.
4. From the location (Excel App Folder), copy the Excel App icon and paste it into the “Startup” folder.

Now whenever you open your system, Excel will automatically start.

98. Smart Look Up

In Excel, there is an option called “Smart Lookup” and with this option, you can look up a text on the internet. All you have to do is, select a cell or a text from a cell, and go to Review ➜ Insights ➜ Smart Lookup.

Once you click on it, it opens a side pane where you’ll have information about that particular text which you have selected. The idea behind this option is to get information by seeing definitions, and images for the topic (text) from different online sources.

99. Screen Clipping

Sometimes you need to add screenshots to your spreadsheet. And for this, Excel has an option that can capture the screen instantly, and then you can paste it into the worksheet. For this go to ➜ Insert ➜ Illustrations ➜ Screen Clipping.

Related – Excel Camera

100. Locate a Keyboard Shortcut

If you use Excel 2007 to Excel 2016, then you can locate a keyboard shortcut by pressing the ALT key. Once you press it, it shows the keys for the options which are there on the ribbon, just like below.

Let’s say, you want to press the “Wrap Text” button, and the key will be ALT H W. In the same way you can reach all the options using the shortcut keys.

Related – Insert Row

101-300

• Add and Delete a Worksheet in Excel
• Add and Remove Hyperlinks in Excel
• Add Watermark in Excel
• Apply Accounting Number Format in Excel
• Delete Hidden Rows in Excel
• Deselect Cells in Excel
• Draw a Line in Excel
• Formula Bar in Excel
• Add a Button in Excel
• Add a Column in Excel
• Apply Comma Style in Excel
• Group Worksheets in the Excel
• Make Negative Numbers Red in Excel
• Merge – Unmerge Cells in Excel
• Show Ruler in Excel
• Spell Check in Excel
• Fill Handle in Excel
• View Two Sheets Side by Side in Excel
• Increase and Decrease Indent in Excel
• Insert an Arrow in a Cell in Excel
• Remove Pagebreak in Excel
• Rotate Text in Excel (Text Orientation)
• Row Vs Column in Excel (Difference)
• Delete Blank Rows in Excel
• Sort By Date, Date, and Time & Reverse Date Sort in Excel
• Find and Replace in Excel
• Make a Paragraph in a Cell in Excel
• Cell Style (Title, Calculation, Total, Headings…) in Excel
• Hide and Unhide a Workbook in Excel
• Change Date Format in Excel
• Center a Worksheet Horizontally and Vertically in Excel
• Make a Copy of the Excel Workbook (File)
• Write (Type) Vertically in Excel
• Add or Remove Grand Total in a Pivot Table in Excel
• Add Running Total in a Pivot Table in Excel
• Add Calculated Field and Item (Formulas in a Pivot Table)
