Select cells, rows and columns with the keyboard in Excel
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Hold Shift and the arrow keys select instead of moving: Shift + ↓ adds one cell, Ctrl + Shift + ↓ selects down to the last filled cell. Shift + Space selects the whole row, Ctrl + Space the whole column, and Ctrl + A the whole table around the active cell. Every selection starts from the active cell.
The selection shortcuts
Shift + arrow · Ctrl + Shift + arrow · Shift + Space · Ctrl + Space · Ctrl + A
- Shift + arrow
- Grows the selection one cell at a time from the active cell. The opposite arrow, still with Shift, shrinks it again.
- Ctrl + Shift + arrow
- Selects as far as Ctrl + arrow would jump: to the last filled cell before a blank, or to the edge of the sheet. Press it again with another arrow to extend in that direction.
- Shift + Space
- Selects the entire row of the active cell, from column A to the last column of the sheet.
- Ctrl + Space
- Selects the entire column of the active cell, from row 1 to the bottom of the sheet.
- Ctrl + A
- Inside data, selects the current region: every filled cell connected to the active cell. Press it a second time to select the whole sheet.
- On a Mac
- Use ⌘ + Shift + arrow and ⌘ + A. Shift + Space and Ctrl + Space are the same, but macOS may use Ctrl + Space to switch the input language.
Practise selecting with the keyboard here
Click the grid, then select with the keys, as you would in Excel. The highlighted range is what gets checked.
Select a few cells
Holding Shift turns the arrows into a selection tool. From C2, hold Shift and press ↓ four times to select the first five products, C2:C6.
| Order | Region | Product | Qty | Unit price ($) | Total ($) |
| 1001 | North | Notebook | 1 | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| 1002 | South | Desk lamp | 8 | 32.00 | 256.00 |
| 1003 | East | Pen box | 6 | 6.90 | 41.40 |
| 1004 | West | Paper ream | 4 | 5.75 | 23.00 |
| 1005 | North | Stapler | 2 | 14.00 | 28.00 |
| 1006 | South | Notebook | 9 | 2.50 | 22.50 |
| 1007 | East | Desk lamp | 7 | 32.00 | 224.00 |
| 1008 | West | Pen box | 5 | 6.90 | 34.50 |
| 1009 | North | Paper ream | 3 | 5.75 | 17.25 |
| 1010 | South | Stapler | 1 | 14.00 | 14.00 |
| 1011 | East | Notebook | 8 | 2.50 | 20.00 |
| 1012 | West | Desk lamp | 6 | 32.00 | 192.00 |
| 1013 | North | Pen box | 4 | 6.90 | 27.60 |
| 1014 | South | Paper ream | 2 | 5.75 | 11.50 |
| 1015 | East | Stapler | 9 | 14.00 | 126.00 |
| 1016 | West | Notebook | 7 | 2.50 | 17.50 |
| 1017 | North | Desk lamp | 5 | 32.00 | 160.00 |
| 1018 | South | Pen box | 3 | 6.90 | 20.70 |
| 1019 | East | Paper ream | 1 | 5.75 | 5.75 |
| 1020 | West | Stapler | 8 | 14.00 | 112.00 |
| 1021 | North | Notebook | 6 | 2.50 | 15.00 |
| 1022 | South | Desk lamp | 4 | 32.00 | 128.00 |
| 1023 | East | Pen box | 2 | 6.90 | 13.80 |
| 1024 | West | Paper ream | 9 | 5.75 | 51.75 |
How to select with the keyboard, step by step
- Click the first cell you want, for example the top of a column of numbers. That cell becomes the active cell, and the selection grows from it.
- Hold Shift and press an arrow to add cells one at a time, or Ctrl + Shift + ↓ to go straight to the last filled cell.
- Add Ctrl + Shift + → to widen the selection across the columns, or press Ctrl + A to take the whole table at once.
- Check the highlighted range, then format, copy or delete it, or type it into a formula.
Selection examples
The first five products
Shift + ↓ ×4
From C2, four presses select C2:C6. Count the cells you need minus one.
A whole column of data
Ctrl + Shift + ↓
From D2, selects every quantity down to the last order, D2:D25, whether the list holds 24 rows or 24,000.
The whole table from its corner
Ctrl + Shift + →, then Ctrl + Shift + ↓
From A1, the first press selects the header row, the second extends it down: A1:F25.
A row to delete
Shift + Space
Selects row 8 from any cell in it. Then Ctrl + - deletes the row, and Ctrl + + inserts one.
The table from any cell inside it
Ctrl + A
From C10, selects A1:F25. A second Ctrl + A selects the whole sheet.
Common problems and how to fix them
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The selection runs to row 1,048,576 | Ctrl + Shift + ↓ started on an empty cell, or the column below is empty, so it ran to the bottom of the sheet. | Press Ctrl + Home or click back, start on the first filled cell and try again. |
| The selection stops halfway down | There is a blank cell in the column: Ctrl + Shift + ↓ stops at the last filled cell before it. | Keep Ctrl + Shift held and press ↓ again to carry on, or start from a column with no gaps and use Ctrl + A. |
| Selection goes past the data | A cell that looks empty holds a space or a formula that returns "", so it counts as filled. | Shrink the selection with Shift + ↑, and clear the stray cell with Delete. |
| Shift + Space types a space | You are editing a cell, so the keys go into the cell instead of the sheet. | Press Enter or Esc to leave the cell, then press the shortcut again. |
| Ctrl + Space changes the keyboard language | On a Mac, Ctrl + Space is also the macOS shortcut to switch input sources. | Turn it off in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Input Sources. |
Ctrl + Shift + arrows or Ctrl + A?
Ctrl + Shift + arrows select from the active cell in the direction you choose, so you control where the selection starts: one column, the numbers without their header, the rows below a given order. Ctrl + A ignores where you are in the table and takes the whole current region in one press. Use Ctrl + Shift + arrows for part of a table, and Ctrl + A for all of it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I select all the data in a column?
Click the first cell of the column and press Ctrl + Shift + ↓. If the column has blank cells, press it again until you reach the end. To select the entire column, press Ctrl + Space.
How do I select a whole row with the keyboard?
Click any cell in the row and press Shift + Space. Hold Shift and press ↓ or ↑ to add the rows below or above.
Why does Ctrl + A sometimes select the whole sheet?
When the active cell is in data, the first Ctrl + A selects the table and the second the whole sheet. From an empty cell with nothing around it, the first press already selects the whole sheet.
What are the Mac shortcuts?
Use ⌘ + Shift + arrow to select to the end of the data and ⌘ + A for the table. Shift + Space and Ctrl + Space work as on Windows.