Top 25 Excel Tips and Tricks To Save You HOURS in 2023

Introduction

This tutorial covers the top 25 Excel tips and tricks from Alex Dale's video, aimed at enhancing your efficiency in Excel for work, school, and personal projects. By implementing these techniques, you can save significant time and improve your productivity. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned user, there are valuable insights to discover.

Step 1: Use Wildcards

Wildcards allow for flexible searching within Excel. Use the following characters:

• ? to represent a single character.
• * to represent any number of characters.
• Example: To find all names starting with "A," use A* in your search.

Step 2: Import Data from Image on Clipboard

You can quickly import data from an image using the clipboard.

• Copy the image of the data.
• Go to the "Data" tab.
• Select "From Picture" and choose "From Clipboard."
• Excel will convert the image to editable text.

Step 3: Import Data from Web

Pull data directly from the web into Excel.

• Go to the "Data" tab.
• Click "Get Data" and select "From Other Sources" > "From Web."
• Enter the URL of the web page containing the data.
• Follow the prompts to import the data.

Step 4: Use Sparklines

Sparklines are mini charts that fit within a cell.

• Select the cell where you want the sparkline.
• Go to "Insert," then select "Sparklines" and choose the type (Line, Column, Win/Loss).
• Highlight the data range and click OK.

Step 5: Utilize Goalseek

Goalseek helps you find the right input when you know the desired outcome.

• Go to "Data," then "What-If Analysis," and select "Goal Seek."
• Set the cell you want to change, the desired value, and the cell to adjust.
• Click OK to find the solution.

Step 6: Apply Conditional Formatting

Highlight important data visually.

• Select your data range.
• Go to "Home" and click on "Conditional Formatting."
• Choose a rule type (Highlight Cell Rules, Top/Bottom Rules) and set your criteria.

Step 7: Transpose Data

Change rows to columns or vice versa.

• Copy the data.
• Right-click on the cell where you want to paste it.
• Select "Paste Special" and check "Transpose."

Step 8: Duplicate From Above

Quickly copy data from the cell above.

• Select the cell below the one you want to duplicate.
• Press Ctrl + D to fill down the value.

Step 9: Use Autofill

Automatically fill cells with a series of data.

• Enter a number or date in a cell.
• Drag the fill handle (small square at the cell's bottom corner) across the desired range.

Step 10: Remove Duplicates

Clean your data by removing duplicates.

• Select your data range.
• Go to "Data" and click "Remove Duplicates."
• Choose the columns to check for duplicates and click OK.

Step 11: Use DATEDIF Function

Calculate the difference between two dates.

• Syntax: =DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, "unit")
• Example: To find the number of days between two dates: =DATEDIF(A1, B1, "d").

Step 12: Filter Data

Easily view specific data sets.

• Select your data range.
• Go to "Data" and click "Filter."
• Use the dropdown arrows in the header to filter by criteria.

Step 13: Create Pivot Tables

Summarize large data sets effectively.

• Select your data range.
• Go to "Insert" and choose "Pivot Table."
• Drag fields to Rows, Columns, Values, and Filters to organize your data.

Step 14: Use Slicers

Add visual filters to Pivot Tables.

• Select your Pivot Table.
• Go to "Insert" and choose "Slicer."
• Select the fields you want to filter by.

Step 15: Use TRIM Function

Remove extra spaces from text.

• Syntax: =TRIM(text)
• Example: =TRIM(A1) will clean up the text in cell A1.

Step 16: Use CLEAN Function

Remove non-printable characters from text.

• Syntax: =CLEAN(text)
• Example: =CLEAN(A1) will clean up the text in cell A1.

Step 17: Use INDEX and MATCH Functions

Create advanced lookups.

• Use =INDEX(array, row_num, column_num) to find a value.
• Combine with MATCH to dynamically locate row numbers.

Step 18: Use XLOOKUP Function

Find data across a table easily.

• Syntax: =XLOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_array, return_array, [if_not_found])
• Example: =XLOOKUP(A1, B:B, C:C) finds the value in column C that corresponds to A1.

Step 19: Utilize IF Function

Create logical comparisons.

• Syntax: =IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false)
• Example: =IF(A1 > 10, "Over 10", "10 or less").

Step 20: Use SUMIF Function

Sum values based on criteria.

• Syntax: =SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range])
• Example: =SUMIF(A:A, "Apple", B:B) sums values in column B where column A is "Apple".

Step 21: Use SUMIFS Function

Sum values based on multiple criteria.

• Syntax: =SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2], ...)
• Example: =SUMIFS(B:B, A:A, "Apple", C:C, ">10").

Step 22: Use UPPER, LOWER, and PROPER Functions

Change text case easily.

• =UPPER(text): Converts to uppercase.
• =LOWER(text): Converts to lowercase.
• =PROPER(text): Capitalizes the first letter of each word.

Step 23: Use CONVERT Function

Convert units of measurement.

• Syntax: =CONVERT(number, from_unit, to_unit)
• Example: =CONVERT(1, "m", "ft") converts meters to feet.

Step 24: Access Stock Data

Get real-time stock information.

• Type the stock ticker symbol in a cell.
• Go to "Data" and select "Stocks."
• Excel will convert the text to a stock data type.

Step 25: Access Geography Data

Get geographic information.

• Type a location or country name in a cell.
• Go to "Data" and select "Geography."
• Excel will convert the text to a geographic data type.

Conclusion

These 25 tips and tricks can significantly enhance your productivity in Excel. Start by implementing a few that resonate with your current tasks, and gradually incorporate more as you become comfortable. By mastering these techniques, you'll save time and work more efficiently in your spreadsheets. For further practice, consider following along with the provided Excel file linked in the video description.