ShortcutdrillExcel shortcuts / Excel formatting shortcuts
Excel formatting shortcuts
Formatting from the keyboard is about speed on repetitive work: a header to bold, a column of amounts to format, a border under every total. The number-format shortcuts are the ones to learn first; the ribbon key chains cover the rest.
On a Mac the number formats use Control rather than Cmd, because Cmd+Shift+4 is the screenshot key.
| Action | Windows | Mac | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold the selection | Ctrl+B | Cmd+B | Free drill |
| Italic | Ctrl+I | Cmd+I | Pro drill |
| Underline | Ctrl+U | Cmd+U | Pro drill |
| Format as currency | Ctrl+Shift+4 | Control+Shift+4 | Pro drill |
| Thousands separators and two decimals | Ctrl+Shift+1 | Control+Shift+1 | Pro drill |
| Format as percentage | Ctrl+Shift+5 | Control+Shift+5 | Pro drill |
| Format a serial number as a date | Ctrl+Shift+3 | Control+Shift+3 | Pro drill |
| Clear the number format | Ctrl+Shift+` | Control+Shift+~ | Pro drill |
| Autofit the column width | Alt, H, O, I | Windows only | Free drill |
| Bottom border | Alt, H, B, O | Cmd+Option+Down arrow | Pro drill |
| Change the font color | Alt, H, F, C | Windows only | Pro drill |
| Wrap text | Alt, H, W | Windows only | Pro drill |
| Hide the selected columns | Ctrl+0 | Cmd+0 | Free drill |
| Unhide columns | Ctrl+Shift+0 | Cmd+Shift+0 | Pro drill |
Bold the selection Ctrl+B
Ctrl+B toggles bold on the selected cells. Select the header with Ctrl+Shift+Right first and the whole row goes bold in two presses. Practice: Bold the header row.
Italic Ctrl+I
Ctrl+I toggles italic. Notes, sources and assumptions are often italic so they read as commentary rather than data. Practice: Italic for a note.
Underline Ctrl+U
Ctrl+U toggles underline. Finance uses a single underline above a subtotal line and a double underline for a grand total, the accounting convention; Ctrl+U gives the single one. Practice: Underline a heading.
Format as currency Ctrl+Shift+4
Ctrl+Shift+4 (Ctrl+$) applies the currency format with two decimals and thousands separators. Select the column with Ctrl+Shift+Down first and the whole thing formats at once. Practice: Format as currency.
Thousands separators and two decimals Ctrl+Shift+1
Ctrl+Shift+1 (Ctrl+!) applies the number format with two decimals and a thousands separator, the standard look for amounts in a report. It is the format most models use instead of currency symbols. Practice: Thousands separators.
Format as percentage Ctrl+Shift+5
Ctrl+Shift+5 (Ctrl+%) formats the selection as a percentage with no decimals. The value does not change; 0.125 shows as 13%. Practice: Format as percentages.
Format a serial number as a date Ctrl+Shift+3
Dates in Excel are numbers; 46027 is a day in 2026. Ctrl+Shift+3 (Ctrl+#) applies the day-month-year date format so the number reads as a date again. Practice: Dates showing as numbers.
Clear the number format Ctrl+Shift+`
Ctrl+Shift+` (Ctrl+~) sets the General format, which removes currency symbols, separators, percent signs and date formatting and shows the raw value. Practice: Clear a number format.
Autofit the column width Alt, H, O, I
Alt opens the ribbon key tips, H is Home, O is Format, I is AutoFit Column Width. Pressed in sequence it fits the selected columns to their contents. Alt, H, O, A does the same for row height. Practice: Autofit the column.
Bottom border Alt, H, B, O
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. Practice: Bottom border.
Change the font color Alt, H, F, C
Alt, H, F, C opens the font color picker. Arrow to a color or pick it, then Enter. Banks color hard-coded inputs blue, formulas black and links to other sheets green, so a reviewer can see where numbers come from. Practice: Blue font for inputs.
Wrap text Alt, H, W
Alt, H, W toggles Wrap Text so long labels break onto several lines inside the cell instead of spilling over or being cut off. The row height adjusts automatically. Practice: Wrap text.
Hide the selected columns Ctrl+0
Ctrl+0 hides the columns of the selection. Helper columns stay in the model and out of the print. Ctrl+9 hides rows the same way. Practice: Hide the helper columns.
Unhide columns Ctrl+Shift+0
Select across the hidden columns, then Ctrl+Shift+0 unhides them. If the shortcut is taken by the operating system, Alt, H, O, U, L does the same. Practice: Unhide them.