5 HIDDEN Excel Tools Almost Nobody Is Talking About

Summary

Discover five hidden Excel tools that will boost your productivity and make data management easier. Learn about the Quick Analysis tool for instant insights, Flash Fill for rapid data formatting, right-click dragging for efficient copying, the menu key for advanced filtering, and the Navigation pane for streamlined workbook navigation. Each tool is demonstrated with practical examples, making it easy to follow along. Plus, find out how to enhance your Excel skills with a recommended expert course. By the end of the video, you'll wonder how you ever worked without these tips.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Discover five hidden Excel tools that can enhance productivity and simplify tasks.
• 📊 Use Quick Analysis (Ctrl + Q) for instant access to a range of data analysis tools, including charts and formatting options.
• 📈 Quickly create pivot tables and charts to visualize sales data by category with a single click.
• 📊 Data bars and color scales from Quick Analysis can help in interpreting large datasets more easily.
• 📊 Utilize the Average function under Totals in Quick Analysis to understand the central tendency of your data.
• 📊 Sparklines can provide a visual representation of data trends in a compact form.
• 🔧 Flash Fill (Ctrl + E) is a powerful tool for cleaning and separating data, such as splitting names into first and last.
• 📧 Flash Fill can also construct patterns, like creating email addresses from first and last names.
• 📋 Avoid using traditional copy and paste; instead, use the fill handle with right-click options to maintain formatting.
• 🔎 The menu key and associated shortcuts can help filter large datasets to focus on specific criteria quickly.
• 🗺️ The Navigation pane provides a comprehensive overview of a workbook, making it easy to locate and access different elements.

Q & A

What are the five hidden tools in Excel discussed in the video?

The video script does not explicitly list five tools, but it discusses several features including Quick Analysis, Flash Fill, Fill Without Formatting, filtering using the menu key, and the Navigation pane.

How can the Quick Analysis tool help with a new dataset?

The Quick Analysis tool provides shortcuts to various features such as charts, formatting options like data bars and color scales, and the ability to insert totals and averages, making it easier to analyze and visualize data.

What is the keyboard shortcut for accessing the Quick Analysis tool?

The keyboard shortcut to access the Quick Analysis tool is Ctrl + Q.

How can data bars help in interpreting data?

Data bars provide a visual representation of the data by displaying varying lengths of horizontal bars corresponding to the values in the dataset, making it easier to compare and interpret the data at a glance.

What does the script suggest using instead of copy and paste for filling formulas down a column?

The script suggests using the fill handle to drag down formulas instead of copy and paste, as it preserves the formatting and is quicker.

What is the Flash Fill feature and how does it work?

Flash Fill is a feature in Excel that automatically fills in data based on patterns it recognizes in the user's example entries. It can be used to extract parts of text, create email addresses, and more.

What is the keyboard shortcut for Flash Fill?

The keyboard shortcut for Flash Fill is Ctrl + E.

How can the script's suggested method for filling formulas down a column help with formatting?

By right-clicking the fill handle and choosing 'Fill Without Formatting', Excel will copy the formulas down the column without affecting the existing cell formatting.

What is the menu key and how is it used for filtering in Excel?

The menu key is a keyboard shortcut that brings up the right-click context menu. It is used in combination with other keys (like 'E' for Filter and 'V' to filter by the selected cell's value) to quickly apply filters in Excel.

What is the Navigation pane and how can it help in a workbook with many elements?

The Navigation pane is a feature in Excel that provides an overview of the workbook's elements, such as sheets, tables, and charts. It allows users to quickly find and access different parts of the workbook by searching and filtering through the elements.

How can renaming elements in Excel improve the use of the Navigation pane?

Renaming elements with descriptive names can make it easier to search and filter for specific items in the Navigation pane, thus improving navigation and access to different parts of the workbook.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Unveiling Excel's Hidden Productivity Tools

The video script introduces five hidden Excel tools designed to enhance productivity and simplify tasks. The presenter shares a personal favorite and invites viewers to share theirs in the comments. The Quick Analysis tool is highlighted for its ability to provide shortcuts for data interpretation, such as generating pivot tables and charts with a single click. The script also demonstrates how to use data bars and average calculations to interpret data more effectively, and introduces sparklines for quick data visualization. The presenter encourages viewers to download a practice file for hands-on experience and mentions an Excel Expert course for those looking to advance their skills.

05:01

🔄 Mastering Excel's Data Manipulation Shortcuts

This paragraph focuses on Excel shortcuts for handling large datasets and filtering information efficiently. The 'Flash Fill' feature is showcased for its ability to quickly separate and fill data, such as splitting names into first and last names or creating email addresses. The script also emphasizes the importance of using keyboard shortcuts over traditional copy-paste methods to maintain formatting and speed up the process. Additionally, the 'Filter' function is explained to help users quickly find specific data within a dataset. The Navigation pane is introduced as a tool for easily navigating through complex workbooks, allowing users to search and access different elements like sheets, tables, and charts. The presenter suggests renaming elements for easier searchability and concludes with a recommendation to watch another video on top productivity tips for Excel.

Keywords

💡Quick Analysis

Quick Analysis is a feature in Excel that provides a set of tools designed to quickly analyze and visualize data. It is activated by pressing Ctrl + Q and offers shortcuts for various tasks such as creating charts, applying formatting, and summarizing data. In the video, the presenter uses Quick Analysis to insert a pivot table and chart to visualize sales data by category, demonstrating its utility in transforming raw data into actionable insights.

💡Data Bars

Data bars are a visual representation tool in Excel that allows users to compare values within a range by coloring the cells based on their values. They are part of the conditional formatting options available through the Quick Analysis tool. The script mentions using data bars to interpret data on daily intake of fruits and vegetables, providing a visual cue to quickly assess which categories have higher or lower values.

💡Average

In the context of Excel, the 'average' is a statistical measure that calculates the mean of a set of numbers. The script describes using Quick Analysis to quickly add an average calculation to a dataset, which helps in summarizing and understanding the central tendency of the data, such as finding the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

💡Sparklines

Sparklines are small, inline charts in Excel that provide a visual representation of data within a single cell. They are used to show trends or patterns in data without taking up much space. In the video, the presenter uses sparklines to compare the consumption of fruits and vegetables across different age groups, illustrating how they can make data more accessible and interpretable at a glance.

💡Flash Fill

Flash Fill is an Excel feature that intelligently fills in data based on patterns it recognizes in the user's input. It is activated by pressing Ctrl + E and can be used for tasks such as splitting names into first and last names or creating email addresses from separate first and last name fields. The script demonstrates Flash Fill's ability to learn from a single corrected example and apply that pattern to the rest of the dataset.

💡Excel Expert course

The Excel Expert course mentioned in the script is a tutorial series designed to enhance one's proficiency in Excel, ranging from beginner to advanced levels. It is aimed at individuals looking to improve their résumé with advanced Excel skills or quickly adapt to new job requirements. The course offers hands-on practice with downloadable Excel files and a completion certificate, emphasizing the video's theme of improving productivity through mastering Excel tools.

💡Fill Without Formatting

This is a feature in Excel that allows users to copy formulas or values into a range of cells while maintaining the original formatting of those cells. The script contrasts this method with the traditional copy-paste technique, which can disrupt formatting. The presenter uses the right-click and drag method to fill down formulas without affecting the cell appearance, highlighting a more efficient way to work with formulas in Excel.

💡Menu Key

The menu key, also known as the 'Apps' key, is a keyboard shortcut in Excel that brings up the right-click context menu. In the video, it is used in conjunction with letter keys to perform actions such as filtering data. The script emphasizes its utility in quickly accessing and applying filters to large datasets, enabling users to focus on specific subsets of data.

💡Navigation Pane

The Navigation Pane is a feature in Excel that provides an organized view of all the sheets, tables, charts, and other elements within a workbook. It allows for quick navigation and selection of these elements. The script describes how to access and use the Navigation Pane to efficiently locate and work with different parts of a workbook, which is crucial for managing complex datasets.

💡Filter

Filtering in Excel is the process of displaying only the data that meets certain criteria, hiding the rest. It is used to focus on specific subsets of data within a larger dataset. The script explains how to use the menu key to quickly apply filters, such as showing only data for France or for the government sector, which helps in managing and analyzing large datasets more effectively.

💡Productivity Tips

The script refers to a video on the 'top ten productivity tips for work' in Excel, suggesting that there are numerous techniques and shortcuts that can improve efficiency when working with spreadsheets. These tips are intended to solve common problems and streamline workflows, aligning with the video's overarching theme of enhancing productivity through the use of Excel's hidden tools.

Highlights

Excel has hidden tools that can greatly enhance productivity and make work easier.

Quick Analysis tool provides shortcuts for data interpretation with a simple Ctrl + Q command.

Quick Analysis can generate pivot tables and charts for sales data analysis.

Formatting options like data bars, color scales, and icon sets are accessible through Quick Analysis.

Average calculation can be easily inserted with Quick Analysis for data summarization.

Sparklines is a feature that visualizes data trends in a compact form.

Flash Fill is a powerful tool for cleaning and separating data with keyboard shortcuts.

Flash Fill can learn from corrected entries to improve data separation accuracy.

Excel Expert course is recommended for those looking to advance their Excel skills.

Instead of copy-pasting, using the fill handle with right-click offers more precise formula copying.

Menu key shortcuts are efficient for filtering large datasets in Excel.

Filtering can be applied and cleared using menu key shortcuts for focused data analysis.

Navigation pane provides an overview of workbook elements for quick access.

The Navigation pane allows renaming and searching for specific workbook elements.

Renaming elements in Excel can facilitate easier navigation and data management.

Excel's default naming for charts and tables aids in quick identification and access.

There is a recommended video on the top ten productivity tips for Excel users seeking efficiency.

Transcripts

Excel is full of hidden tools that can completely  transform the way you work, but most people will  

never discover them. Today, I'm revealing five  hidden tools that will improve productivity and  

make your life easier. By the end of this video,  you'll be wondering how you ever managed without  

them. My favorite is number four. Let me know  in the comments which is your favorite at the  

end of the video. Okay, let's dive in and unlock  these secret tools. If you've ever received a new  

dataset and not been sure where to start, in the  Quick Analysis tool you have a load of shortcuts  

to help you make sense of it at your fingertips.  Here I've got a table of sales by year, category,  

and product, and I can simply press Ctrl + Q,  and up pops a load of tools I can access with  

one click. For example, under charts,  I can quickly see my sales by category.  

I'll click on it and it inserts a new sheet  including a pivot table and chart. From here,  

I can continue to work with the pivot table and  chart to further customize them to my liking.

Here I have some data on the daily intake of  fruit and vegetables, and this sea of numbers is  

a bit difficult to make sense of. Let's see what  Quick Analysis can do. I'll start by selecting the  

numbers, Ctrl + Q, and under Formatting, we've got  data bars, color scales, and icon sets. Hovering  

over them, I get a preview of how it's going to  look. The data bars look pretty good. With one  

click, I've now got data bars to help me interpret  my data. It would also be useful to know what the  

average is. I can do that with Ctrl + Q, and then  under Totals, scroll across and choose Average.  

This inserts a new column for me, and all I need  to do is delete a few cells that have the #DIV!  

errors and give it a heading. I'll insert another  column because another cool feature is sparklines.  

Ctrl + Q on the Sparklines tab. I think the  columns will be best. Let's add those. Let's give  

them a different color. Now I can easily see at  a glance that the younger generations are not big  

fruit and vegetable consumers compared to older  generations, which was really difficult to see  

without these tools to help visualize the data.  Now, if I select the data again and Ctrl + Q,  

you'll notice there are loads more tools  available and you can try these for homework.  

So be sure to download the practice file  from the link in the video description.

This next tool can clean all kinds of  messy data with a keyboard shortcut.  

Here I've got a list of names and I want  to separate them into first name and  

last name. So I'll just enter an example for  the first row and then Ctrl + E for Flash Fill,  

and it extracts all the first names.  Let's repeat for the last names, Ctrl + E,  

and it's inserted the last names, but it's got  a couple wrong. So we can see here this should  

be a Jones-Barnley. By just correcting one of  them, it now knows how to treat the rest. Now  

notice the Flash Fill menu appears and I can  click on the drop-down to undo the revision,  

accept the suggestions, or select all three  changed cells. Or I can just continue on,  

and it will assume I've accepted the suggestions.  Now there are tons of patterns you can have Flash  

Fill work with. For example, here I can have it  construct an email address from the first and  

last names, then Ctrl + E, and it completes the  rest for me. Now there are loads of other ways  

that you can use Flash Fill, and I've got some  different examples here in the file that you  

can try for homework. Remember you can download  the file from the link in the video description.

