Bottom Line: Learn to change what happens when the Enter key is pressed after editing a cell. The cell below is typically selected, but we can change this behavior.
Skill Level: Beginner
Video Tutorial
Preventing the Enter Key from Moving Down
Typically when you are editing a cell and press the Enter key, the cell below is selected. This is the default behavior in Excel, but there are a few ways to change this.
About a month ago, we received a comment on one of our YouTube tutorials from a viewer called DRSteele, who indcated that their preference for the Enter key is that it doesn't make the active cell move at all.
Fellow commenter Joe M suggested a great one-at-a-time solution. If you don't want your selected cell to move down, you can press Ctrl + Enter instead of just Enter.
That's a really good tip for individual instances, and one I use often.
Altering Enter Key Behavior
If you want to change the behavior of your Enter key for the long term, DRSteele's recommendation to change the setting in Excel Options is great.
You can make it so that the Enter key makes the active cell stay where it is. You can also make it so that the Enter key moves the selected cell in another direction. It's a setting that is very easy to adjust.
Start by choosing the File tab, and then selection Options (at the bottom of the left menu). This will bring up the Excel Options window, where you'll want to select the Advanced Tab.
The first option in this menu controls how the Enter key behaves. You can uncheck the box if you don't want the Enter key to move the selection at all. Or you can use the drop-down menu to select another direction for the Enter key to move the active cell (up, down, left, or right).
If you've turned off the option to move the active cell, you can to use your arrow keys to move the highlighted cell instead of Enter.
Bonus Tip: Use the Tab Key for Tables
If you are entering data in a block that is set up as a table, you might want to use the Tab key instead of Enter. This moves your selection to the right, and as you get to the rightmost column of the table, the Tab key will move you down to the leftmost entry of the next row of the table.
This pattern of movement is the same way your eyes move when you read a book in English. Therefore, it's probably a familiar pattern to your brain, which may allow you to enter data faster.
Selecting Shift + Tab will move you in the opposite direction.
Conclusion
Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions. Your comments inspire videos and help us all learn. So don't be shy; please leave a comment or suggestion below if this tip has been helpful or you have other recommendations for changing the behavior of the Enter key.
Thanks for the tip! Very helpful!
Thanks Yeshiva! 🙂
very useful in editing formula and lessen the redundancy
Thanks Dan! 🙂
If I am doing left to right data entry on a single row and my enter key normally moves me down, I will first highlight all the cells I am entering data in (eg A1 to E1). Then when I have entered data in A1 and hit Enter, I am moved to cell B1, then C1, etc. The advantage here is that I can use this on the fly without committing to any option changes.
If I highlight more than one row, then I move down the cells in the first column, and then automatically jump up to the first cell in the second column, etc.
Great point Mike! I will add a section to the article about how the Enter key works on a selected range of cells. Thanks! 🙂
@Mike: You beat me to it, as that’s how I often control the Enter key behavior without making permanent changes. Another tip: if you’re entering data in a highlighted range but would rather the cursor move across the row rather than down the column, then transpose the rows/columns first, enter your data in the highlighted range, then transpose it back again.
@PG: Good point! I hadn’t thought of that and it would work well when dealing with multiple rows and columns as you only have to transpose once to a new location – work with those cells using the normal behavior of the Enter key – then transpose the updated cells back to the original location. Thanks!
Hello Jon!
I really enjoy watching your videos. Could you please tell me which version of excel/office you use in your tutorial videos? I was unable to find out, i have never seen this style of icons. Maybe i missed one release…
Hi Peter,
Thank you for the nice feedback. I am using Office 365, and the Windows version of Excel. I am on the Insiders Fast build and they recently updated the icons. I believe these will be coming to all Office 365 subscribers soon, if they haven’t already.
I hope that helps. Thanks again and have a nice day! 🙂
Good stuff – saved me from a couple of challenged users
Trying to figure out how to make the cursor jump to a pre programmed cell
followed the instructions but my enter still doesn’t move down and the tick was already there in the advance options
exactly. Enter is supposed to move your cursor to the next line, like in word.
the whole point is that we don’t have to press alt+enter to jump to the next line.
Alt and Enter will do this
Very helpful tip. I had been searching for this tip for couple of months.
Unchecking the movement selection box is great way to automatically hold curser in same cell, but it impacts all workbooks. Is there any way that allows me to automatically hold curser in same cell in that particular excel sheet ? please share if you know such formula.
I do not know if this is just me who faces this problem? When I am outside in a “normal column” press enter and I move to the right just fine. BUUUUUUUT, if I place the courser inside a table I created, this does not work.
It is like this function work in all of the worksheet, just not the tables. Anything to do about this?
I want to be able to press enter in a table and move to the right.
It’s weird that outside of this table I move to the right, but inside the table, it goes down.
Any help on this matter, perhaps?
Try pressing the Tab button and see if it moves to the right?
How do I move from one cell (say A1) to another cell (say C5) by just pressing “Enter”?
Need Sample formula for moving cell with enter key from current cell to another cell. Both for moving right and moving down.
I was reading to find out if there is anyway for me to use JUST my keyboard to accomplish what I do for work. Basically I type my notes into a cell and then go to next row and have to use my mouse to “click twice” for the hyperlinks we have formulated to react and pop up our phone application. I tried to page over to the cell and use CTRL Enter, but it doesn’t acknowledge that I am trying to “click” the hyperlink. I hope this make since and I hope there is maybe a solution! TY!
I just encounter a glitch when sheet is protected: the stay on cell doesn’t work, Excel move the way that is gray out in the choice of direction
Excel sucks!
Libreoffice got it right, by making enter open the cell to edit mode.