You are assigned a large data entry spreadsheet, and your supervisor frequently urges you to add more information. Therefore, you need to be more proactive, combine with ongoing inputs, and use shortcuts to accelerate your work. This will position you as an outstanding data entry professional in your supervisor’s eyes.

Why Keyboard Shortcuts Matter for Faster Data Entry?

Keyword shortcuts save hours of work every day. You can customize the task by pressing keys with your fingertips. This literally helps you to work faster and smarter by following keyboard shortcut rules.

Data entry professionals need to perform manual work faster than the clock demands, delivering output as quickly as possible. Shortcuts speed up your input, but understanding data entry vs. data processing differences ensures you effectively transform raw data into insights.

Essential Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Faster Data Entry

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for data entry, but a continuous scrolling mouse slows your work.  You can learn essential keyboard shortcut methods for the required steps. Using the short method can improve your work efficiency and provide faster outcomes.

Navigation Shortcuts

A consistent data entry service depends on your speed and control. Dependence on your mouse slows things down. Keyboard shortcuts improve your efficiency and accuracy, especially for tools like Excel or Google Sheets.

This includes basic but effective learning, such as copying, pasting, navigating cells, and autofilling. You can use these simple actions to make your workflow faster and reduce friction when inputting repetitive data.

1. Move to the last filled cell:

Reduce your slow, repetitive scrolling, allowing the operators to stay fixed on the data without touching the mouse cursor.

Press —> Ctrl + —> Arrow Keys

 

2. Jump to beginning/end of row:

• If you need to move to the beginning of the current row, Press >
• Jump to the last non-blank cell in a row, and Press Ctrl + Right
• If you would like to select a non-blank in a row, Press Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow.
• Move to the last used cell in the entire worksheet, just Press Ctrl+End.

 

3. Go to a specific cell:

Suppose you need to select a single row, a column, or a range of rows and columns. Press Ctrl + G with row, column, or both (C7:G11) without using the mouse. This cell reference helps you to go to your designation without any delays for updating or getting information.

Steps to go to a specific cell:

• For referencing a single row or column, Press > G (write row number into the box, such as row – C7, or column G11). This applies when you’re targeting a single row or column.
• For referencing the range of rows and columns, Press > G (Write ranges of rows and columns, example C7:G11). Then your expected rows and columns will be selected.

 

Selection Shortcuts

You may need to select a complete row or column at once. If you need to add formatting to your spreadsheet, you can add or delete a row or complete another task in Excel. Highlight your cells with a mouse, which slows down your work, but applying a shortcut gives you a prompt response.

1. Select entire column/row:

Select the entire row or column as per your need. This option allows you to select an entire column or a horizontal row instantly. Instead of clicking your row or column letter and dragging, just use your keyboard.

Step 1: To select the entire column: Click on any cell in that column and press Ctrl + Space.

Step 2: To select the entire row: Click on any cell in that row and press Shift + Space.

 

2. Select data range:

If you’ve a large dataset with thousands of entries, dragging the mouse from top to bottom may lose your temper due to a potential error. To manipulate your large data, apply the following shortcut according to the directions.

• Hold your keyboard Ctrl + Shift and press the Arrow Key (Up, Down, Left, or Right) in the direction you want to select.

Example: You need to select everything from the top to the bottom of a list, just press Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow.

Note: if you need to select the complete spreadsheet, the quickest way to grab complete data is to press Ctrl + A.

Editing & Input Shortcuts

Highly demanding, with a large volume of input work, requires frequent use of copy-paste, cut, redo, or delete options. Therefore, the most frequent manual actions take a long time and waste your valuable time.

1. Copy, Paste, Cut:

Step 1:

For instant copy, paste information, or completely cut information, press Ctrl + C  and Ctrl + V.

For instance, cut the information and paste it into the designated area: just press Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V.

2. Insert Current Date/Time:

For proper record keeping, date and time are essential for ensuring consistent data entry. Manual inputting of data and time requires time-specific work, but Excel key command techniques allow you to set time and data within seconds.

