What are the best Microsoft Excel tips according to you?

Here are some Excel tips that can help you work more efficiently and effectively: Master the Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn and use keyboard shortcuts for common tasks. This can significantly speed up your workflow. For example, Ctrl + C for copy, Ctrl + V for paste, Ctrl + Z for undo, etc. Flash Fill for Data Cleaning: Use Flash Fill (Ctrl + E) to quickly clean and transform data without writing complex formulas. It's great for splitting or combining text. Use Tables for Data Management: Convert your data range into a table (Ctrl + T). Tables provide built-in features like automatic filtering, easy sorting, and structured referencing in formulas. PivotTables for Data Analysis: Utilize PivotTables to summarize and analyze large datasets. They make it easy to create reports and visualize trends. Conditional Formatting for Visual Insights: Apply conditional formatting to highlight important information in your data. This can include color scales, data bars, and icon sets. Named Ranges for Clarity: Define named ranges for cells or ranges you frequently refer to in formulas. It makes your formulas more readable and helps avoid errors. VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP Mastery: Learn how to use VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP for quick data retrieval. They are powerful functions for searching and matching data in tables. Remove Duplicates: Use the "Remove Duplicates" feature (Data → Remove Duplicates) to clean up datasets and eliminate duplicate values. INDEX and MATCH Combination: Combine INDEX and MATCH functions for more flexible and powerful lookups than VLOOKUP. Get Quick Sums with Alt + Equals: Select a cell below a column of numbers and press Alt + = to quickly sum the numbers above. Power Query for Data Transformation: Explore and use Power Query to import, transform, and clean data from various sources. Protect Important Cells with Cell Locking: Use cell locking and sheet protection to prevent accidental changes to critical data. Ctrl + Arrow Keys for Navigation: Use Ctrl + Arrow Keys for quick navigation to the edge of data regions. This is particularly useful in large datasets. Formula Auditing Tools: Utilize formula auditing tools (Formulas tab) to trace precedents and dependents, evaluate formulas, and identify errors. Custom Views for Different Perspectives: Save custom views (View → Custom Views) to quickly switch between different perspectives or scenarios in your workbook. Excel Tables for Automatic Column Sizing: If you're working with large sets of data, consider converting your data range into an Excel Table (Ctrl + T). Tables automatically adjust column sizes when new data is added. F4 to Repeat the Last Action: Press F4 to repeat the last action. This can save time, especially when applying formatting or inserting/deleting rows/columns. Use Power Pivot for Advanced Data Modeling: Explore Power Pivot for more advanced data modeling and analysis. It's particularly useful when dealing with large and complex datasets. Dynamic Arrays (for Excel 365 Users): If you have Excel 365, explore dynamic arrays for more efficient and powerful calculations. Explore Macros and Automation: Learn the basics of recording and running macros. This can help automate repetitive tasks and save time. Remember, these tips can vary in usefulness depending on the specific tasks you're working on, but incorporating them into your Excel workflow can enhance your productivity and efficiency. read less

In order to use Excel efficiently, we need to memorize some of the commonly used shortcuts. Apart from that, try using the keyboard a bit more rather than the mouse. Some of the common shortcuts I use: Ctrl + A=> This selects all contents of the worksheet Ctrl + B=> Highlights the selected cell in bold Ctrl + C=> Copy contents Ctrl + D=> Fill contents from the above cell to current selected cell Ctrl + F=> Find contents in the worksheet Ctrl + H=> Find and replace contents in the worksheet Ctrl + I=> Italicize selected cell Ctrl + N=> Open a new workbook Ctrl + S=> Save the current workbook Ctrl + U=> Underline current selection Ctrl + V=> Paste contents Ctrl + X=> Cut selected contents Ctrl + Z=> Undo last action. read less