Excel · Insert a function
Formulas
Windows · Linux
Shift+F3Mac
Shift+F3Both systems use the same combination.
Opens the window where you pick a function and fill its arguments one box at a time; on a Mac the same key opens it under the name Formula Builder.
- Group
- Formulas
- Keys held
- 2
Excel diverges most on the Mac. F4 for absolute references is Cmd+T there, and a few Ctrl combinations stay Ctrl rather than becoming Cmd.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Insert a function in Excel?
Opens the window where you pick a function and fill its arguments one box at a time; on a Mac the same key opens it under the name Formula Builder. It is Shift+F3 on Windows and Shift+F3 on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
Yes, Shift+F3 on both.
Q. How many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Formulas in Excel.