• Count Unique Values in a Pivot Table in Excel
• Delete a Pivot Table in Excel
• Filter a Pivot Table in Excel
• Add Ranks in Pivot Table in Excel
• Apply Conditional Formatting to a Pivot Table
• Pivot Table using Multiple Files in Excel
• Group Dates in a Pivot Table
• Link a Single Slicer with Multiple Pivot Tables
• Move a Pivot Table
• Pivot Table Formatting
• Pivot Table Keyboard Shortcuts
• Pivot Table Timeline in Excel
• Refresh a Pivot Table
• Refresh All Pivot Tables at Once in Excel
• Sort a Pivot Table in Excel
• Apply Print Titles in Excel (Set Row 1 to Print on Every Page)
• Apply Multiple Filters to Columns
• Create a Data Validation with Date Range
• Create a Yes – No Drop Down in Excel
• Merge Cells in Excel without Losing Data in Excel
• Remove Drop Down List (Data validation) in Excel
• Formulas in Conditional Formatting
• Print a Graph Paper in Excel (Square Grid Template)
• Recover Unsaved Excel Files When Excel Crashed
• Save Excel File (Workbook) as CSV (XLSX TO CSV)
• Create a Pivot Table from Multiple Worksheets
• Create Pivot Chart in Excel
• Activate a Sheet using VBA
• Create WAFFLE CHART in Excel
• Excel Funnel Chart (Template + Steps to Create)
• Excel Gantt Chart Template
• Add a Horizontal Line in a Chart in Excel
• Add a Vertical Line in a Chart in Excel
• Create a Bullet Chart in Excel
• Create a Dynamic Chart Range in Excel
• Create a HEAT MAP in Excel (Simple Steps) + Template
• Create a Milestone Chart in Excel
• Create a Population Pyramid Chart in Excel
• Create a Step Chart in Excel
• Create a Tornado Chart in Excel
• Create Interactive Charts in Excel
• Insert a People Graph in Excel
• Top 10 ADVANCED Excel Charts and Graphs (Free Templates Download)
• Add Secondary Axis in Excel Charts
• Create a HISTOGRAM in Excel – Step by Step
• SPEEDOMETER Chart in Excel
• Thermometer Chart in Excel
• Merge [Combine] Multiple Excel FILES into ONE WORKBOOK
• Perform VLOOKUP in Power Query in Excel
• Calculate the Coefficient of Variation (CV) in Excel
• Does Not Equal Operator in Excel
• MAX IF in Excel
• Round a Number to Nearest 1000, 100, and 10 in Excel
• Round to Nearest .5, 5. 50 (Down-Up) in Excel
• Square a Number in Excel
• #DIV/0
• #SPILL!
• #Value
• 3D Reference in Excel
• Wildcard Characters in Excel
• Hide Formula in Excel
• R1C1 Reference Style in Excel
• VLOOKUP with Multiple Criteria in Excel
• Wildcards with VLOOKUP in Excel
• Average TOP 5 Values in Excel
• Calculate Compound Interest in Excel
• Calculate Cube Root in Excel
• Calculate Percentage Variance (Difference) in Excel
• Calculate Simple Interest in Excel
• Calculate the Weighted Average in Excel

