Excel · Select the whole row
Selection
Windows · Linux
Shift+SpaceMac
Shift+SpaceBoth systems use the same combination.
Selects the whole row the cell sits in; with the row selected, Ctrl+Shift+Plus inserts a new row without asking anything.
- 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
Q. What is the shortcut for Select the whole row in Excel?
Selects the whole row the cell sits in; with the row selected, Ctrl+Shift+Plus inserts a new row without asking anything. It is Shift+Space on Windows and Shift+Space on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
Yes, Shift+Space on both.
Q. How many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Selection in Excel.
The same action elsewhere
Shortcuts nearby
Select the whole columnCtrl+SpaceSelect 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+PageDownGo to the previous sheetCtrl+PageUp