Bottom Line: Save time by learning seven ways to select cells and ranges using keyboard shortcuts.
Skill Level: Beginner
Video Tutorial
Download the Excel File
If you’d like to follow along with the video using the same worksheet I’m using, you can download it here:
Keyboard Shortcuts to Select Cells
Who doesn’t love a keyboard shortcut to help make things faster and easier? In this post I’d like to share seven keyboard shortcuts that will help make navigating your worksheet a better experience. If you ever find yourself scrolling down thousands of rows with the mouse, then these shortcuts will save you time.
1. Select the Last Used Cell
No matter where you start from in your worksheet, Ctrl+End will take you to the intersection of the last used column and last used row.

Sometimes, when you use this shortcut, Excel will move your selection so that is farther to the right or farther down than the data range you can see.

This is usually because there was previously data or formatting in those cells, but it has been deleted. You can clear that by deleting any of those previously used rows or columns and then saving your workbook. (Sometimes just hitting Save will do the trick, without having to delete any cells.)
Ctrl+End will select the last used cell on the sheet. However, there could be shapes (charts, slicers, etc.) on the sheet below or to the right of that cell. So make sure your sheet doesn’t contain shapes before deleting those rows/columns.
2. Select the First Visible Cell
Using Ctrl+Home will always take you to the first visible cell (excluding hidden rows/columns) on the sheet, unless your sheet has Freeze Panes.

Freeze Panes lock rows and columns in place so that they are always visible, no matter where you scroll to in the worksheet. Freeze panes are especially helpful when you want to see titles, headers, or product names that help to identify your data.
If you are using Freeze Panes, the Ctrl+Home shortcut will take you to the first cell in your sheet that is beyond the Freeze Panes. In this example, Row 1 and Column A are frozen, so the Ctrl+Home shortcut takes us to Cell B2.

3. Select Last Cell in Contiguous Range
Ctrl+Arrow Key
Using Ctrl along with your arrow keys allows you to move to the beginning or end of contiguous data in a row or column. For example, if you start at the top of a column and then press Ctrl+? you will jump to the last cell in that column before an empty cell. Repeating this process will move you further down the column to just before the next blank cell.

Ctrl+? will reverse that process in the upward direction. And of course, holding Ctrl while using the left or right arrow key accomplishes the same action horizontally instead of vertically.
An Alternative Using the Mouse
You can accomplish this same action using your mouse instead of the keyboard, if you like. Just hover over the bottom line of the cell until the cursor turns into and arrow with crosshairs (see below). Then double-click. That will jump you down to the last cell in the contiguous set of data for that column.

4. Add Cells to the Selected Range
If you use Shift along with your arrow keys, you can select multiple cells, one at a time. For example, if you start in any cell and press Shift+?, it highlights the original cell and the cell just below it.

The same idea applies to the left, right, or up arrows. And if you keep the Shift key held down, you can continue to move over multiple cells in multiple directions to select an entire range of data.
5. Select Multiple Cells in Contiguous Range
Ctrl+Shift+Arrow Key
Using the same process as in Shortcut 3, but adding the Shift key, allows you to select multiple cells simultaneously. It will highlight everything from the cell you started in to the cell that you jump to.

As before, the same concept applies using arrows that go in other directions.
This process only selects cells that come before a blank cell. However, sometimes a column can have many blank cells. If so, this method may not be your best option. To select large amounts of data containing many blanks, I recommend checking out this post for some alternatives:

2 Keyboard Shortcuts to Select a Column with Blank Cells
6. Select All Cells to First or Last Cell
Shortcuts 1 and 2 taught us how to jump from whatever cell we are in to the beginning corner (Home) or ending corner (End) of our data range. Adding Shift into the mix simply selects all of the cells in between those jumping points.
So if, for example, we start in Cell C5 and Press Ctrl+Shift+Home, the following range will be selected.
Ctrl+Shift+Home

If instead we were to begin at C5 and press Ctrl+Shift+End, this range of data will be selected:

Ctrl+Shift+End
7. Select All Cells
Press Ctrl+A a second time to select all cells on the sheet.
If your spreadsheet has multiple blocks of data, Excel does a pretty good job of selecting the block of data that is surrounding your cell when you press Ctrl+A. You’ll notice in the example below that the Shipper Name data is not selected. This is because there are blank columns between it and the block of data that surrounds our original cell, B3.

If your intention is to select all of the cells on the sheet, you simply press Ctrl+A a second time and your entire worksheet will be highlighted.
Better, Faster, Smarter
I hope you are able to commit some of these shortcuts to memory. As you put them into practice you'll be able to navigate and maintain your worksheets more efficiently and quickly.
Have a keyboard shortcut that you want to share? Leave a comment below. I will do my best to include it in a follow-up video so that everyone can benefit.
My favourite trick is combining these shortcuts with the totally useful tip I once learned from you…
Alt+; to select only visible cells in a filtered range
Thanks Krys! I’ll add a link to that post on How to Copy & Paste Visible Cells with Alt+;. 🙂
Navigate around a sheet with your mouse… Select a cell and by double clicking on the right side it will travel to the right and stop at the first blank cell. Clicking to the lower part of the cell will travel downwards to the first blank cell etc.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Peter! 🙂
thank you
If your intention is to select all of the cells on the sheet, you simply press Ctrl+A a second time and your entire worksheet will be highlighted.
The keyboard shortcut to all cells on the sheet is: Ctrl+A,A
There a “Ctrl+” missing (twice Ctrl+A is Ctrl+A, Ctrl+A)
Cheers
Ralph
Interesting. Thank you very much
I have a Mac so in Excel SS Ctrl+A, A produces an = + a formula creation box. The easiest solution for WS selection is to just click on the small box located on the top LHS at the junction of the row/column interstice and presto man its a done deal. To deselect click on any cell. I hope I’m reading off the same song sheet
Cheers
Thanks I like your shortcuts.
Thanks, very helpful!!
Thank you!
perfect. thanks
it saved me 🙂
Great, thanks! ctrl+shift+arrow is the best
perfectly explained . thanks
Does not address how to select non adjacent cells without a mouse on a Mac.
How to select and fill a column with same data, not a series. Example: I want Column C to fill December from C2:C1051
Input C2:C1051 into the range name box at upper left, press ENTER, type “December”, press CNTL-ENTER.
Hii Nancy are you fine
I do not know how to phrase it but imagine a bank statement with columns date – charge (dollar amount) and then the total balance
The rows are basically random charges and deposits
What I am trying to do is find an easy way to select each sell that has to do with a SUM( function on the bottoms. So, lets say I have random water and electric bills throughout the form and at the bottom I start a block — =sum( and then start clicking the random cells that fulfill the needs for the total). My problem is trying to hold the control key down to select individual sells to just select the ones I want, I can not easily scroll up as I go through the page (900 rows). Anything to make this easier would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Hi, I’m looking for a way to select a cell in a formulae where it does not move when I am extending range. I need that particular cell to be a solid. Thanks!
you want cell C8 to be constant in a formula, $C$8
you are amazing!
LAME, you didn’t even show how to shortcut select multiple away from one another
Great video, many thanks
How can i write words in the same column that have words, without delete it. usually i used double click.
Great post! I was completely unaware of some of these keyboard shortcuts, especially the one for selecting multiple cells at once. This is going to save me so much time in the future! Thanks for sharing!