Knowing the right Excel keyboard shortcuts can dramatically speed up your work. Whether you are a student, analyst, or business owner, mastering Excel shortcuts saves hours every week. In this guide, we share the top 30 Excel keyboard shortcuts every user must know in 2025.
Navigation Shortcuts
Ctrl+Home takes you to cell A1 instantly. Ctrl+End jumps to the last used cell. Ctrl+Arrow keys move to the edge of data regions. These Excel keyboard shortcuts help you navigate large spreadsheets with ease. Use Ctrl+G or F5 to open the Go To dialog for quick cell navigation.
Editing Shortcuts
Ctrl+Z undoes your last action, while Ctrl+Y redoes it. Ctrl+D fills down and Ctrl+R fills right — huge time-savers when duplicating data. F2 activates cell edit mode without using the mouse. Ctrl+Shift+L toggles filters on your data range, a must-know Excel shortcut for data analysts.
Formatting Shortcuts
Ctrl+1 opens the Format Cells dialog, giving instant access to number, alignment, and border settings. Ctrl+B applies bold, Ctrl+I for italic, and Ctrl+U for underline. Ctrl+Shift+$ formats numbers as currency. Alt+H+H opens the fill color picker. These Excel formatting shortcuts keep your hands on the keyboard and off the mouse.
Formula Shortcuts
F4 toggles absolute and relative references when editing formulas — an essential Excel shortcut. Ctrl+` (backtick) shows all formulas at once, great for auditing. Alt+= auto-sums a selected range. Ctrl+Shift+Enter inserts array formulas. Download professional Excel formula templates from Hackknow to boost your productivity and use these shortcuts effectively.
File and Workbook Shortcuts
Ctrl+S saves your workbook instantly. Ctrl+N opens a new workbook. Ctrl+W closes the current workbook. Ctrl+P opens Print Preview. Ctrl+F1 hides or shows the ribbon. Using these Excel keyboard shortcuts together with ready-made Excel templates from Hackknow will maximise your workflow efficiency and reduce repetitive tasks.
Creating a personal or business budget in Excel is one of the most practical skills you can learn. With the right Excel budget template, you can track income, expenses, and savings with ease. In this guide, you will learn exactly how to create a budget in Excel in just 5 minutes using simple steps and built-in formulas.
Step 1: Open a New Excel Spreadsheet
Open Microsoft Excel and create a new blank workbook. Label your columns: Date, Category, Description, Income, Expense, and Balance. This structure forms the backbone of your Excel budget spreadsheet. You can also download a ready-made Excel budget template from Hackknow to skip this step entirely.
Step 2: Enter Your Income Sources
List all your monthly income sources in the Income column. Use the SUM formula to total them: =SUM(D2:D10). Whether you have a salary, freelance income, or rental income, recording all sources gives you a clear picture of total monthly earnings. This is the foundation of an effective Excel budget.
Step 3: List Your Monthly Expenses
In the Expense column, list all fixed and variable expenses such as rent, groceries, utilities, subscriptions, and transport. Use category labels like Housing, Food, and Entertainment for better organisation. Total all expenses with =SUM(E2:E50). Categorising expenses in your Excel budget is key to identifying where your money goes.
Step 4: Calculate Your Monthly Balance
In the Balance column, enter the formula =D2-E2 to see how much you have left after each transaction. A running balance helps you spot overspending instantly. Use conditional formatting to highlight negative balances in red — this is a powerful Excel budgeting trick that gives you instant visual warnings.
Step 5: Add a Summary Dashboard
Create a summary section at the top of your Excel budget sheet showing Total Income, Total Expenses, and Net Savings. Use a simple pie chart to visualise spending by category. This transforms your spreadsheet into a visual Excel budget dashboard. Download our professional Excel budget templates from Hackknow for ready-to-use dashboards and automatic calculations.
If you are just starting with Microsoft Excel, learning the right formulas can save you hours of manual work every week. Excel formulas are the backbone of any spreadsheet, helping you calculate, analyse, and manage data effortlessly. In this guide, we cover the 5 most essential Excel formulas every beginner must know in 2026.
1. SUM Formula – Add Numbers Instantly
The SUM formula is the most basic and widely used Excel formula for beginners. It adds up a range of numbers in seconds. Use =SUM(A1:A10) to add all values from cell A1 to A10. Whether you are totalling sales figures, expenses, or inventory counts, SUM is your best friend in Excel.
2. AVERAGE Formula – Calculate Mean Values
The AVERAGE formula calculates the mean of a range of numbers. Simply use =AVERAGE(B1:B10) to get the average of values in column B. This Excel formula is perfect for analysing test scores, monthly sales, or employee performance data. It is one of the most important Excel formulas for beginners.
3. IF Formula – Make Logical Decisions
The IF formula allows Excel to make decisions based on conditions. Syntax: =IF(condition, value_if_true, value_if_false). For example, =IF(A1>100, “Pass”, “Fail”) will display Pass if A1 is greater than 100, and Fail otherwise. The IF formula is essential for automating data categorisation and business reporting in Excel.
4. COUNT Formula – Count Cells with Numbers
The COUNT formula counts how many cells in a range contain numerical data. Use =COUNT(C1:C50) to count all cells with numbers. Use COUNTA to count non-empty cells including text. This Excel formula is highly useful when working with large datasets and attendance records or product inventories.
5. VLOOKUP Formula – Find Data Across Sheets
VLOOKUP is a powerful Excel formula that searches for a value in the first column of a range and returns a value from another column. Syntax: =VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup]). It is used extensively in inventory management, HR databases, and sales reports. Mastering VLOOKUP is a must for any Excel beginner.
Start Using Excel Formulas Today
These 5 Excel formulas – SUM, AVERAGE, IF, COUNT, and VLOOKUP – are the foundation of every powerful spreadsheet. Once you master these basic Excel formulas, you will be ready to tackle advanced functions like INDEX MATCH, SUMIF, and Pivot Tables. Download our ready-made Excel templates from Hackknow to practice these formulas in real business scenarios and accelerate your Excel learning journey.