• Absolute Reference (Excel Shortcut)
• Add Column (Excel Shortcut)
• Add Indent (Excel Shortcut)
• Add New Sheet (Excel Shortcut)
• Align Center (Excel Shortcut)
• Apply Border (Excel Shortcut)
• Apply and Remove Filter (Excel Shortcut)
• Auto Fit (Excel Shortcut)
• AutoSum (Excel Shortcut)
• Check Mark (Excel Shortcut)
• Clear Contents (Excel Shortcut)
• Close (Excel Shortcut)
• Currency Format (Excel Shortcut)
• Delete Cell (Excel Shortcut)
• Delete Row(s) (Excel Shortcut)
• Delete Sheet (Excel Shortcut)
• Edit Cell (Excel Shortcut)
• Fill Color (Excel Shortcut)
• Freeze Pane (Excel Shortcut)
• Full Screen (Excel Shortcut)
• Group (Excel Shortcut)
• Hyperlink (Excel Shortcut)
• Insert Cell (Excel Shortcut)
• Lock Cells (Excel Shortcut)
• Merge-Unmerge Cells (Excel Shortcut)
• Paste Values (Excel Shortcut)
• Percentage Format (Excel Shortcut)
• Select Row (Excel Shortcut)
• Show Formulas (Excel Shortcut)
• Subscript (Excel Shortcut)
• Superscript (Excel Shortcut)
• Switch Tabs (Excel Shortcut)
• Transpose (Excel Shortcut)
• Shortcut for Unhide Columns (Excel Shortcut)
• Zoom-In (Excel Shortcut)
• Pivot Table Keyboard Shortcuts
• Apply Date Format (Excel Shortcut)
• Apply Time Format (Excel Shortcut)
• Delete (Excel Shortcut)
• Open Go To Option (Excel Shortcut)
• Add Month to a Date in Excel
• Add Years to Date in Excel
• Add-Subtract Week from a Date in Excel
• Compare Two Dates in Excel
• Convert Date to Number in Excel
• Count Years Between Two Dates in Excel
• Custom Date Formats in Excel
• Get Day Name from a Date in Excel
• Get Day Number of Year in Excel
• Get First Day of the Month in Excel (Beginning of the Month)
• Get Quarter from a Date [Fiscal + Calendar] in Excel
• Get Years of Service in Excel
• Highlight Dates Between Two Dates in Excel
• Number of Months Between Two Dates in Excel
• Quickly Concatenate Two Dates in Excel
• Years Between Dates in Excel
• Add Hours to Time in Excel
• Add Minutes to Time in Excel
• Calculate Time Difference Between Two Times in Excel
• Change Time Format in Excel
• Military Time (Get and Subtract) in Excel
• Separate Date and Time in Excel
• Count Between Two Numbers (COUNTIFS) in Excel
• Count Blank (Empty) Cells using COUNTIF in Excel
• Count Cells Less than a Particular Value (COUNTIF) in Excel
• Count Cells Not Equal To in Excel (COUNTIF)
• Count Cells That Are Not Blank in Excel
• Count Cells with Text in Excel
• Count Greater Than 0 (COUNTIF) in Excel
• Count Specific Characters in Excel
• Count the Total Number of Cells from a Range in Excel
• COUNT Vs. COUNTA
• OR Logic in COUNTIF/COUNIFS in Excel
• Sum an Entire Column or a Row in Excel
• Sum Greater Than Values using SUMIF
• Sum Not Equal Values (SUMIFS) in Excel
• Sum Only Visible Cells in Excel
• Sum Random Cells in Excel
• SUMIF / SUMIFS with an OR Logic in Excel
• SUMIF with Wildcard Characters in Excel
• SUMIFS Date Range (Sum Values Between Two Dates Array)
• Add New Line in a Cell in Excel (Line Break)
• Add Leading Zeros in Excel
• Capitalize First Letter in Excel
• Change Column to Row (Vice Versa) in Excel
• Concatenate with a Line Break in Excel
• Create a Horizontal Filter in Excel
• Create a Star Rating Template in Excel
• Get the File Name in Excel
• Get Sheet Name in Excel
• Randomize a List (Random Sort) in Excel
• Separate names in Excel – (First & Last Name)
• Check IF 0 (Zero) Then Blank in Excel
• Check IF a Value Exists in a Range in Excel
• Combine IF and AND Functions in Excel
• Combine IF and OR Functions in Excel
• Compare Two Cells in Excel
• Conditional Ranking in Excel using SUMPRODUCT Function [RANKIF]
• IF Cell is Blank (Empty) using IF + ISBLANK in Excel
• IF Negative Then Zero (0) in Excel
• SUMPRODUCT IF to Create a Conditional Formula in Excel
• IFERROR with VLOOKUP in Excel to Replace #N/A in Excel
• Perform Two Way Lookup in Excel
• VLOOKUP MATCH Combination in Excel