Just press Ctrl +; and Ctrl + Shift +; quickly, placing the date and time on your spreadsheet.

3. Undo/Redo:

You’re inputting very essential information into your spreadsheet that is valued a lot by your company. But a sudden slip of the finger may cause the loss of important information from the sheet. Therefore, the “Undo/Redo” option is simple but helps you recover your valuable information or remove unnecessary inputs.

Steps to apply the “Undo/Redo” rule:

Step 1: You may copy and enter information into your spreadsheet.

Step 2: Now press Ctrl + Undo to remove duplicate or unnecessary information.

Step 3: If the deleted information is required again, just press Ctrl + Z to restore it.

4. Delete cell contents:

You’ve entered information, but after a certain point, it’s no longer necessary. Select the less valuable information row and column, and delete.

Step 1: Select your expected row and columns,

Step 2: After selecting your cells, now press Ctrl’ + — and press Enter to confirm deletion.

Data Formatting Shortcuts

Data entry style and Formatting help you organize information, look professional, and make it easy to understand. These shortcuts allow you to style your data instantly without searching through menus.

Here are the steps to formatting your spreadsheet on Bold, Italic, and Underline.

1. Bold Your Cells – Select cells or text you want to change, just select, and press Ctrl + B.

Note: Select all cells in ‘Column A’ or all text under Company Name, and press Ctrl + B.

2. Italic Cells – If you want to change or edit, select cells and press Ctrl + I.

Note: To change font, select a row or column and press “Ctrl + I”.

3. Apply Filter – Filters facilitate you to sort your data (such as A to Z) to hide unnecessary data, and see your expected information. This is a static list in a searchable table instantly. If you want to see full data based on specific names or dates, follow the steps below:

Steps to follow:

• Click cells inside your data table (usually the header row).
• Press Ctrl + Shift + L.
• This is a smart dropdown menu that appears above your spreadsheet. Using this method, you can sort or filter your data as needed.

Step 1: Select your expected places to apply the filter.

Step 2: Now press Ctrl + Shift + L to apply the filter to your targeted area.

Note: You can apply the same rules to remove the filter.

Power Shortcuts for Bulk Data Entry

The “Power of shortcuts” acts like magic. It handles the heavy lifting. You can clean up or fill in data within a hundred rows in just a few seconds without typing everything manually.

1. Apply similar data to the Selected Empty cells:

Information records are the most time-consuming task, and if you’ve bulk entries that require duplicate filling. You can apply the rules below using keyboard shortcuts.

Steps to process the work:

• Select the cell with the data or formula you want to copy.
• Hold the Shift
• Press the Down Arrow to highlight the empty cells below.
• Press Ctrl + D. The data instantly fills the selected area.

Step- 1: select your targeted cell to copy the same information into an empty place

Step -2: Fill up your blank area, pressing Ctrl + D

Note: Normally, people use a mouse to click and drag a small square of a cell to fill the data. You can follow this rule to speed up your work, keep your hands in one place, and save time.

2. Flash Fill Shortcut:

Imagine you’ve thousands of data points, each representing a person on your list, with full names. You need to segregate first and last names, which takes a huge amount of time to prepare manually. Use Flash Fill to instantly separate full names.

Finally, it splits first and last names into columns and fills the rest of the column automatically.

Just use the easy formula within the steps below:

1. Image in your first column (A4), given full name is “James Smith”.
2. In the next column (First Name), write only “James” manually
3. Keep your cursor on the first name (James), and press Ctrl + E.
4. You will see that the rest of the names below the columns will be filled with corresponding first names.
5. Apply the same rules to the last name (Smith), press Ctrl + E, and get the same results for the last name also.

Step -1: First select one of the corresponding people’s first names.

Step-2: Then, press Ctrl + E to fill the rest of the people’s first name automatically, and apply a similar rule to the last name also.

3. Repeat Last Action:

Continuously repeating the same rule, using a manual is really exhausting for an entry operator, as data entry work demands the same actions repeatedly. Applying F4 is a smart way to perform the bulk of redo work within a few seconds.

