Microsoft Excel keyboard shortcuts for Mac
Navigate worksheets and edit spreadsheet content using documented Excel for Mac shortcuts.
Documentation reviewed 2026-11-05 · 6 task guides · Mac bindings and focus notes
What do you want to do?
Enter data and move between Excel cells on Mac
In Excel for Mac, Return completes an entry and moves forward in the selection. By default, Shift-Return moves up, Tab moves right and Shift-Tab moves left. Escape cancels a cell entry; F2 edits the selected cell.
Steps, keys and context ↗Fill Excel cells down or right on Mac
Command-D fills an Excel selection downward on Mac, and Command-R fills it to the right. Command-Return fills the selected range with the entry you type. The selected range determines what receives the operation.
Steps, keys and context ↗Find and replace text in Excel for Mac
Command-F opens Excel search on Mac. Command-Shift-H or Control-H opens Replace. Inspect the visible search scope and matching options before replacing anything across a sheet or workbook.
Steps, keys and context ↗Format Excel cells on Mac without changing their meaning
Command-1 opens the Format Cells dialog in Excel for Mac. Command-B, Command-I and Command-U apply bold, italic and underline. A display format changes how a value appears; it should not be treated as proof that the underlying data is correct.
Steps, keys and context ↗Use Paste Special in Excel for Mac
Command-Control-V opens Paste Special in Excel for Mac. Copy the source range first, choose a destination, then inspect the available paste options. A normal Command-V paste and a Paste Special operation can transfer different parts of the copied cells.
Steps, keys and context ↗Select Excel rows, columns and regions on Mac
Shift-Space selects an Excel row on Mac and Control-Space selects a column. Command-A selects the current region or a wider sheet selection as it is repeated. macOS can reserve overlapping shortcuts, so check conflicts if a command does not reach Excel.
Steps, keys and context ↗
Quick reference
Selected bindings from the linked task guides. Check the context before pressing a key: the focused control, app version and your custom settings can change what it does. This is a documentation reference, not an exhaustive live menu reading.
| Action | Keys | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Complete entry | Return | Commit the entry and advance in the current selection. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Fill down | Command-D | Include the source at the top of the destination range. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Find | Command-F | Open the search interface for workbook content. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Format Cells dialog | Command-1 | Inspect the selected cells and available format settings. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Copy source range | Command-C | Select the source cells deliberately first. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Select row | Shift-Space | Select the row containing the active cell. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Complete and move up | Shift-Return | Move backward vertically through the selection. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Fill right | Command-R | Include the source at the left of the destination range. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Replace | Command-Shift-H | Inspect the replacement dialog and its options. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Bold | Command-B | Apply emphasis to the selected cells. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Open Paste Special | Command-Control-V | Choose the available paste behavior in the dialog. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Select column | Control-Space | May conflict with an operating-system shortcut. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Move right | Tab | Continue across a row of entries. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Enter into selected range | Command-Return | Apply the typed entry across the selected cells. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Alternative Replace | Control-H | Microsoft also documents this Mac binding. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Italic | Command-I | Use for a deliberate presentation choice. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Normal paste | Command-V | Use when the default copied cell content is appropriate. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
| Select region or sheet | Command-A | Repeated presses can expand the selection. Source ↗Read the task guide → |
When a shortcut behaves differently
- Confirm you are using the Mac binding, and check whether the guide describes a desktop app or its web version.
- Put focus in the control named in the guide. Editing text, selecting an object and navigating a sidebar can use different keys.
- Look up the command in the app's menu or shortcut settings. Customized keys and non-US keyboard layouts can differ from documented defaults.
The cited documentation was checked for these guides; a documentation review is separate from testing your particular running app. How we verify and update guides →
Official sources
- Keyboard shortcuts in Excel — Microsoft Support, Mac section — checked 2026-11-05