Google Sheets is one of the most useful tools in the world and there is no doubt about that! The tool is equipped with a clean and friendly user interface that makes it easy for anyone to use all the features that it has to offer. However, there is a steep learning curve when it comes to using Google Sheets like a pro. If you are a beginner and you are experimenting with Google Sheets for the first time, then you have arrived at the right website. The reason why we are saying that is because today we are going to share with you the top 4 tips and tricks for Google Sheets beginners to transform you into a master of the tool. Without any further ado, let’s get into it.

#1 Use ARRAYFORMULA() to Group the Cells in a Particular Order

An array is a table of values and grouping the cells together in a particular order is an essential trick that you need to learn in order to use Google Sheets like a pro. Fortunately, this is quite simple to do when you know the right formula which is ARRAYFORUMA(). When you apply this formula to your specific data, the processes will all be placed together in a single batch. To make things even better, you can make minor changes to the formula and arrange your data in different patterns.

#2 Add Images Inside Sheets

One of the best things that you can do to make your Google Sheets easier to understand is to use images. Yes, data sheets can be much more than simple rows and columns that are filled with values. This can be done by using the =IMAGE function. Drop in the URL of the image that you want to add to your sheet and then it will be added next to your columns. Using images will not only make your sheets easier to read, but it will also make them look professional.

#3 Send Emails when Commenting

What’s great about Google Sheets is the fact that you can use the tool for big projects where teamwork is required. Collaborating with others is super simple via Google Sheets and what many people don’t know about the tool is the fact that it gives users the option to send direct emails when commenting. Why would you want to do that? Well, in order to make sure that your coworkers are notified when you assign them new tasks or ask them to make changes to their columns. This can be done by adding a plus sign (+) and then typing the email address or name of your coworker.

#4 Add Heatmaps to Your Sheets

We previously mentioned that adding images to your sheets is one of the best ways to make them easier to read, but that is not the only way. You can also use heatmaps to draw attention to important data that is featured in the sheet. Heatmaps can be used to highlight certain values or errors. This feature provides a color scale that makes it super simple to highlight lower and higher values. You can use this feature when adding data from Google Analytics to make it clear to the reader what stats are good and bad.

The Best Google Sheets Keyboard Shortcuts

Now that we have covered what are some of the best tips and tricks for beginners to learn in Google Sheets, let’s go ahead and take a look at what are the most useful keyboard shortcuts for the tool.

General Program Actions

• Ctrl+C (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+C (macOS): Copy the selected cells to the Clipboard.
• Ctrl+X (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+X (macOS): Cut the selected cells to the Clipboard.
• Ctrl+V (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+V (macOS): Paste the contents of the Clipboard to the sheet.
• Ctrl+Shift+V (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+Shift+V (macOS): Paste only the values of the Clipboard.
• Ctrl+Space (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+Space (macOS): Select the whole column.
• Shift+Space (Windows/Chrome OS) or Shift+Space (macOS): Select the whole row.
• Ctrl+A (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+A (macOS): Select all of the cells.
• Ctrl+Z (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+Z (macOS): Undo an action.
• Ctrl+Y (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+Y (macOS): Redo an action.
• Ctrl+F (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+F (macOS): Find in the sheet.
• Ctrl+H (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+H (macOS): Find and replace in the sheet.
• Shift+F11 (Windows Only): Insert a new sheet.
• Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+Option+Shift+H (macOS): Open the spreadsheet’s revision history.

Move Around a Spreadsheet

• Left/Right/Up/Down Arrow: Move one cell to the left, right, up, or down.
• Ctrl+Left/Right Arrow (Windows/Chrome OS) or Ctrl+Option+Left/Right Arrow (macOS):Move to the first or last cell with data in a row.
• Ctrl+Up/Down Arrow (Windows/Chrome OS) or Ctrl+Option+Up/Down Arrow (macOS): Move to the first or last cell with data in a column.
• Home (Windows), Search+Left Arrow (Chrome OS), or Fn+Left Arrow (macOS): Move to the beginning of a row.
• End (Windows), Search+Right Arrow (Chrome OS), or Fn+Right Arrow (macOS): Move to the end of a row.
• Ctrl+Home (Windows), Ctrl+Search+Left Arrow (Chrome OS), or Cmd+Fn+Left Arrow (macOS): Move to the beginning of the sheet (A1).
• Ctrl+End (Windows), Ctrl+Search+Right Arrow (Chrome OS), or Cmd+Fn+Right Arrow (macOS):Move to the end of the sheet.
• Ctrl+Backspace (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+Backspace (macOS): Scroll back to the active cell.
• Alt+Down/Up Arrow (Windows/Chrome OS) or Option+Down/Up Arrow (macOS): If you have more than one sheet in the current file, use this shortcut to move to the next or previous sheet.
• Alt+Shift+K (Windows/Chrome OS) or Option+Shift+K (macOS): Display a list of all sheets.
• Ctrl+Alt+Shift+M (Windows/Chrome OS) or Ctrl+Cmd+Shift+M (macOS): Move focus out of the spreadsheet.

Access the Menus on a PC

• Alt+F (Chrome) or Alt+Shift+F (Other browsers): Access the File menu.
• Alt+E (Chrome) or Alt+Shift+E (Other browsers): Access the Edit menu.
• Alt+V (Chrome) or Alt+Shift+V (Other browsers): Access the View menu.
• Alt+I (Chrome) or Alt+Shift+I (Other browsers): Access the Insert menu.
• Alt+O (Chrome) or Alt+Shift+O (Other browsers): Access the Format menu.
• Alt+T (Chrome) or Alt+Shift+T (Other browsers): Access the Tools menu.
• Alt+H (Chrome) or Alt+Shift+H (Other browsers): Access the Help menu.
• Alt+A (Chrome) or Alt+Shift+A (Other browsers): Access the Accessibility menu (present when screen reader support is enabled).
• Shift+Right-click: Show your browser’s context menu (by default, Google Sheets overrides your browser’s context menu with its own).
• Ctrl+Shift+F: Switch to Compact mode (hide the menus).