Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select the whole column | CtrlSpace | ControlSpace | CtrlSpace |
| Select the whole row | ShiftSpace | ShiftSpace | ShiftSpace |
| Select everything on the sheet | CtrlA | CommandA | CtrlA |
| Extend the selection by one cell | ShiftArrow key | ShiftArrow key | ShiftArrow key |
| Extend the selection to the edge of the block | CtrlShiftArrow key | CommandShiftArrow key | CtrlShiftArrow key |
| Extend the selection to the last used cell | CtrlShiftEnd | CommandShiftEnd | CtrlShiftEnd |
| Add a second range to what is already selected | Ctrldrag | Commanddrag | Ctrldrag |
| Select only the rows a filter left visible | Alt; | CommandShiftZ | No default filters hide rows instead |
| Extend the selection down one screen | ShiftPage Down | ShiftPage Down | ShiftPage Down |
| Move the active cell inside the selection | Tab | Tab | Tab |
| Turn extend-selection mode on | F8 | F8Fn + F8 on a laptop | No default hold Shift instead |
| Shrink the selection back to the active cell | ShiftBackspace | ShiftDelete | No default press Escape |
When to use it
Most formatting accidents are selection accidents. You bold a heading, then click somewhere else and bold one cell because the selection was still live. Ctrl + Space takes the whole column and Shift + Space takes the whole row. That is the difference between formatting a label and formatting a hundred rows of data.
The two you will use most are the ones people never learn. Ctrl + Shift + Arrow extends to the edge of the block, so you never drag to row 4,812 by hand. Ctrl + A takes the whole region before you sort it. That step is what stops a sort from eating half your table.
Checked against
Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows, version 2501, checked on 24 February 2026. Excel for Mac 16.91 on the same day, where Command + Shift + Z selects visible cells only. Google Sheets in Chrome 131, where visible-cells selection has no chord and filtering hides rows rather than filtering them in place.
Practice
Practise it: Select to the edge of a block
Select to the edge of a block starts with a single cell and asks you to reach the end of the data with the keyboard. Then it grades the press you made.