Excel like a finance pro.
Repeat the last thing you did
F4Editing & referencesThe same key that toggles dollar signs does something completely different outside a formula.
Difficulty
1What it does
F4 has two unrelated jobs. Inside the formula bar it cycles a reference through the four dollar-sign combinations, which is the use that gets taught. Everywhere else it repeats your last action — insert a row, apply a fill colour, delete a column, set a border — and that's the bigger time-saver by far. Select the next cell, press F4, done. It repeats one action only, so anything you do in between resets what F4 will do.
2The shortcut
- 1Do the thing once — insert a row, apply a format, whatever it is.
- 2Move to the next place and press
F4. - 3Keep moving and pressing. Any other action in between replaces what F4 repeats.
3Before → after
Press the shortcut to play it on a sample sheet.
Apply the format once, the slow way
| A — Line | B — Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revenue | 486,000 |
| 2 | Cost of goods sold | 281,100 |
| 3 | Gross profit | 204,900 |
| 4 | Operating expenses | 164,000 |
| 5 | Operating income | 40,900 |
Inside the formula bar F4 cycles dollar signs. Everywhere else it repeats your last action, which is the bigger time-saver and the one nobody is taught.
4When you use it
- Insert the same blank row in eight places down a schedule.
- Apply a total-row format down a report without the Format Painter.
- Delete every other column in an export, quickly.
Want these moves already done for you? Wauvel's free tools download as branded, formula-driven Excel models — Tables, named ranges, and all.
Learn the moves here — or let Wauvel run them on your numbers.
Meet your AI CFO →One CFO-grade Excel tip a week
A short, practical email for finance operators — functions, shortcuts, and the moves that save an afternoon. Free, unsubscribe anytime.