Learn how spreadsheets work, how to enter and format data, and how to write your first formulas.
Excel can seem complicated, but most people only need a small part of what it can do. This guide covers what you will use every day.
The Interface
When you open a workbook, you see:
- Cells - the individual boxes where data goes
- Columns - labeled A, B, C across the top
- Rows - numbered 1, 2, 3 down the left side
- Cell reference - the address of a cell, like A1 or C5, shown in the Name Box at the top left
- Formula bar - shows the content of the selected cell
- Sheet tabs - at the bottom, for multiple sheets in one file
Entering Data
Click a cell and start typing. Press Enter to confirm and move down. Press Tab to confirm and move right. Press Escape to cancel.
You can type text, numbers, or dates. Excel automatically detects what type of data you entered and formats it accordingly.
Selecting Cells
- Single cell: Click it
- Range: Click the first cell and drag to the last
- Entire column: Click the column letter
- Entire row: Click the row number
- Multiple ranges: Hold Ctrl and click or drag additional selections
Basic Formulas
Every formula starts with an equals sign. Without it, Excel treats what you type as text.
SUM - add up a range:
=SUM(A1:A10)
AVERAGE - find the average of a range:
=AVERAGE(B2:B8)
Basic math:
=A1+B1
=A1-B1
=A1*B1
=A1/B1
To reference another cell in a formula, click it while typing the formula instead of typing the address manually.
AutoSum
Select a cell below a column of numbers (or to the right of a row) and click the AutoSum button on the Home tab or Formulas tab. Excel guesses the range and inserts a SUM formula. Press Enter to confirm.
Formatting Cells
Select cells, then use the Home tab:
Number format: The dropdown in the Number group. Common choices are General, Number, Currency, Percentage, and Date. You can also click the dialog launcher for full control.
Alignment: Left, Center, Right, and the Wrap Text button, which makes long text show on multiple lines inside the cell.
Bold, Italic, Font size and color: Same as Word, in the Font group.
Borders: The border button dropdown lets you add borders around or between selected cells.
Fill color: The paint bucket button fills cells with a background color.
Column Width and Row Height
Hover over the border between two column letters until the cursor changes, then drag to resize. Double-click the border to auto-fit the column to its content.
Same process works for row height using row number borders.
Saving
Ctrl+S saves. The default format is .xlsx. If someone using older Excel (2003 or earlier) needs the file, save as .xls. For sharing with people who do not have Excel, save as .pdf or .csv.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Save | Ctrl+S |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z |
| Select column | Ctrl+Space |
| Select row | Shift+Space |
| Go to cell A1 | Ctrl+Home |
| Go to last used cell | Ctrl+End |
| Insert row or column | Ctrl++ |
| Delete row or column | Ctrl± |
| AutoSum | Alt+= |
Links
Questions or something that didn’t work as described? Post below and I’ll follow up.
Ready to go further? Microsoft Excel Intermediate: Charts, Formulas, and Pivot Tables