22 Life-Saving Excel Tips and Tricks Every User Should Know

Microsoft Excel is undoubtedly one of the most versatile and powerful business tools available. Mastering Excel can make you far more productive and efficient when working with data and spreadsheets.

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Whether you‘re an Excel novice or a seasoned expert, these 22 handy tips and tricks will help you get more done in less time:

1. Use the Camera Tool to View Different Worksheets Side-by-Side

The Camera tool allows you to import a live picture of another worksheet into the current sheet. This makes it easy to view multiple sheets side-by-side without toggling back and forth.

To use the Camera tool:

  1. Select the cell where you want the live feed of the other sheet to appear
  2. Navigate to the Formulas tab and click Camera
  3. Select the worksheet you want to import

Now you‘ll have a live camera feed of that sheet in the selected cell. As you scroll or make changes in the other sheet, it updates instantly in the picture.

2. Filter Data in Tables with Slicers

Slicers provide customizable, button-based filters for tables in Excel. They make it fast and easy to sort, filter, or even create reports from your data.

To add a slicer:

  1. Convert your data range into an Excel table
  2. Select any cell in the table and navigate to the Insert tab
  3. Click Slicer under the Filter section
  4. Choose which column(s) you want filter buttons for

Slicers are interactive and any filters applied will be instantly reflected in the connected data tables.

3.Compare Data Sets with Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting allows you to highlight cells in color that meet specific conditions. This makes it easy to visualize comparisions in your data.

For example, to compare values across 2 columns:

  1. Select one of the columns
  2. Navigate to Home > Styles > Conditional Formatting > New Rule
  3. Select "Use a formula to determine which cells to format"
  4. Enter a formula like =A1<B1
  5. Format fill colors for lesser and greater values

Now values lower than the compared column will highlight in one color, while higher values highlight in another.

4. Transpose Rows and Columns with Paste Special

The paste special function enables you to flip or transpose data so rows become columns, and vice versa.

To quickly transpose:

  1. Copy the rows/columns you want to transpose
  2. Right click and select Paste Special
  3. Choose the Transpose option

This switches rows to columns or columns to rows in one simple step.

5. Merge Text Strings with CONCAT

The CONCAT function allows you to combine text, numbers or cell values from multiple cells into a single value. This helps greatly when needing to merge fields together.

The CONCAT syntax is: 

=CONCAT(text1,text2,...)

For example, to combine first and last name columns:

=CONCAT(A2," ",B2)

This would merge the first and last names with a space between them. You can merge unlimited values together using CONCAT.

6. Split Names Into First/Last with Text to Columns

Text to Columns is a handy utility when you need to split delimited text strings into different columns. For example, splitting full names into separate first and last name fields.

To use Text to Columns:

  1. Select the data you want to split
  2. Navigate to Data > Text to Columns
  3. Select Delimited > Next
  4. Check the boxes for Space and Period as your delimiters
  5. Designate where you want the split data to output

Text to columns divides the text perfectly into separate cells. This works for any delimited data.

7. Quickly Fill Serial Data with AutoFill

AutoFill allows you to rapidly populate sequential or serial data (like numbers or dates) by simply dragging the fill handle of a cell.

To leverage AutoFill:

  1. Manually enter the first few values in a column
  2. Grab the small blue square in the bottom-right of the cell
  3. Drag down or across to adjacent cells

As you drag, Excel auto populates the pattern or sequence based on the sample data.

8. Find and Select Data with Go To Special

The Go To Special option enables you to quickly find and select cells based on criteria like constants, formulas, comments and more.

Access it via:

  1. Hit Ctrl + G to open Go To
  2. Select Special… to open advanced search
  3. Check the value types you want to select
  4. Click OK

This will instantly select only the specified cells types across the entire workbook.

9. Quickly Sum Values with AutoSum

The AutoSum function automatically detects values around a target cell and calculates their total or sum in a snap.

Simply:

  1. Select a target cell below a column of numbers
  2. Click AutoSum on the Home tab

Done! No need to manually build ranges or formulas.

Here are some more useful functions like [COUNT, MAX, MIN, AVERAGE].

10. Reference Data Sets with Structured References

Structured references enable you to reference table rows and columns easily in formulas without using cell addresses.

For example, to sum an entire column from a table called SalesTable:

=SUM(SalesTable[Revenue])

Structured references ensure your formulas update dynamically when new rows are added to the table.

11. Secure Important Cells with Data Validation

Data validation allows you to restrict what can be entered into specific cells. This helps prevent incorrect or invalid data from being accidentally input.

To implement data validation:

  1. Select the cells you want to restrict
  2. Go to Data > Data Validation
  3. Configure validation settings like acceptable values, number ranges, text lengths, and custom formulas

Data validation is an easy way to guide accurate data entry in Excel.

