10 Custom Excel Shortcuts Using Macros (With Practical Use Cases)

Use Case: When working with large data tables — like transaction logs or audit sheets — it's easy to lose sight of the row you're analysing. This shortcut quickly highlights the active row so you can focus visually and return to it after scrolling elsewhere. It's particularly helpful during meetings, screen shares, or when comparing records line by line.

Use Case: Imagine you're reviewing a heavily filtered sales report. You're not sure which columns have filters applied, but your data looks incomplete. Instead of hunting through each column filter menu, this shortcut instantly restores the full dataset. It's also great during troubleshooting when users say, “Some rows are missing.”

Use Case: You have just finished preparing financial forecasts with complex formulas referencing external files. Before sending the sheet to a client or saving for archival, you want to convert everything to static values to avoid reference errors. Select the range, hit the shortcut, and done. No paste special needed.

Use Case: Great for task tracking, approval logs, and QA checklists. Every time you update or review a row of data, use this shortcut to insert the exact date and time. It creates a transparent, time-stamped audit trail — no need to type anything manually or remember formulas like =NOW().

Use Case: Working with structured data? Excel Tables come with built-in filter buttons, dynamic ranges for formulas, and visual styling. Instead of navigating through the ribbon to apply table formatting, this shortcut converts any selected range into a proper table — especially handy when preparing reports for clients or managers.

Use Case: You receive a spreadsheet from another department, and it's full of merged cells that break sorting, filtering, and formulas. One press of this shortcut instantly clears all merged formatting so you can reshape the data into something usable. It's a lifesaver for data cleanup and importing into databases or Power BI.

Use Case: You've just copied data from different sources, and now your worksheet is a visual mess — different fonts, sizes, and formatting. This shortcut standardises everything to a clean, readable style. Ideal for preparing deliverables, consolidating data, or simply making your workbook look professional.

Use Case: Whenever data is imported or pasted in, columns are often too narrow (cutting off content) or too wide. This shortcut instantly resizes all columns to fit their contents — no need to double-click column headers one by one. Great for polishing spreadsheets before sharing or printing.

Use Case: In a growing list — like inventory, sales, or time logs — it's often necessary to jump directly to the last row to add a new entry or review the latest one. This shortcut skips the scroll and lands you exactly where the action is happening.

Use Case: Before running risky changes (like mass find-and-replace or data transformations), use this shortcut to instantly create a backup version of your file with the current timestamp. It's an insurance policy that takes less than a second. Also helpful for keeping periodic snapshots of work during long projects.