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Edit a Cell’s Contents: Select a cell and click in
the Formula Bar or double-click the cell. Edit
the cell’s contents and press Enter.
Clear a Cell’s Contents: Select the cell(s) and
press the Delete key. Or, click the Clear
button on the Home tab and select Clear
Contents.
Cut or Copy Data: Select cell(s) and click the
Cut or Copy button on the Home tab.
Paste Data: Select the cell where you want to
paste the data and click the Paste button in
the Clipboard group on the Home tab.
Preview an Item Before Pasting: Place the
insertion point where you want to paste, click
the Paste button list arrow in the Clipboard
group on the Home tab, and hold the mouse
over a paste option to preview.
Paste Special: Select the destination cell(s),
click the Paste button list arrow in the
Clipboard group on the Home tab, and select
Paste Special. Select an option and click OK.
Move or Copy Cells Using Drag and Drop:
Select the cell(s) you want to move or copy,
position the pointer over any border of the
selected cell(s), then drag to the destination
cells. To copy, hold down the Ctrl key before
starting to drag.
Find and Replace Text: Click the Find &
Select button, select Replace. Type the text
you want to find in the Find what box. Type the
replacement text in the Replace with box. Click
the Replace All or Replace button.
Check Spelling: Click the Review tab and click
the Spelling button. For each result, select
a suggestion and click the Change/Change
All button. Or, click the Ignore/Ignore All
button.
Insert a Column or Row: Right-click to the right
of the column or below the row you want to
insert. Select Insert in the menu, or click the
Insert button on the Home tab.
Delete a Column or Row: Select the row or
column heading(s) you want to remove. Right-
click and select Delete from the contextual
menu, or click the Delete button in the Cells
group on the Home tab.
Hide Rows or Columns: Select the rows or
columns you want to hide, click the Format
button on the Home tab, select Hide &
Unhide, and select Hide Rows or Hide
Columns.
Basic Formatting
Change Cell Alignment: Select the cell(s) you
want to align and click a vertical alignment
, , button or a horizontal alignment
, , button in the Alignment group on the
Home tab.
Format Text: Use the commands in the Font
group on the Home tab or click the dialog box
launcher in the Font group to open the dialog
box.
Format Values: Use the commands in the
Number group on the Home tab or click the
dialog box launcher in the Number group to
open the Format Cells dialog box.
Wrap Text in a Cell: Select the cell(s) that
contain text you want to wrap and click the
Wrap Text button on the Home tab.
Merge Cells: Select the cells you want to
merge. Click the Merge & Center button list
arrow on the Home tab and select a merge
option.
Cell Borders and Shading: Select the cell(s) you
want to format. Click the Borders button
and/or the Fill Color button and select an
option to apply to the selected cell.
Copy Formatting with the Format Painter:
Select the cell(s) with the formatting you want
to copy. Click the Format Painter button in
the Clipboard group on the Home tab. Then,
select the cell(s) you want to apply the copied
formatting to.
Adjust Column Width or Row Height: Click and
drag the right border of the column header or
the bottom border of the row header. Double-
click the border to AutoFit the column or row
according to its contents.
Basic Formulas
Enter a Formula: Select the cell where you want
to insert the formula. Type = and enter the
formula using values, cell references,
operators, and functions. Press Enter.
Insert a Function: Select the cell where you
want to enter the function and click the Insert
Function button next to the formula bar.
Reference a Cell in a Formula: Type the cell
reference (for example, B5) in the formula or
click the cell you want to reference.
SUM Function: Click the cell where you want to
insert the total and click the Sum button in
the Editing group on the Home tab. Enter the
cells you want to total, and press Enter.
MIN and MAX Functions: Click the cell where
you want to place a minimum or maximum
value for a given range. Click the Sum
button list arrow on the Home tab and select
either Min or Max. Enter the cell range you
want to reference, and press Enter.
COUNT Function: Click the cell where you want
to place a count of the number of cells in a
range that contain numbers. Click the Sum
button list arrow on the Home tab and select
Count Numbers. Enter the cell range you want
to reference, and press Enter.
Complete a Series Using AutoFill: Select the
cells that define the pattern, i.e. a series of
months or years. Click and drag the fill handle
to adjacent blank cells to complete the series.
Insert an Image: Click the Insert tab on the
ribbon, click either the Pictures or Online
Pictures button in the Illustrations group,
select the image you want to insert, and click
Insert.
Insert a Shape: Click the Insert tab on the
ribbon, click the Shapes button in the
Illustrations group, and select the shape you
wish to insert.
Hyperlink: Text or Images: Select the text or
graphic you want to use as a hyperlink. Click
the Insert tab, then click the Link button.
Choose a type of hyperlink in the left pane of
the Insert Hyperlink dialog box. Fill in the
necessary informational fields in the right pane,
then click OK.
Modify Object Properties and Alternative Text:
Right-click an object. Select Edit Alt Text in
the menu and make the necessary
modifications under the Properties and Alt Text
headings.
View and Manage Worksheets
Insert a New Worksheet: Click the Insert
Worksheet button next to the sheet tabs
below the active sheet. Or, press Shift + F11.
Delete a Worksheet: Right-click the sheet tab
and select Delete from the menu.
Hide a Worksheet: Right-click the sheet tab
and select Hide from the menu.
Rename a Worksheet: Double-click the sheet
tab, enter a new name for the worksheet, and
press Enter.
Change a Worksheet’s Tab Color: Right-click
the sheet tab, select Tab Color, and choose
the color you want to apply.
Move or Copy a Worksheet: Click and drag a
worksheet tab left or right to move it to a new
location. Hold down the Ctrl key while clicking
and dragging to copy the worksheet.
Switch Between Excel Windows: Click the
View tab, click the Switch Windows
button, and select the window you want to
make active.
Freeze Panes: Activate the cell where you want
to freeze the window, click the View tab on the
ribbon, click the Freeze Panes button in the
Window group, and select an option from the
list.
Select a Print Area: Select the cell range you
want to print, click the Page Layout tab on the
ribbon, click the Print Area button, and
select Set Print Area.
Adjust Page Margins, Orientation, Size, and
Breaks: Click the Page Layout tab on the
ribbon and use the commands in the Page
Setup group, or click the dialog box launcher
in the Page Setup group to open the Page
Setup dialog box.