Excel · Select the whole column
Selection
Windows · Linux
Ctrl+SpaceMac
Ctrl+SpaceBoth systems use the same combination.
Selects the whole column the cell sits in; inside a table the first press grabs only the table column and a second press takes the entire sheet column.
- Group
- Selection
- 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
QWhat is the shortcut for Select the whole column in Excel?
Selects the whole column the cell sits in; inside a table the first press grabs only the table column and a second press takes the entire sheet column. It is Ctrl+Space on Windows and Ctrl+Space on a Mac.
QIs it the same on Windows and Mac?
Yes, Ctrl+Space on both.
QHow many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Selection in Excel.
The same action elsewhere
Shortcuts nearby
Select the whole rowShift+SpaceInsert cells, rows or columnsCtrl+Shift+PlusSelect the block of data around the cellCtrl+AExtend the selection to the last filled cellCtrl+Shift+DownExtend the selection to the last used cellCtrl+Shift+EndJump to the last used cellCtrl+EndJump to A1Ctrl+HomeGo to the next sheetCtrl+PageDown