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After decades of using Excel, Ctrl+Enter is still the shortcut I reach for when I need to put the same value or formula into several selected cells. On Windows, select the cells, type the entry once, and press Ctrl+Enter: Excel fills the selected cells in one action.
What does Ctrl+Enter do in Excel?
In Windows desktop Excel, Ctrl+Enter fills the selected cell range with the entry you have typed. It is especially handy when the cells you want to update are scattered rather than in one continuous block. Microsoft Support says the cells “do not have to be adjacent” in its manual data-entry guidance.
For example, select A2, A5, and A8, type Review, then press Ctrl+Enter. Excel places Review in all three selected cells. This example illustrates Microsoft’s documented workflow.
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How to enter the same value in several cells
- Select the cells you want to fill. You can select a continuous range or individual non-adjacent cells.
- Type the value or formula. The text appears in the active cell while you enter it.
- Press Ctrl+Enter on Windows. The selected cells receive that entry.
This is useful for repeating a status, label, number, or formula across a set of cells without entering it separately in each one.
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Can Ctrl+Enter fill a formula across a selection?
Yes. Select the target cells, type the formula in the active cell, and press Ctrl+Enter to fill the selected range with the current entry. Microsoft’s Excel keyboard-shortcut reference describes the shortcut as filling the selected cell range with the current entry.
That guidance establishes that the entry is filled; it does not, by itself, establish how relative cell references will change across cells. If your formula depends on different references in each row or column, check the resulting cells before relying on the output.
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Which keys should Mac and web users use?
| Excel setup | Documented guidance |
|---|---|
| Windows desktop | Ctrl+Enter fills the selected cell range with the current entry. |
| Mac desktop | Microsoft lists Cmd+Return or Ctrl+Return for filling the selected range with the text typed. Use the combination documented for your setup. |
| Excel for the web | Browser shortcuts can affect which keys work. Microsoft’s reference warns that web shortcuts differ from desktop; it does not establish one Ctrl+Enter multi-cell workflow for every browser and operating-system combination. |
Check Microsoft’s current keyboard-shortcut reference for your Excel version and setup rather than assuming the Windows combination applies everywhere.
Ctrl+Enter has another use in Excel
The shortcut’s behavior depends on the task. Microsoft’s basic Excel tasks guidance also describes Ctrl+Enter in a simple formula workflow where it keeps the cursor on the active cell after the formula is entered. That is different from selecting multiple cells first and using Ctrl+Enter to fill them all.
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When is the fill handle a better fit?
The fill handle is another Microsoft-documented way to enter the same data into several cells. Use it when dragging to nearby cells suits the layout; Ctrl+Enter is a natural keyboard option when you have already selected the target cells, including non-adjacent ones. Neither method is universally faster for every person or worksheet.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Be careful when worksheets are grouped
Excel can apply edits to matching cells across multiple selected worksheets. That can be useful when sheets share a layout, but an edit may replace data on every selected sheet. Confirm which worksheets are selected before entering a value or formula.
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