An Excel spreadsheet is a very powerful software which was developed by Microsoft in 1985 and is used by over 800 million users for number crunching, data analysis & reporting, charting and note taking – wherein its true power is often underutilized 🙂

It is widely used by organizations for calculating, accounting, preparing charts, budgeting, project management, and various other tasks. The different uses of an Excel spreadsheet is in fact limitless!  In this tutorial we will hold your hand and teach you how to use Excel for the first time.

Want to know How To Master Excel from Beginner to Expert?

*** Watch our video and step by step guide below with a free downloadable Excel workbook to practice ***

Watch it on YouTube and give it a thumbs-up!

An Excel Spreadsheet is the go-to software to analyze, sort, or present a large amount of information and data in no time.

In this Excel tutorial, I will cover the Basics of Excel that you need to know to get started with how to use Excel. This Excel for dummies guide will include tutorials on:

• Opening an Excel Spreadsheet
• Understanding the Different Elements of an Excel Spreadsheet
• Entering Data in an Excel Spreadsheet
• Basic Calculations in an Excel Spreadsheet
• Saving an Excel Spreadsheet

Let’s start this step by step Excel tutorial on – “How to use Excel”

Opening an Excel Spreadsheet

To open an Excel Spreadsheet, follow the steps of this Excel tutorial below:

Step 1: Click on the Window icon on the left side of the Taskbar and then scroll below to find “Excel”.

Step 2: You can either click on the “Blank Workbook” button to open a blank Excel spreadsheet or select from the list of pre-existing templates provided by Excel.

To open an existing Excel spreadsheet, click on the “Open Other Workbooks” and select the Excel sheet you want to work on.

Step 3: An Excel spreadsheet is now opened and you are ready to explore the wonderful world of Excel.

Understanding the Different Elements of an Excel Spreadsheet

To explore the different ways on How to use Excel you should be familiar with the different elements of Excel first.

Excel Workbook and Excel Worksheet are often used interchangeably, but they do have different meanings. An Excel Workbook is an Excel file with the extension “.xlsx” or “.xls” whereas an Excel Worksheet is a single sheet inside the Workbook. Worksheets appear as tabs along the bottom of the screen.

Now that you are clear about these two terms, let’s move forward and understand the layout of an Excel Spreadsheet. It is a crucial step if you want to know how to use Excel efficiently.

Excel Ribbon

The Excel Ribbon is located at the top of the Excel Spreadsheet and just below the title bar or name of the worksheet. It comprises various tabs including Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, etc. Each tab contains a specific set of commands.

By default, each Excel spreadsheet contains the following Tabs – File, Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, and View.

• File Tab can be used to open a new or existing file, save, print, or share a file, etc.
• Home Tab can be used to copy, cut, or paste cells and work on the formatting of data.
• Insert Tab can be used to insert the picture, charts, filter, hyperlink, etc.
• Page Layout Tab can be used to prepare the Excel spreadsheet for printing and exporting data.
• Formula Tab in Excel can be used to insert, define the name, create the name range, review the formula, etc.
• Data Tab can be used to get external data, sort filter and group existing data, etc.
• Review Tab can be used to insert comments, protect the document, check spelling, track changes, etc.
• View Tab can be used to change the view of the Excel Sheets and make it easy to view the data.

You should be familiar with these tabs so you can understand how to use Excel efficiently. You can even customize these Tabs using the following steps:

Step 1: Right-click on the ribbon and click on “Customize the Ribbon”

Step 2: An Excel Options dialog box will open, click on the New Tab.

Step 3: Select that newly created tab and click on Rename and give it a name e.g. Custom

Step 4: Now you can add the commands that you want under each group by simply clicking on the command from the Popular Command column and click on Add >>

This will create a New Tab called “Custom” with a popular command “Center“.

Under each Tab, there are various buttons grouped together. For Example – Under the Home Tab, all font-related buttons are clubbed together under the Group name “Font”.

You can access other features related to that group by clicking on the small arrow at the end of each Group. Once you click on that arrow, a dialog box will open and you can make further edits using that.

There is also a search bar available next to the tabs which was introduced in Excel 2019 and Office 365. You can type the feature that you are after and Excel will find it for you.

You can also collapse the ribbon to provide extra space in the worksheet by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F1 or by right-clicking anywhere on the ribbon and then clicking “Collapse the Ribbon”.

This will collapse the Ribbon!

Formula Bar

Excel’s Formula bar is the area just below the Excel Ribbon. It contains two parts – on the left is the name box (it stores the cell address) and on the right is the contents of the currently selected cell. It is used to type values, text or an Excel formula or function.

You can hide or unhide the formula bar by checking/unchecking “Formula Bar” under View Tab.

You can also expand the formula bar if you have a large formula and its contents are not entirely visible. Click on the small arrow at the end of the formula bar and it will be expanded.

