The Top 10 Microsoft Excel Tricks and Tips

Microsoft Excel is one of the most powerful apps that the majority of people do not properly utilize. Many of us use Excel on a regular basis for work, yet often overlook the numerous tools available to boost our productivity right in front of our eyes. The good news is that you can quickly enhance your Excel spreadsheet skills.

Take a look at the ideas for increasing efficiency listed below. You’ll discover how to retrieve data from other sheets, apply filters like a pro, automate your cell data, and repair poorly thought-out old spreadsheets, among other things.

1.  Format for painting

The format painter function is one of the simplest and easiest Excel tips and tricks. Instead of instructing each cell (or set of cells) on the colors, fonts, and format to use, just copy and paste the format from another cell. Here’s how to format cells more quickly:

Copy the formatting from a cell by clicking it.

Click the paintbrush symbol in the top right corner of the Home tab.

Select or click the cell or cells to which you wish to paste the format.

2. Sort your data

You may wish to see only the rows that have a specific last name, wage scale, topic, or other feature. If you utilize the filter data feature, you can accomplish it with less scrolling and squinting.

To filter a row, column, or range, click or select it.

Choose the Data tab at the top.

In the toolbar, click the Filter button with the funnel icon.

Click the arrow in the cell range.

Select the data points to filter from the drop-down menu.

3. The text should be clipped or wrapped.

Spreadsheets with long links or text blocks might be cumbersome. To solve this, you may either cut the text or wrap it if you want to see the entire image.

Click Wrap Text in the Home tab, just above the term Alignment.

Click once to wrap the text and again to clip it.

4. Make use of formulae and functions.

Here are some of the greatest Excel formulae for increasing the efficiency of your spreadsheets:

COUNT, SUM, AND AVERAGE: Add up the values in a collection of cells, average them, or count the cells with a numerical value.

If data fulfills a given criterion, such as being over or under budget, set a flag.

CONCATENATE: This function combines text from two cells or columns, such as a first and last name. (To avoid typing “concatenate,” simply enter “&”.)

MAX or MIN: Determine the maximum or minimum number in a range.

5. Fill in the blanks

If it matches a pattern, there’s no need to input comparable but slightly different content into Excel. You may autofill dates, numbers, or other patterns similar to this:

Choose the cells with the desired data pattern.

Drag the fill handle in the range’s lower right corner.

6. Use IF to automate.

IF, one of the most common Excel functions, provides a high level of granularity for gaining insights into data. To utilize it, input data into a cell using the syntax below. You may make the formula as complicated as you want it to be.

=IF(D3>C3, “Over Budget”,”Good”)

What it means: If D3 exceeds C3, the cell will display “Over Budget.” Otherwise, it will say “Good.”

7. Fill with flash

Excel may sometimes detect patterns in your data as you enter it, similar to how autosuggest works on your phone. To utilize it, just press Enter when you see the recommended text appear in your cells.

You may also start the process manually by clicking Data, then Flash Fill.

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8. Quick pick

Use the mouse pointer and the shift key to pick a set of cells, rows, or columns without dragging the mouse. This amazing Excel technique is useful when you need to choose from a large range that goes beyond the screen without having to jump down to row 10,000.

With the mouse pointer, choose a cell.

Click another cell while holding down the shift key.

9. Separate text or columns

What if you have an old spreadsheet with first and last names in the same column or other data that has been merged? If you need to divide the data, just instruct Excel to split the text as follows:

Choose the column or cell you want to split.

Select Data and then Text to Columns.

Use the wizard to determine how you want to divide your text.

10. Convert rows to columns

You may input data in rows only to learn that it should have been entered in columns. Please do not retype it. To switch to columns, use Paste Special and Transpose. Columns can also be converted into rows.

Choose your rows or columns.

Ctrl+C will be pressed.

Create a new cell by right-clicking it.

Hover over the Transpose symbol under Paste Options and click it.