Excel Shortcuts in Google Sheets: The Complete Conversion Table
The full mapping: every Excel shortcut I use, what Google Sheets natively offers instead, and how to make the Excel version just work.
Jake Bennatt
I work in google sheets and stuff. Built XLkeys to make my job easier. You should try it, its free.
If you’re moving from Excel to Google Sheets, the single most disorienting thing is that your hands keep typing shortcuts that do nothing. Some Excel shortcuts have a native Sheets equivalent under a different key combo. Some exist but are buried. And a lot — especially the Alt-key ribbon sequences — simply don’t exist in Sheets at all.
This is the conversion table I wish I’d had. For each Excel shortcut: what Sheets gives you natively, and the third column is what you get with XLKeys installed — a free Chrome extension I built that makes the original Excel keystroke work directly in Sheets. On Mac, Alt sequences use Option instead.
Editing and Paste Special
| Action | Excel | Google Sheets (native) | With XLKeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paste values only | Alt E S V | Ctrl + Shift + V | Alt E S V works as-is |
| Paste Special menu | Alt E S / Ctrl + Alt + V | Edit menu only — no shortcut | Alt E S opens the full menu |
| Paste formatting only | Alt E S T | Ctrl + Alt + V | Alt E S T works as-is |
| Paste transposed | Alt E S E | Mouse only (Edit → Paste special) | Alt E S E works as-is |
| Insert rows/columns | Ctrl + Shift + = | Ctrl + Alt + = | Ctrl + Shift + = works as-is |
| Delete rows/columns | Ctrl + − | Ctrl + Alt + − | Ctrl + Shift + − works |
| Clear formatting | Alt H E F | Ctrl + \ | Alt H E F works as-is |
| Clear all (contents + format) | Alt H E A | No shortcut | Alt H E A works as-is |
Formatting
| Action | Excel | Google Sheets (native) | With XLKeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fill color | Alt H H | Toolbar only | Alt H H opens a keyboard picker |
| Font color | Alt H F C | Toolbar only | Alt H F C opens a keyboard picker |
| All borders | Alt H B A | Toolbar only | Alt H B A works as-is |
| Outside border | Alt H B S | Alt + Shift + 7 | Alt H B S works as-is |
| Autofit column width | Alt H O I | Double-click column edge | Alt H O I works as-is |
| Merge cells | Alt H M A | Format menu only | Alt H M A / Alt H M U (unmerge) |
| Accounting number format | Alt H A N | Custom format dialog only | Alt H A N works as-is |
| Increase / decrease decimals | Alt H 0 / Alt H 9 | Toolbar only | Alt H 0 / Alt H 9 work as-is |
| Align center / left / right | Alt H A C / L / R | Ctrl + Shift + E / L / R | Both versions work |
View, Data, and Navigation
| Action | Excel | Google Sheets (native) | With XLKeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeze panes at selection | Alt W F F | View → Freeze menu only | Alt W F F / Alt W F U (unfreeze) |
| Toggle filter | Ctrl + Shift + L | Data menu / toolbar only | Ctrl + Shift + L works as-is |
| Toggle gridlines | Alt W V G | View menu only | Alt W V G works as-is |
| Zoom in / out | Ctrl + scroll | Browser zoom (zooms whole page) | Ctrl + = / Ctrl + − zoom the sheet |
Modeling and Auditing (No Native Equivalent At All)
This last group is the one that hurts most for finance work. These aren’t remapped in Sheets — the features don’t exist, period.
| Action | Excel | Google Sheets (native) | With XLKeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trace precedents | Ctrl + [ / audit arrows | Nothing | Ctrl + Shift + [ highlights all inputs |
| Trace dependents | Ctrl + ] / audit arrows | Nothing | Ctrl + Shift + ] highlights all dependents |
| Goal Seek | Alt A W G | Separate add-on, menu only | Alt A W G, built in |
| Data table / sensitivity | Alt A W T | Nothing | Alt A W T builds the grid |
| Auto-color inputs vs formulas | Macabacus et al. | Nothing | Ctrl + Shift + S |
One more thing worth knowing: Sheets has an “Enable compatible spreadsheet shortcuts” toggle (Help → Keyboard shortcuts) that adds a handful of Excel-style combos. It covers some basics but none of the Alt sequences, none of the border/formatting family, and nothing in the auditing group. Worth turning on, just don’t expect it to fix muscle memory.
Want the whole table as your actual keyboard? Install XLKeys free — or grab the printable cheat sheet first.
Related Google Sheets shortcuts
Make Google Sheets feel like Excel
Install XLKeys to use Excel-style shortcuts, Alt-key sequences, formula auditing, Goal Seek, Sensitivity Tables, and Workbook Health audits in Google Sheets.
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