Ctrl + Shift + L in Excel: Functions and How to Use It

From this tutorial, you will know what are the functions and how to use Ctrl + Shift + L in Excel.

Excel has many keyboard shortcuts that we can utilize to speed up our work in it. One of them is Ctrl + Shift + L. Use this shortcut optimally and it can help you to process and analyze your data table much quicker in Excel.

Want to know more about this shortcut and how to use it correctly? Read this tutorial until its last part.

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Functions of Ctrl + Shift + L in Excel

You can use Ctrl + Shift + L in Excel to activate and deactivate auto-filter buttons in your cells in Excel.

If you use this shortcut to activate the auto-filter buttons, the buttons will be placed on adjacent horizontal cells that contain data from the cell where you place your cell cursor currently.

How to Use Ctrl + Shift + L in Excel

To use Ctrl + Shift + L in Excel correctly is quite easy. First, place your cell cursor on the cell in which you want to place the auto-filter buttons on its adjacent cells with data, left and right. This cell is usually one of the header cells of the data table where you want to filter your data by using those buttons.



Then, just press and hold the Ctrl button, press and hold the Shift button, and press the L button on your keyboard. Doing that will immediately place the auto-filter buttons on your intended cells.



If you want to remove the buttons after you have done your filtering, just use the Ctrl + Shift + L shortcut again. The auto-filter buttons will then be immediately removed from your cells.

This shortcut is handy if you often need to filter and unfilter your data tables.

Ctrl + Shift + L Not Working in Excel? Possible Reasons and Solutions

Trying to use the Ctrl + Shift + L shortcut in Excel but to no avail? Here are some possible reasons why that happens and how to fix each of them.

• Reason: There is a Macro in your Excel workbook that uses Ctrl + Shift + L as its shortcut
  Solution: Check the list of Macros you use in your workbook and assign a different shortcut than Ctrl + Shift + L if there are any that use it


• Reason: There is a separating blank column between where you put your cell cursor and the cells where you want to put the auto-filter buttons too
  Solution: Check if there is any column like that in your data table and delete/move it outside your data table


• Reason: The worksheet where you use the Ctrl + Shift + L shortcut is locked from enabling the auto-filter function
  Solution: Right-click on that sheet tab. If it is locked, then there should be an option to unprotect it that shows up. Click on the option to begin unprotecting it so you can use the Ctrl + Shift + L shortcut on the worksheet

Exercise

Now that you have known all about the Ctrl + Shift + L shortcut in Excel, try the shortcut on your own.

Open an Excel workbook that has a data table and try to place the auto-filter buttons in its header by using the Ctrl, Shift, and L buttons. If you have successfully activated the buttons, try to deactivate them again.

How is it? Can you do it? If not, read the tutorial again to know what you can fix in your implementation.

Additional Note

• In Mac, the equivalent shortcut is Command + Shift + F
• You can also use the Ribbon shortcut to activate/deactivate auto-filter buttons if you run your Excel program in Windows. Press Alt and then A and then T to use this instead

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