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Excel Double-Click Tips

Save time with these Excel double-click tips. Use these mouse shortcuts for quick formatting, naming, resizing, and more time-savers.

Format Painter

After you format one part of a worksheet, you can click on the Format Painter, then click on another location, to apply the same formatting.

If you have multiple locations where you want the same formatting:

• Select the cells whose formatting you want to copy
• Double-click on the Format Painter button, to "lock" it.
• Then, click on another location, where you want to apply the same formatting.
• Continue clicking on different locations, until all the formatting has been applied

When you're finished:

• Press the Esc key on your keyboard

  OR

• Click the Format Painter again, to "unlock" it.

Excel Ribbon

The Excel Ribbon uses a a bit of room at the top of the Excel window, and if you need extra space, you can temporarily hide the Ribbon commands.

To hide the Ribbon commands:

• Double-click on the active tab of the Ribbon
• Only the Ribbon tabs will be visible.

To use the commands when they are hidden:

• Click on any tab, to see its commands
• Click on the command that you want to use
• NOTE: The commands will temporarily cover the formula bar and part of the worksheet

To unhide the Ribbon commands again:

• Double-click on any tab on the Ribbon (but not the File button).

Rows and Columns

To quickly adjust the row height or column width, use a double-click shortcut.

To autofit the row height for the tallest entry in each row

• Select one or more rows
• In the Row buttons at the left side of the sheet, point to the line at the bottom of one of the selected rows
• Double-click to adjust the height of all the selected rows.

To autofit the column width for the widest entry in each column

• Select one or more columns
• In the column buttons at the top of the sheet, point to the line at the right side of one of the selected columns
• Double-click to adjust the width of all the selected columns.

Sheet Names

Name your worksheets, so it's easy to find what you need in each workbook. Don't leave the names as Sheet1, Sheets, etc.

To rename a sheet:

• Double-click the sheet tab
• Type a new name for the sheet (up to 31 characters).
• Press the Enter key, to complete the name

Navigation

To quickly navigate through a worksheet, use a double-click shortcut.

• Select a cell in the row or column where you want to navigate
• Double-click on one of the cell' borders -- top, bottom, left or right

Excel will select a cell in that row or column, moving in the direction that you clicked.

It stops at the cell just before the first blank cell.

Close Workbook

Instead of using the X at the top right of an Excel workbook, use a double-click shortcut.

This saves time if your mouse pointer is closer to the left side of the workbook, and you're working with a big workbook window.

To quickly close a workbook:

• Point to the top left corner of the workbook's window, just above the File tab..
  • NOTE: In Excel 2013 and earlier, there is an Excel logo in that corner. In Excel 2016, there is just a blank space.
• Double-click in that corner, to close the workbook.
  • NOTE: If there are any unsaved changes in the workbook, Excel will prompt you to save.

Excel Window

Instead of dragging the workbook's borders, to resize it, use a double-click shortcut to quickly change its size.

• To maximize a normal-sized window, double-click in the Title Bar.
• To restore a maximized window to its previous size, double-click the Title Bar again.

Pivot Tables

If you're troubleshooting a pivot table, use this shortcut to see all the data that is summarized in one of its values.

• Double-click any number in the pivot table Values section, to create a new sheet with all of the related data for that value.
• To see all of the data, remove any filters on the pivot table, then double-click the Grand Total