12. Embed Dynamic Data Links with Get & Transform

Excel‘s Get & Transform tools allow you to link live data from external sources which updates dynamically. This includes data from the web, company databases, Azure, Facebook, and more.

To leverage Get & Transform:

  1. Go to the Data tab and click ‘Get Data‘
  2. Browse for or connect to an external data source
  3. Transform the queried data as needed
  4. Load directly into your current workbook

Now your workbook contains live links to external data feeds which refresh automatically.

13. Automate Repeat Tasks with Macros

Macros enable you to record step-by-step sequences of actions and play them back instantly any time with a single click. This allows you automate repetitive tasks for huge productivity gains.

Getting started with macros:

  1. Navigate to the View tab and click Macro Recording
  2. Complete the task(s) you want to record
  3. Click stop recording, then save the macro

Now you can execute the exact sequence over and over with a simple click.

14. Protect Sensitive Data with Sheet Encryption

You may have sensitive data, formulas or workflows you want to lock down from being viewed or edited by others. Sheet encryption allows secure your sheets with passwords.

Here‘s a quick 3 step guide to encrypting sheets:

  1. Right-click on the tab name of the sheet want to encrypt
  2. Select Protect Sheet
  3. Add a password then confirm

Now no one can even view that sheet without entering the password first. This helps highly secure specific sheets.

15. Transform Tall Data into Wide Data with Power Query

The Power Query add-in provides advanced data transformation capabilities right within Excel. One of its many features is the ability to effortlessly pivot data from tall narrow formats to wide formats for analysis.

For example:

  1. Install the Power Query add-in
  2. Get & Transform the target data table
  3. Select the column with common attributes
  4. Click Unpivot Columns
  5. Review & load the now widened table

Power Query contains countless commands to shape, mold and extract intelligence from your Excel data.

16. Visually Filter Tables with Timeline Slicers

Timeline slicers provide a simple, intuitive way to filter pivot tables or Excel tables based on dates. To add:

  1. Convert data to a table
  2. Click Insert > Timeline
  3. Select date column to filter by
  4. Customize timeline options as desired

Now you have beautiful interactive timeline to filter pivot tables or other data by date ranges.

17. Quickly Summarize PivotTables with GETPIVOTDATA

The GETPIVOTDATA function lets you pull specific data points from PivotTables via custom formulas. These compact formulas enable powerful new summaries.

For example, to get sum ofrevenue from the South region:

=GETPIVOTDATA("Sum of Revenue",A3,"Region","South")

This makes extracting PivotTable data much faster without using cell references.

18. Visualize Trends with Sparklines

Sparklines are mini charts that fit within single cells, enabling you to visualize trends alongside raw numbers.

To insert sparklines:

  1. Select target cell(s) next to raw data
  2. Click the Insert tab > Sparklines
  3. Select data range to summarize
  4. Pick column, line or win/loss sparkline type

Sparklines make it easier to see data patterns without cluttering sheets with full charts.

19. Quickly Fix Typos with Flash Fill

Flash fill uses pattern recognition to quickly fix issues across columns of data, like typos, case mismatches or formatting problems according to demonstrated examples.

To use flash fill:

  1. Enter a few examples of the needed fix
  2. Select the corrected cells
  3. Click flash fill (located under the Data tab)
  4. Flash fill will apply fixes across all selected rows

The artificial intelligence behind flash fill makes repairing certain issues amazingly fast.

20. Color Code Your Excel Tabs for Navigation

One simple trick professionals use is color coding worksheet tabs for improved, visual navigation while building complex spreadsheets with tons of data.

To color tabs:

  1. Right click on the tab name
  2. Select Tab Color
  3. Pick your color!

Repeat this for all tabs across your workbook. Use colors consistently so certain tabs or tab types are easy to spot at a glance.

21. Quickly Access Common Tools with the Quick Access Toolbar

The quick access toolbar enables you save clicks by putting common commands right at your fingertips. Simply drag oft-used buttons like Save, Undo and Paste.

To customize the toolbar:

  1. Click the drop-down arrow near it > More Commands
  2. Select your desired buttons
  3. Click Add to add them to the toolbar

With frequently needed buttons on the QAT, you‘ll save time each hit needing them.

22. Free Up RAM with 64-bit Excel

Using Excel 64-bit utilizes more system memory, allowing hugely complex models with vast datasets to be run faster without crashing typical 32-bit versions.

To unlock 64-bit on Windows:

  1. Download the 64-bit Office installer
  2. Open any Office app like Excel and go to File > Account > About Excel
  3. If the version includes "64-Bit" you are good to go!

Now you have the memory headroom to build giant data models without slowdowns.

So there you have it – 22 of my personal favorite Excel productivity tricks! Mastering shortcuts like these enable you get more done every single day.

Check out more hidden Excel magic with my other tutorials. And let me know which of these quick tips you find most useful!

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