Status Bar

At the bottom left side of the workbook, all the Excel worksheets are shown. You can access an Excel sheet by simply clicking on it.

To add more Excel sheets, click on the “+” sign below which will add a new blank Excel sheet.

You can reorder the Excel sheets in your workbook by dragging them to a new location with your left mouse button.

You can also rename each Excel sheet by Right Clicking on a Sheet Name > Click on Rename > Type the Name > Press Enter.

At the bottom right of the Excel spreadsheet, you can quickly zoom the document by using the minus and plus symbols. To zoom to a specific percentage, in the ribbon menu go to the View tab > Click Zoom > Click on the specific percentage or type in your custom % > Click OK.

There are different Excel workbook views available at the left of the zoom control: Normal View, Page Break View, and Page Layout View. You can select the view as per your choice.

Cell & Excel Spreadsheet Basics

Any information including text, number, or an Excel formula can be inserted within a Cell. Alphabets are used to label Columns and numbers are used to label Rows.

An intersection of a Row and Column is called a Cell. In the image below, cell C4 is the intersection of Row 4 and Column C.

You can refer to a series of cells as a range by putting a colon between the first and last cells within the range. For example, the reference to the range starting from A1 to C10 will be A1: C10.  This is great when you are using an Excel formula.

Now that you are familiar with the different elements in an Excel Spreadsheet, let’s show you how to use Excel to enter data and do some calculations!

Entering Data in an Excel Spreadsheet

Follow this step -by-step tutorial on how to use excel to enter data below:

Step 1: Click the cell you want to enter data into. For Example, you want to enter your sales data and want to start with the first cell, so click on A1

Step 2: Type what you want to add, say, Date. You will see that the same data will be visible on the Formula Bar as well.

Step 3: Press Enter. This will store the written data on the selected cell and move the selection to the next available cell, which is A2 in this example

To make any changes in the cell, simply click on it and make the changes.

You can copy (Ctrl + C), Cut (Ctrl + X) any data from one Excel worksheet and paste it (Ctrl + V) to the same or another Excel worksheet.

Basic Calculations in an Excel Spreadsheet

Now that you have understood how to use Excel to enter data, let’s do some calculations on the data. Let’s say you want to add two numbers: 4 and 5 in the excel spreadsheet.

Follow the steps below on how to use Excel to add two numbers:

Step 1: Start with the = or the + sign to tell Excel that you are ready to run some sort of calculation.

Step 2: Type number 4.

Step 3: Type + symbol to add

Step 4: Type number 5.

Step 5: Press Enter.

You will see the result 9 is displayed in the cell A1 and the formula is still displayed in the formula bar.

Let’s try to use a cell reference to make calculations.

In the example below, you have Column A that contains the number of products sold and Column B that contains price per product and you need to calculate the total amount in Column C.

To calculate the total amount, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Select cell C2

Step 2: Type = to start the formula

Step 3: Select cell A2 with your mouse cursor or by using the left arrow key.

Step 4: Type the multiplication sign *

Step 5: Select cell B2

Step 6: Press Enter

You can use various calculation operators, such as Arithmetic, Comparison, Text Concatenation and Reference operators that will be useful for you to have a  clear and complete idea on how to use Excel.

Here is a walk-through for Excel for Dummies by Microsoft covering the most requested features of Excel.

Saving an Excel Spreadsheet

To save your work in Excel, click on the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar or press Ctrl + S.

If you are trying to save a file for the first time, then follow these steps:

Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift +S or Click on the “Save As” button under the File tab.

Step 2: Click on “Browse” and choose the location where you want to save the file.

Step 3: In the File name box, enter a name for your new Excel workbook.

Step 4: Click Save

Here is an Excel for Dummies Video from Microsoft explaining how to save an Excel Workbook.

This brings us to the end of this how to Use Excel tutorial.

I have just covered the basics of how to use Excel in this article.  As an Excel newbie, Excel is a completely unexplored & exciting world for you right now and you are going to learn so much along your journey.

