The Ctrl Button Functions in Excel
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In this tutorial, you will learn what things you can do by using the Ctrl button in excel.
When working in excel, we might want to do many functions much faster so we can do our work productively. The Ctrl button in your keyboard can help you do that as it is used in many shortcuts that you can utilize in excel. You just need to know what other buttons you should press so you can perform those tasks that you want.
Want to know what we can use the Ctrl button for in excel and what buttons should we press it with? Read this tutorial until its last part!
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Table of Contents:
The Ctrl Button Functions in Excel (+A to Z)
First, let us see what excel tasks we can do by combining the press of the Ctrl button with the A to Z button on our keyboard. Note that this only works if you use excel in Windows, though.Here are the details in a table.
| Buttons | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | Select the whole worksheet |
| Ctrl + B | Toggle bold |
| Ctrl + C | Copy selected cells |
| Ctrl + D | Duplicate objects |
| Ctrl + E | Flash fill (From excel 2013) |
| Ctrl + F | Show the “Find and Replace” dialog box (Find) |
| Ctrl + G | Show the “Go To” dialog box |
| Ctrl + H | Show the “Find and Replace” dialog box (Replace) |
| Ctrl + I | Toggle italic |
| Ctrl + J | Insert a line break character |
| Ctrl + K | Add a hyperlink |
| Ctrl + L | Insert a table |
| Ctrl + M | - |
| Ctrl + N | Create a new workbook file |
| Ctrl + O | Open a workbook file |
| Ctrl + P | Print file |
| Ctrl + Q | Exit excel |
| Ctrl + R | Fill the active cell with content from the cell on its left |
| Ctrl + S | Save a workbook file |
| Ctrl + T | Insert a table |
| Ctrl + U | Toggle underline |
| Ctrl + V | Paste from the clipboard |
| Ctrl + W | Close the current workbook |
| Ctrl + X | Cut selected cells |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo the last canceled action |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo the last action |
Other Ctrl Button Functions in Excel
Besides letter buttons, you can also combine the Ctrl button with some other buttons to perform specific tasks. Here are those buttons with the task they can perform when you press them with the Ctrl button.| Buttons | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + 1 | Show the “Format Cells” dialog box |
| Ctrl + 2 | Toggle bold |
| Ctrl + 3 | Toggle italic |
| Ctrl + 4 | Toggle underline |
| Ctrl + 5 | Toggle strikethrough |
| Ctrl + 6 | Show/hide objects |
| Ctrl + 8 | Show/hide outline symbols |
| Ctrl + 9 | Hide selected rows |
| Ctrl + F1 | Expand/collapse the ribbon |
| Ctrl + F2 | Open the print preview |
| Ctrl + F3 | Open the name manager |
| Ctrl + F4 | Close the current workbook |
| Ctrl + F5 | Restore the window size of the current workbook |
| Ctrl + F6 | Move to the next workbook |
| Ctrl + F7 | Enter the “Move” mode of the workbook window if it isn’t maximized |
| Ctrl + F8 | Enter the “Resize” mode of the workbook window if it isn’t maximized |
| Ctrl + F9 | Minimize the window of the current workbook |
| Ctrl + F10 | Restore the window size of the current workbook |
| Ctrl + F11 | Insert a Macro sheet into the current workbook |
| Ctrl + F12 | Show the “Open” window |
| Ctrl + → | Move to the most right cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + ← | Move to the most left cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + ↓ | Move to the bottom cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + ↑ | Move to the top cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + Home | Move to the top left cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + End | Move to the bottom right cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + G + Enter | Move back to the hyperlink |
| Ctrl + Shift + → | Extend selection to the most right cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + Shift + ← | Extend selection to the most left cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + Shift + ↑ | Extend selection to the bottom cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + Shift + ↓ | Extend selection to the top cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + Shift + Home | Extend selection to the top left cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + Shift + End | Extend selection to the bottom right cell of the current data region |
| Ctrl + Click | Select what you click with the currently selected ones simultaneously |
| Ctrl + Drag | Drag and duplicate |
| Ctrl + ; | Input the current date |
| Ctrl + Shift + : | Input the current time |
| Ctrl + Ctrl + Scroll the Mouse Wheel Up | Zoom in |
| Ctrl + Ctrl + Scroll the Mouse Wheel Down | Zoom out |
| Ctrl + Page Down | Move to the next worksheet |
| Ctrl + Page Up | Move to the previous worksheet |
| Ctrl + Tab | Move to the next workbook |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Move to the previous workbook |
| Ctrl + Spasi | Select the whole columns of the active cells |
| Ctrl + Backspace | Show the active cell in the current worksheet |
| Ctrl + . | Move the active cell clockwise in a cell range selection |
| Ctrl + Alt + → | Move the active cell to the right in between non-adjacent cells/cell ranges |
| Ctrl + Alt + ← | Move the active cell to the left in between non-adjacent cells/cell ranges |
| Ctrl + Shift + O | Select cells that contain comments |
| Ctrl + [ | Select direct cell references of the active cell’s formula |
| Ctrl + Shift + { | Select direct and indirect cell references of the active cell’s formula |
| Ctrl + ] | Select cells that directly refer to the active cell in their formula |
| Ctrl + Shift + } | Select cells that directly and indirectly refer to the active cell in their formula |
| Ctrl + ` | Show/hide formulas |
| Ctrl + ‘ | Copy the formula of the above cell |
| Ctrl + Shift + A | Show the arguments that are needed by the function you input in the currently active cell (after you type the function name) |
| Ctrl + Shift + Enter | Convert the formula you currently input into an array formula |
| Ctrl + Alt + F9 | Trigger the recalculation of all formulas |
| Ctrl + Shift + U | Expand/collapse the formula bar |
| Ctrl + Shift + “ | Copy the value of the above cell |
| Ctrl + Shift + ~ | Apply general format to the active cells |
| Ctrl + Shift + $ | Apply currency format to the active cells |
| Ctrl + Shift + % | Apply percentage format to the active cells |
| Ctrl + Shift + ^ | Apply scientific format to the active cells |
| Ctrl + Shift + # | Apply date format to the active cells |
| Ctrl + Shift + @ | Apply time format to the active cells |
| Ctrl + Shift + ! | Apply number format to the active cells |
| Ctrl + Shift + & | Add outside borders |
| Ctrl + Shift + _ | Remove borders |
| Ctrl + Shift + F3 | Define the name by using the row/column label |
| Ctrl + Shift + + | Show the “Insert Row/Column” dialog box |
| Ctrl + - | Show the “Delete Row/Column” dialog box |
| Ctrl + Shift + 9 | Show hidden rows in the selected range |
| Ctrl + Shift + 0 | Show hidden columns in the selected range |
| Ctrl + Shift + F11 | Toggle fullscreen |
| Ctrl + Alt + V | Show the “Paste Special” dialog box |
Exercise
Now that you have learned the things you can do with the Ctrl button in excel, let’s try them!Open an excel workbook and try all the Ctrl shortcuts that you want. If you want to be good at using the Ctrl button in excel, make it a habit to use its shortcuts when you work every day.
If you forget the button combinations or the functions that they can do, you can always look at the tables in this tutorial!
Additional Note
Shortcuts, including the Ctrl ones, can make you work faster and without the need for a pointer in excel. Therefore, if you want to take your Excel usage to the next level, you might want to get used to using shortcuts to do all the things you need to do in excel.Related tutorials you might want to learn too:
