Excel bottom border shortcut (Alt, H, B, O)

Bottom border in Excel: Alt, H, B, O (Mac: Cmd+Option+Down arrow)

Windows	`Alt, H, B, O`
Mac	`Cmd+Option+Down arrow`
Group	formatting

Practice this shortcut

Drill: Bottom border. Pro drill. Twenty-five drills are free.

What it does and when to use it

Alt, H, B opens the Borders menu; O applies a bottom border. It is the standard finish for a header row and for the line above a total. On a Mac, Cmd+Option plus an arrow adds a border on that side.

The common mistake

Using Ctrl+Shift+7, which draws a border around the outside of the selection, not under each row.

Related shortcuts

Bold the selection Ctrl+B
Italic Ctrl+I
Underline Ctrl+U
Format as currency Ctrl+Shift+4
Thousands separators and two decimals Ctrl+Shift+1
The printable cheat sheet

Questions

How do I add a top border for a total row?

Alt, H, B, P applies a top border. Alt, H, B, A does all borders and Alt, H, B, N removes them.

Learn it by pressing it

Shortcutdrill gives you a task on a live sheet and a limit on key presses, so the shortcut has to become a reflex. Twenty-five drills are free; Pro unlocks all 80 for $9 a month, $29 a year, or $49 once.

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