Excel PivotTable shortcuts—let’s look at 20 shortcuts that help Excel beginners work with PivotTables more efficiently. Learning these shortcuts can reduce mouse clicks and improve speed and accuracy.
PivotTable Shortcuts for Excel Beginners
The shortcuts are explained separately for Windows and Mac.
Excel Shortcuts for Windows
Here are 20 commonly used Windows shortcuts for Excel PivotTables.
- F11: Creates a PivotChart report for the selected PivotTable.
This feature lets you create a simple chart from the currently selected data. After creating the chart, click it and use the Design tab to change its appearance and layout. You can also select the chart and right-click it to configure additional chart options in more detail. - ALT + F1: Quickly adds a PivotChart for the selected PivotTable to the current worksheet.
This feature lets you create a simple chart from the selected data. After creating the chart, click it and use the Design tab to change its appearance and layout. You can also select the chart and right-click it to configure additional chart options in more detail. - Alt + ↓: Open the drop-down menu. After selecting a cell in a row or column field, press this shortcut to view the available field options in a drop-down menu.
- Ctrl + Shift + L: Apply or remove a filter. Applies a filter to the selected cells or removes the filter.
- Alt + Shift + →: Group. Groups rows or columns based on the selected cells.
- Alt + Shift + ←: Ungroup. Removes grouping from the selected cells.
- Alt + Shift + ↑: Show parent item. Hides child items for the selected cell and shows only the parent item.
- Alt + Shift + ↓: Show child items. Hides the parent item for the selected cell and shows only child items.
- Alt + ↓ + ↓: Open Field Settings. Opens the Field Settings window, where you can view the available options for the selected field.
- Alt + Shift + F1: Create a PivotTable on a new sheet. Creates a PivotTable on a new worksheet rather than the current worksheet.
- Ctrl + A: Select all. Selects the entire PivotTable.
- Ctrl + Shift + ~: Change to Number format. Changes the values in the selected cells to Number format.
- Ctrl + Shift + $: Change to Currency format. Changes the values in the selected cells to Currency format.
- Ctrl + Shift + %: Change to Percentage format. Changes the values in the selected cells to Percentage format.
- Ctrl + E: Update values immediately. After changing a value, press this shortcut to update it immediately.
- Alt + =: Add a total row or column. Adds a total row or column for the selected cells.
- Ctrl + Alt + F5: Immediately updates all PivotTables in the Excel file.
- Ctrl + T: Create a table. After selecting a data range, press this shortcut to create a table. Creating a table makes tasks such as filtering and sorting data easier.
- Ctrl + ;: Enter the current date. Enters the current date. This shortcut makes entering data in date format faster and more convenient.
- Ctrl + Page Up / Page Down: Switch worksheets. When you have multiple worksheets, use this shortcut to quickly move between them.
Excel Shortcuts for Mac
Here are 20 commonly used Mac shortcuts for Excel PivotTables.
- Fn + F11: Creates a PivotChart report for the selected PivotTable.
This feature lets you create a simple chart from the currently selected data. After creating the chart, click it and use the Design tab to change its appearance and layout. You can also select the chart and right-click it to configure additional chart options in more detail. - Fn + Alt + ↓: Open the drop-down menu. After selecting a cell in a row or column field, press this shortcut to view the available field options in a drop-down menu.
- Ctrl + Shift + L: Apply or remove a filter. Applies a filter to the selected cells or removes the filter.
- Fn + Alt + →: Group. Groups rows or columns based on the selected cells.
- Fn + Alt + ←: Ungroup. Removes grouping from the selected cells.
- Fn + Alt + ↑: Show parent item. Hides child items for the selected cell and shows only the parent item.
- Fn + Alt + ↓: Show child items. Hides the parent item for the selected cell and shows only child items.
- Fn + Alt + ↓: Open Field Settings. Opens the Field Settings window, where you can view the available options for the selected field.
- Fn + Ctrl + Shift + F11: Create a PivotTable on a new sheet. Creates a PivotTable on a new worksheet rather than the current worksheet.
- Cmd + A: Select all. Selects the entire PivotTable.
- Cmd + R: Update values immediately. After changing a value, press this shortcut to update it immediately.
- Fn + Alt + =: Add a total row or column. Adds a total row or column for the selected cells.
- Ctrl + Shift + ~: Change to a standard Number format. Changes the format of the selected cells to a standard Number format.
- Ctrl + Shift + $: Change to Currency format. Changes the format of the selected cells to Currency format.
- Ctrl + Shift + %: Change to Percentage format. Changes the format of the selected cells to Percentage format.
- Ctrl + Shift + #: Change to Date format. Changes the format of the selected cells to Date format.
- Fn + Ctrl + R: Copy values. Copies the values in the selected cells to other cells.
- Fn + Ctrl + Enter: Enter a value in the selected range. After entering a value, press this shortcut to enter it in every cell in the selected range.
- Fn + Ctrl + Shift + ↓: Copy all values downward. Copies all values below the selected cell.
- Fn + Ctrl + Shift + →: Copy all values to the right. Copies all values to the right of the selected cell.
- Fn + Ctrl + Shift + ←: Copy all values to the left. Copies all values to the left of the selected cell.
Conclusion
Using Excel shortcuts is very important for improving efficiency. Shortcuts let you complete tasks that would otherwise require mouse clicks more quickly and accurately. They can also automate repetitive tasks, saving time and effort.
For example, suppose you need to sort data. Selecting the data with the mouse, finding the Sort command, and clicking it can be time-consuming. However, you can select all data with Ctrl + A and apply a filter with Ctrl + Shift + L to sort more quickly and easily.
Using shortcuts is even more effective when working with large amounts of data.
For example, when using Ctrl + F to find specific data or text, you can locate it more quickly and accurately than by scrolling with the mouse. Therefore, using Excel shortcuts is an important way for Excel users to save time and effort while improving efficiency.