Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turn filters on or off for the range | CtrlShiftL | ControlShiftL | No default Data ▸ Create a filter |
| Open the filter menu on a column | AltDown Arrow | OptionDown Arrow | No default click the filter icon |
| Open the Sort dialog | AltASS | No default Data ▸ Sort | No default Data ▸ Sort range |
| Find text in the sheet | CtrlF | ControlF | CtrlF |
| Replace text in the sheet | CtrlH | ControlH | CtrlH |
| Turn the range into a table | CtrlT | ControlT | No default Format ▸ Convert to table |
| Split one column into several | AltAE | No default Data ▸ Text to Columns | No default Data ▸ Split text to columns |
| Remove duplicate rows | AltAM | No default Data ▸ Remove Duplicates | No default Data ▸ Data cleanup ▸ Remove duplicates |
| Open the data validation dialog | AltAVV | No default Data ▸ Data Validation | No default Data ▸ Data validation |
| Group the selected rows | ShiftAltRight Arrow | No default Data ▸ Group and Outline | No default Data ▸ Group rows |
| Paste values instead of formulas | CtrlAltVthen press `V` | ControlCommandV | CtrlShiftV |
| Fill the column from the pattern you typed | CtrlE | ControlE | No default drag the fill handle |
| Refresh every data connection | CtrlAltF5 | No default Data ▸ Refresh All | No default Data ▸ Refresh |
When to use it
Ctrl + T is the first key worth knowing, because a table carries its own filters, its own header row and a reference that grows when new rows arrive. A plain range does none of that, and the difference shows up a month later when a pivot table ignores the rows added since.
The rest of the page is cleanup. Conversations with clients arrive as one column of names, and Alt + A + E splits them at the comma without you retyping anything. When the numbers need to leave the sheet, Ctrl + Alt + V then V pastes the values. The receiving file then carries numbers rather than your formulas and their broken references.
Checked against
Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows, version 2501, checked on 24 February 2026. Excel for Mac 16.91 on the same day, where the Data menu has no chord for sorting, splitting or removing duplicates. Google Sheets in Chrome 131, where filters are menu-only and paste values is Ctrl + Shift + V.
Practice
Practise it: Select to the edge of a block
Select to the edge of a block is the selection step that comes before every cleanup key on this page.