Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Picking Worksheets Quickly.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 26, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
An Excel workbook can contain almost any number of worksheets, and the tabs for those worksheets are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Everyone knows that if the tabs can't all fit across the bottom of the screen, you can use the navigation buttons in the bottom-left screen corner to scroll through the worksheet tabs.
What you may not know is that Excel provides a cool way to pick a worksheet if you can't see its tab on the screen. (Hmmm; do I scroll left or right? How far do I need to go?) All you need to do is right-click on the navigation buttons. (The navigation buttons appear just to the left of the worksheet tabs.) Excel displays the names of all your worksheets. Just pick the one you want, and off you go—no need to worry about which way to scroll!
Note, as well, that if there are more than 16 worksheets in your workbook, the last entry in the list of worksheets will be "More Sheets...". Choose this option, and Excel displays a full-fledged dialog box that lists all your worksheets. Select the one you want, and you are good to go!
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3591) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Picking Worksheets Quickly.
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2022-10-27 09:54:51
J. Woolley
For more on this subject, see https://excelribbon.tips.net/T007094_Jumping_to_a_Specific_Worksheet.html
2022-10-26 05:42:46
Kiwerry
Thanks, Allen.
Possible update for newer versions: the additional hint "Note, as well, that if there are more than 16 worksheets in your workbook, the last entry in the list of worksheets will be "More Sheets..."." This doesn't appear in workbooks with a large number of worksheets in my Excel 365; instead, a scroll bar opened to the right of the list.
Searching by typing the first letter of a sheet name worked, but apparently only as far as the first letter of the name is concerned. Alex B's comment below indicates that many more letters could be typed in the dialogue box, so this is a case of what the Germans call "Verschlimmbessern", which translates roughly to "degrading something in an attempt to improve it".
2018-09-24 04:31:04
Alex B
@Dave only by macro. You will find one on this site here: https://excel.tips.net/T002216_Printing_a_Worksheet_List.html.
I have a slightly longer version that creates hyperlinks back to the worksheet at the same time.
2018-09-23 18:17:29
Dave Thompson
Thank you, I didn't know about this.
Is there a way to copy this list into a worksheet?
Thanks.
2018-09-23 07:42:50
Alex B
And what is hardly every referenced is that unlike most other drop down lists which only let you type 1 or 2 letters to navigate the list, this one will recognise quite a number of characters (I have managed up to 8 characters).
This is particularly useful for long lists of worksheets that are in no discernible order and you know what the sheet name starts with.
2018-09-23 05:43:04
Peter Atherton
I was told years ago to right-click objects to see what was available but clicking navigation buttons? Brilliant!
2018-09-22 17:14:22
Roy Hobbs
Wow. Right click on the navigation buttons to pick a worksheet! I been using Excel since I switched from Lotus in the early 90's. I didn't know that one. Thanks, Allen
2018-09-22 12:48:55
Clifton
Wow! That is one of the coolest simple tips I've seen in a long time! This after I spent a day making a navigation sheet in a large workbook, with links to all the sheets. This is an awesome thing to learn and I will use it regularly.
Thanks Allen!!
2018-09-22 05:27:49
Tony Collingwood
Nice tip!
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
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