For example, in your large spreadsheet, you may need to hide some columns, which is convenient for bulk entry. Start with hiding column “B” first – then just keep your cursor in the other column and press F4. This is called repeating the last action using a keyboard shortcut.

Steps to perform this action:

• Start by hiding a column from your spreadsheet manually (example, column “B”)
• Now select one more column (one by one) and press
• See the magic, excels will repeat the same actions instantly.

Step – 1: Select your expected row, such as column “B” in the screenshot, and hide using the mouse.

Step 2: Then keep your cursor in one column to repeat the last actions. Do the same task by selecting more columns that you need to hide. Just keep the cursor and press F4.

Google Sheets Keyboard Shortcuts to Speed Up Data Entry

Many people prefer Google Sheets due to its free, online platform, which allows you to work easily. Similar to an Excel sheet, Google Sheets runs inside a web browser. You can work on the sheet with an internet connection and automatic saving.

Significantly, Google data validation rules help users quickly perform tasks using a mouse and menus. Sheets’ commands will help you navigate the web interface smoothly without clicking through endless menus.

Use Navigation Rules

You can use Google Sheets navigation using keyboard shortcuts and create a custom button with Google Apps Script.

1. Move to last filled cell:

Moving around a web-based spreadsheet can be slow if you rely on clicking. Internet lag can sometimes delay your mouse clicks. Using keyboard shortcuts eliminates this delay and lets you “fly” across your data.

Just like in Excel, you often need to jump to the bottom of a list or skip over empty spaces. It saves you from scrolling manually through hundreds of rows.

Steps to perform the task:

1. Click on a cell where your data starts.
2. Hold the Ctrl key.
3. Press an Arrow Key (Up, Down, Left, or Right).
4. This selection will jump you to the last cell in the direction of the arrow keys.

2. Jump to Next Sheet:

A Google Sheets workbook often has multiple tabs (sheets) at the bottom of the screen. Clicking on these small tabs can be tedious.

• Why use it: It lets you flip between different sheets like you are turning the pages of a book. You can check data on one sheet and quickly go back to another.

Steps to do the process:

1. To go to the next sheet (Right): Press Ctrl + Page Down.
2. To go to the previous sheet (Left): Press Ctrl + Page Up.

Step 1: First sheet, Press Ctrl + Page Down to move to the next page.

Step 2: In case of moving to the next page after using the keyboard shortcut. The provided text is:

Note: If you are using a laptop, you might need to hold the Fn (Function) key along with Ctrl and the Arrow keys if you don’t have dedicated Page Up/Down buttons.

3. Go To The Search Bar:

It is hard to memorize all the keyboard shortcuts. Google Sheets has many advanced commands. This is like opening a “Cheat Sheet” or search bar for shortcuts right on your screen.

If you forgot a specific command, you don’t need to leave your tab to Google it. From your Google sheet, you can find your required answer instantly.

Steps to find the search bar:

1. At first, press Ctrl’ + / (Forward Slash)
2. You’ll find a pop-up window on your screen showing all necessary keyboard shortcuts.
3. You can type in the window search bar to find the specific shortcut information you need.

Apply Selection Rules

Selecting inputs in Google Sheets work is very similar to Microsoft Excel. However, Google Sheets runs in a web browser – clicking and dragging with a mouse can sometimes slow your speed. The keyboard command ensures saving time with the solutions you want instantly.

1. Select Entire Sheet:

This command is useful when you want to copy everything on your screen to a new file or delete everything to start over. It grabs every single cell in your workbook in a split second.

• Steps to perform this:
  1. Click on your expected area on your spreadsheet.
  2. Now, press Ctrl + A.

Note: If you’re inside a small table of data, pressing it once selects just that table, and pressing it a second time selects the entire sheet.

2. Select Quickly Rows/Columns:

You may need to highlight an entire row or column in a spreadsheet. Using your keyboard is faster than moving your mouse. This will instantly highlight your entire horizon or vertical line you’re working on.

Steps to do the process:

• Click on your targeted cells in the row you want to process.

Press your keyboard, Shift + Space.

