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Excel Navigation Techniques

There are several ways to move around in an Excel worksheet. Some change only your view (what you see on the screen) while others change your focus (where your active cell is.) The following describes the ways you can navigate through your Excel worksheet.

Using the Mouse

When you use your mouse you will change only the view in your Excel worksheet.

Scroll Bar Action	View Changes To	Illustration
Click on the up or down scroll bar arrows	Vertical-One row at a time up or down Horizontal-One column at a time left or right
Drag the scroll bar box	Rapid changes of view in the direction of the drag
Click on the area above or below (left or right) the scroll bar box	Vertical-Full screen jumps up or down Horizontal-Full screen jumps left or right
Click on the first sheet tab button	To see the first sheet tab
Click on the second sheet tab button	To see the previous sheet tab
Click on the third sheet tab button	To see the next sheet tab
Click on the last sheet tab button	To see the last sheet tab
Click on a sheet tab	To activate the sheet.

Double-clicking - Changes focus

Suppose you have a spreadsheet containing consecutive data (non blank) cells like this..

If you want to move from cell A1 to M13, place your mouse pointer over the right edge of cell A1. Like this...

Then double-click. Your active cell will move to the last consecutive data cell to the right. In this case, cell M13

If you want to move from cell A1 to A22, place your mouse pointer over the bottom edge of cell A1. Like this...

Then double-click. Your active cell will move to the last consecutive data cell down. In this case, cell A22.

Use the Excel 2003 Menu

When you use the menu to navigate, you will change the location of the active cell.

Click on the Edit, Go To... menu option (or press CTRL + G or F5). In the dialog box, click on the desired named range or type a cell address, and click OK

Click on the Special Button, select special items in the worksheet and click OK

Use the Excel 2007 Ribbon

When you use the ribbon to navigate, you will change the location of the active cell.

Click on the Home Tab, Find & Select Button, Go To... option (or press CTRL + G or F5). In the dialog box, click on the desired named range or type a cell address, and click OK

Click on the Go To Special ... option, select special items in the worksheet and click OK

Excel 2007 - Go To Special

Using the Keyboard in Excel

The location of the active cell is changed with keystrokes.

Keystroke	Moves the Active Cell
Right Arrow (→)	One cell to the right
Left Arrow (←)	One cell to the left
Up Arrow (↑)	Up one row
Down Arrow (↓)	Down one row
PAGE UP	Up one screen
PAGE DOWN	Down one screen
TAB	Right one cell
SHIFT + TAB	Left one cell
ALT + PAGE UP	Left one screen
ALT + PAGE DOWN	Right one screen
CTRL + PAGE UP	Up one page
CTRL + PAGE DOWN	Down one page
HOME	Column A in the current row
CTRL + HOME	To cell A1
CTRL + END	To the last active cell in the worksheet

Using the Excel Name Box

The Excel Name Box can be used to go to a specific cell or to a named range of cells.

*Note: A Named Range can be a single cell or a rectangular block of cells (range). The range is named by the first cell address in the top right corner of the range, then a colon (:), followed by the last cell address in the bottom right corner of the range. E.g. A1:C3.

To go to a specific cell:

Click into the Name Box, type the cell address and press ENTER.

To go to a named range:

Click on the down arrow of the Name Box and select the desired range name.

(See Naming Ranges for more information on how to name and use range names.)

Navigating in Selected Ranges in Excel

You can move the active cell within a selected range using these methods:

Press ENTER to move in a downward fashion. When the active cell reaches the bottom of the range, the active cell will jump to the next column in the selected range when you press ENTER. When it reaches the last cell of the range, the actie cell will jump to the first cell in the range upon pressing ENTER.

Press TAB to move in a left to right fashion. When the active cell reaches the last cell in the row of the selected range, the active cell will jump to the first column in the next row upon pressing TAB. When it reaches the last cell of the range, the active cell will jump to the first cell when you press TAB.

Press SHIFT + TAB to move in a right to left fashion. When the active cell reaches the first cell in the row of the selected range, the active cell will jump to the last column in the next row up upon pressing SHIFT + TAB, When it reaches the first cell in the range, the active cell will jump to the last cell in the range upon pressing SHIFT + TAB.

NOTE: The arrow keys will deselect the range