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Excel Format Cells shortcut: Ctrl + 1
Open every formatting option for the selected cells at once.
With voice: turn the sound on to hear how it works. Recorded in Excel for the web; the shortcut works the same in desktop Excel.
What it does
Ctrl + 1 opens the formatting options for the selected cells: Number, Alignment, Font, Border and Fill. In desktop Excel it opens the Format Cells window. In Excel for the web it opens an All formatting options panel on the right.
When to use it
Use it when a number or date looks wrong. Pick the category (Number, Currency, Date, Percentage, Text) and the exact style you want, for example how many decimals or which date format.
How to do it
- Select the cells you want to change.
- Press Ctrl + 1 (on a Mac: Command + 1).
- Choose a category and a style, then confirm or close the panel.
A quick example
A phone number such as 0721234567 loses its leading zero when you type it. Select the cell, press Ctrl + 1, choose Text, and type the number again: the zero stays. In the same window you can show a date as a long date or limit a number to one decimal place.
Ctrl + 1 compared with the ribbon and the number shortcuts
The Number group on the Home tab has the most common formats. Ctrl + 1 opens all of them in one place, including alignment, font, borders and fill. Excel also has quick number shortcuts: Ctrl + Shift + 1 for a number with a thousands separator and two decimals, Ctrl + Shift + 3 for a date, Ctrl + Shift + 4 for currency and Ctrl + Shift + 5 for a percentage.
Not working? Check this
- Nothing happens in the browser: some browsers use Ctrl + 1 to jump to a tab. Right-click the cell and choose Format cells instead.
- Ctrl + Shift + 1 and Ctrl + 1 are different: the first applies a number format, the second opens the window.
- On a Mac use Command + 1.
Quick answers
What is the shortcut for Format Cells in Excel?
Press Ctrl + 1 on Windows or Command + 1 on a Mac. In Excel for the web it opens the formatting panel on the right.
How do I keep a leading zero in Excel?
Format the cells as Text (Ctrl + 1, then Text) before you type the number, or put an apostrophe in front of it. For fixed-length codes you can also use a custom format such as 0000000000.
Why does Excel show my number in scientific notation?
Long numbers in a General cell are shown as 1.23E+10. Press Ctrl + 1 and choose Number with 0 decimals, or Text, and the full number appears. Excel keeps only 15 digits, so store longer codes as text.