• Or if you want to select a cell column in your spreadsheet, just press Ctrl + Space.

3. Expand selection:

This is the best way to highlight a specific list of data by scrolling your mouse. You can select a long list from top to bottom using a selection shortcut. It’s precise and fast, and stops exactly where your data ends.

Steps to do the process:

• Click the first cell of data you want to select.
• Now, hold your keyboard shortcut keys, Ctrl and Shift.
• Then, press the required arrow keys, either “Right” or “Down.”
• This highlights all cells from your starting point to the last cell.

Editing  in Your Google Spreadsheet Using Shortcuts

Google Sheets has another facility for editing your data using quick keyboard shortcuts. You may spend less time typing, but give more time to analyzing. These shortcuts help you to fill in data, correct mistakes, and format information without slowing down your work.

1. Insert date/time:

Insert your data and time in Google Sheets using the keyboard without touching your mouse. You may type manually; “11/23/2025” takes multiple keystrokes. This shortcut does it within one effort. It ensures your timestamp is accurate and formatted correctly every time.

Steps to do the work:

• Click on the cell where you want to push the timestamp.
• Now press on your keyboard, Ctrl + ; (semicolon) to insert the current date.
• Then go to the next cell where you need to push time, Press Ctrl + Shift + ; (semicolon) to insert the current time.

2. Find/replace: Ctrl + H

You need to find information or replace anything related to your data entry needs. This allows you to search for specific text and change it anywhere at once.

Speed to do the process:

• Press Ctrl + H.
• A window pops up.
• Type the word in the “Find” box and the new text in “Replace with.“
• Click “Replace All” to change everything instantly.

 

3. Open autocomplete:

According to Google Sheets, Ctrl + Space is often used to select columns, but depending on your specific extensions or context (such as typing inside a formula), it can trigger suggestions. This step helps you finish typing the formula once and set the respective column using similar keyboard shortcuts.

Steps to do it:

• Start typing a value or formula in a targeted cell.
• Press Ctrl + Space.
• If a menu or suggestion appears, press Enter to accept it.

 

4. Fill Down/Right: Ctrl + D / Ctrl + R

Repetitive typing is the opponent to your speed. If you’ve data in one cell and need to replicate it down or to the right cell, use these shortcuts instead of retyping or dragging. This formula instantly copies similar values and formatting to the adjacent cell.

Steps to complete the process:

• Fill Down: Go to the cell below the data you want to copy. Press Ctrl + D. The data from the cell above appears instantly.

• Fill Right: Go to the cell to the right of the data you want to copy. Press Ctrl + R. The data from the left cell appears instantly.

Formatting in Google Sheets

Formatting changes how your data looks. It helps you organize your spreadsheet so others can read it easily. Instead of searching through the top menu bar for every small change, you can use these keys to style your sheet instantly.

1. Bold/italic: Ctrl + B / Ctrl + I

These are the standard tools for making headers or important numbers stand out. It makes text darker or slanted to catch the reader’s attention.

Steps to complete the process:

• Click on the cell you want to change
• For Bold, Press Ctrl + B
• For Italic, Press Ctrl + I

2. Clear formatting: Ctrl + \

Sometimes when you paste data, it comes with messy colors. It brings strange fonts or borders you don’t want.

This shortcut is like a “reset button. It strips away all the bolding, colors, and borders, leaving just the plain text or numbers.

Steps to navigate the process:

• Select the cells that look messy.
• Now, press Ctrl + / (Backslash).
• The cell will instantly change into the default plain style.

Step 1:  Current version of the table

Step 2: After selecting the entire table, press Ctrl + / (forward slash), and see your table change to the default setting.

3. Insert new rows/columns:

You often realize later that you missed a row of data in the middle of your list. You don’t need to cut and paste everything to make room.  It instantly adds empty space for new data or removes rows you don’t need.

Steps to proceed:

1. To Insert Row

• Select a row where you want the new space.
• Press Ctrl + Alt + =.

A new blank row will appear above or below, as needed.

2. To Insert Column

• Select a row or column where you want the new space.
• Press Ctrl + Alt + =.
• A new blank column will appear on the left or right side.