My advice is to take baby steps, learn how to use one Excel feature, apply it to your data, make mistakes and keep on practicing.

Within 7 days your Excel confidence will skyrocket!

Make sure to download our FREE PDF on the 333 Excel keyboard Shortcuts here:

You can learn more on how to use Excel by viewing our FREE Excel webinar training on Formulas, Pivot Tables and Macros & VBA!

You can follow our YouTube channel to learn more about How To Use Excel for Dummies!

These Excel tutorials for beginners include screenshots and examples with detailed step-by-step instructions. Follow the links below to learn everything you need to get up and running with Microsoft’s popular spreadsheet software.

Understand the Excel Screen Elements

Understand the Basic Excel Screen Elements covers the main elements of an Excel worksheet. These elements include:

• Cells and active cells
• Add sheet icon
• Column letters
• Row numbers
• Status bar
• Formula bar
• Name box
• Ribbon and ribbon tabs
• File tab

Explore a Basic Excel Spreadsheet

Excel Step by Step Basic Tutorial covers the basics of creating and formatting a basic spreadsheet in Excel. You’ll learn how to:

• Enter data
• Create simple formulas
• Define a named range
• Copy formulas with the fill handle
• Apply number formatting
• Add cell formatting

Create Formulas With Excel Math

To learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in Excel, see How to Use Basic Math Formulas Like Addition and Subtraction in Excel. This tutorial also covers exponents and changing the order of operations in formulas. Each topic includes a step-by-step example of how to create a formula that carries out one or more of the four basic math operations in Excel.

Add Numbers With the SUM Function

Adding rows and columns of numbers is one of the most common operations in Excel. To make this job easier, use the SUM function. Quickly Sum Columns or Rows of Numbers in Excel shows you how to:

• Understand the SUM function syntax and arguments
• Enter the SUM function
• Add numbers quickly with AutoSUM
• Use the SUM function dialog box

Move or Copy Data

When you want to duplicate or move data to a new location, see Shortcut Keys to Cut, Copy, and Paste Data in Excel. It shows you how to:

• Copy data
• Paste data with the clipboard
• Copy and paste using shortcut keys
• Copy data using the context menu
• Copy data using menu options on the Home tab
• Move data with shortcut keys
• Move data with the context menu and using the Home tab

Add and Remove Columns and Rows

Need to adjust the layout of your data? How to Add and Delete Rows and Columns in Excel explains how to expand or shrink the work area as needed. You’ll learn the best ways to add or remove singular or multiple columns and rows using a keyboard shortcut or the context menu.

Hide and Unhide Columns and Rows

How to Hide and Unhide Columns, Rows, and Cells in Excel teaches you how to hide sections of the worksheet to make it easier to focus on important data. It’s easy to bring them back when you need to see the hidden data again.

Enter the Date

To learn how to use a simple keyboard shortcut to set the date and time, see Use Shortcut Keys to Add the Current Date/Time in Excel. If you prefer to have the date automatically update every time the worksheet is opened, see Use Today’s Date within Worksheet Calculations in Excel.

Enter Data in Excel

Dos and Dont’s of Entering Data in Excel covers best practices for data entry and shows you how to:

• Plan the worksheet
• Lay out the data
• Enter headings and data units
• Protect worksheet formulas
• Use cell references in formulas
• Sort data

Build a Column Chart

How to Use Charts and Graphs in Excel explains how to use bar graphs to show comparisons between items of data. Each column in the chart represents a different data value from the worksheet.

Create a Line Graph

How to Make and Format a Line Graph in Excel in 5 Steps shows you how to track trends over time. Each line in the graph shows the changes in the value for one data value from the worksheet.

Visualize Data With a Pie Chart

Understanding Excel Chart Data Series, Data Points, and Data Labels covers how to use pie charts to visualize percentages. A single data series is plotted and each slice of the pie represents a single data value from the worksheet.

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