If you're looking to take your Excel expertise  to the next level, I highly recommend checking  

out my Excel Expert course. Whether you're aiming  to enhance your résumé with advanced Excel skills,  

or you need to get quickly up to speed  for a new job, this course has got you  

covered with tutorials ranging from beginner  to advanced. You can pick and choose exactly  

what you need to learn. Plus, you get hands-on  practice with downloadable Excel files and a  

certificate of completion to showcase your  new skills. Click the course link in the  

video description to find out more and start  your journey to becoming an Excel pro today.

This might sound crazy, but you should stop  using copy and paste because this can be more  

time-consuming than what I'm about to share with  you. Here I have some formulas that calculate the  

sales, the cost of goods sold, and the profit.  I want to copy these formulas down, so I can  

double-click the bottom right corner and it fills  down. But notice it messed up my formatting. So  

let's Ctrl + Z to undo that. Another way I could  copy it down is to copy it and then paste special,  

formulas. That does the job, but it's a load of  clicks. So let's Ctrl + Z to undo that. Instead  

of copying and pasting, I can right-click the  fill handle and drag down. When I release,  

I get a menu that allows me to choose Fill  Without Formatting. Now if we look in the cells,  

you can see it's copied down my formulas  and my formatting isn't messed up. At first,  

it'll feel weird right-clicking and dragging,  but you get used to it after a while.

This next shortcut is my favorite. It's  great for working with large data sets,  

enabling you to cut through the noise and find  exactly what you need. For example, let's say I  

wanted to focus on data for France. I can press  the menu key. This brings up the right-click  

menu. Here I want to filter. So you can see 'e' in  Filter is underlined. So I need to press E. Then I  

want to filter by the selected cell's value. So  that's V. Now my table is filtered for France.  

I have filter buttons for every column. Now I can  continue applying filters. For example, let's say  

I want to only see data for government. So again,  the menu key, E, V. And maybe I only want to see  

the Montana product. So menu key, E, V, and you'll  get quicker and quicker at it the more you use it.  

Now I have much less data to focus on, making  it easier to find what I need. And of course,  

I can use the filter buttons to apply further  filtering. Or I can click the menu key and access  

the other filter options here. If you want to  clear filters, you can do it one by one via  

this menu. Or you can go to the Data tab of the  ribbon and click the Clear Filter button. Now  

for homework, check out the other shortcuts  in the menu key. For example, 'O' for Sort.

Navigating through a workbook with countless  sheets, tables, and charts can be like looking for  

a needle in a haystack. With the Navigation pane,  we can get an instant overview of our workbook  

so we can quickly and easily find and access  different elements. To access the Navigation pane,  

go to the View tab and then click on Navigation.  This opens the pane on the right-hand side. You  

can unlock it by left-clicking and dragging.  Now it's mobile. Alternatively, you can dock  

it to the left-hand side if you prefer. Clicking  on one of the sheets takes you to that sheet and  

exposes the elements available there. You can  select the elements from the Navigation pane,  

and you can see the chart is now selected in the  worksheet. If I expose one of the other sheets,  

you'll notice it also makes ranges that contain  data available. So I can click on this, and it  

takes me to that sheet. It also selects the table  of data. Now the search bar at the top of the  

Navigation pane allows you to type and filter for  specific tables or charts, for example. You can  

see now I've got all the charts available. It also  shows me the chart titles so I can easily select  

the correct chart. This is especially useful in  large workbooks with numerous items. By default,  

all charts start with the name Chart, so they're  easy to find. But this also applies to pivot  

tables, tables, shapes, and other objects, so you  can search for them by their default name. Or you  

can name elements in line with how you want to  search for them. For example, let's say I want to  

rename these charts based on the intake of fruit  and vegetables. Instead of calling it Chart 1,  

I can right-click and rename it. The options you  have in the right-click menu here will differ  

depending on the type of element. So I can rename  this Intake 1 and click OK, then repeat for each  

chart. Now I can simply type in Intake to filter  my list of elements based on that name. You can  

see I have charts and ranges named accordingly.  So I've got all of my objects and elements in one  

succinct list, making it super quick and easy to  jump to them. If I want to navigate to a range,  

I can click on it, and it selects it. All  this is the range of cells that I've named  

in the name box up here, so they're super quick  and easy to jump to from the Navigation pane.

Now if you feel like you're not doing things as  quickly as you could be in Excel, here's a video  

that I highly recommend you watch next on the  top ten productivity tips for work. You'll learn  

quick and easy ways to solve some of the most  common problems in Excel. I'll see you there.