Windows vs. Mac Shortcut Differences

Windows and Mac keyboards provide shortcut facilities instead of a scrolling mouse, but both have significant differences. If you use an Apple Mac, your keyboard looks a little different. Significantly, some Windows and Mac keyboard keys are not located in the same places.

For example, in Windows, you will see “Ctrl” is located in the bottom left, while in Mac, “Ctrl” is located on the left side next to the option key.

Common Key Variations (Windows vs. Mac Shortcut)

The main difference between the two keyboards is usually just one key.

• Ctrl → Command (Cmd ): While Windows uses “Ctrl” in a guide, Mac uses the same key in the “Command” key.
• Alt → Option (): Another key difference, Windows uses “Alt” in a guide, while Mac uses a similar key in the “”

Other key comparisons in the Table functions below:

Window Key	Mac Key
Alt	Option
Ctrl	Command
Windows Key	Command
Page Up	Command + Up Arrow key
Page Down	Command + Down Arrow key
Home	Command + Left Arrow key
End	Command + Right Arrow key
Delete	Back Space
Print Screen	Command + Shift + 3
Selection Print Screen	Command + Shift + 4
Scroll Lock	F14

Quick comparison table for Excel & Sheets

Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are user-friendly and easy to access for new to experts. But both platforms have some differences.

 

Features	Google Sheets	Excel
Platform Features	Providing a Web-based app, a mobile app for iOS, and Android.	Having a web-based desktop app for Windows, and a macOS mobile app for iOS and Android.
Pricing	Free for individual users, with a paid Google Workspace plan offering additional features and storage.	Requires a paid license for a Microsoft 365 subscription with full facilities. Free web version with limited facilities.
Offline Access	Requires enabling offline access when no internet connection is available.	Full functionality is available offline in the desktop application
Data Visualization	Offering significant selections, like charts and graphs, with fewer customization options	Provides a wide range of advanced charts and customized options, including the “Recommended Chart” feature
Data Analysis	Having 200+ functions with a basic pivot table	Providing 450+ functions with an advanced pivot table.

How to Practice and Master Shortcuts Fast?

Shortcut provides valuable inputs and helps you to complete large-scale datasets within hours. The best way to practice the cutoff system is to keep a quick sticky note on your desktop, laptop, or any devices you work on.

Efficiency is the foundation of high-level support. Once you master these shortcuts, you can contribute to better productivity, allowing the business to move faster and focus on growth.

1. Automate Your Complex Shortcuts

Learn shortcuts that you use daily (such as navigation, selection, copy/paste, undo/redo, formatting, and formula entry).

For example, set your critical shortcuts like,

• Ctrl+ Shift + Arrow =F1
• Ctrl+Space/Shift+Space, F2
• Ctrl+Enter, Alt+= F3

Note: set this rule to follow the option, Go to File → Custom Ribbon → At the bottom of the pane, select Customize next to “Keyboard shortcuts” → in the dialogue box, select a category and then command.

2. Practice Daily to Ensure

Memorizing a list of 50 shortcut rules at once is overwhelming and ineffective. Instead, use the “Rule of Three” to build muscle memory without slowing down your workflow.

Steps to master this:

Pick 3 Shortcuts: Identify three mouse actions you use most often. Examples include Copy, Paste, and Filter.

Practice with “No Mouse”: Dedicate the first 15 minutes of your workday to using keyboard-only for faster entry. Look at your sticky note and use the shortcut method.

Rotate Weekly: Once you master these three shortcuts, replace them with three new shortcuts.

Conclusion

You’re using lots of shortcut rules on the keyboard for both Excel and Google Sheets, which is boring to remember. Set critical rules with automation that you use frequently. For example, in Excel, you can use the ‘Micro Recorder’ option to record a series of complex rules and assign keyboard shortcuts.

Furthermore, you can also use VBA to write code and assign a keyboard shortcut to execute advanced rules easily. All sets of easy, short, and advanced shortcut rules facilitate your data entry work, maintaining consistency and accuracy.