Larry often adds comments to cells in his worksheets. He wonders if there is a keyboard shortcut for adding those comments.
Normally you would insert a comment by selecting the cell you want, displaying the Review tab of the ribbon, and then clicking on the New Comment tool, in the Comments group. If you prefer to not take your hands off the keyboard, however, Excel does provide three different ways you can insert comments.
The first two methods are actually keyboard equivalents for invoking the New Comment tool. You can use either of these:
Note that you don't need to hold down the Alt key as you hit the keys following—you simply need to press the Alt key to let Excel know you are going to access tools through the keyboard. The first approach goes directly to the New Comment tool. The second approach is provided for compatibility with older, menu-based versions of Excel.
The third method to insert a comment is to simply press Shift+F2. This shortcut produces the exact same result as the previous two—it opens a comment box in the current cell. (If one already exists in the cell, then it is opened; if one does not exist, one is added and opened.)
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12317) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Keyboard Shortcut for Comments.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel 2013 Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
One of the pieces of information that Excel can maintain relative to a workbook is a set of comments of your choice. ...
Discover MoreHave you ever chosen to edit a comment, only to find that the comment is quite a ways from the cell with which it is ...
Discover MoreIn Excel, single comments are associated with single cells. If you want to have a comment be linked to multiple cells, ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-01-20 04:53:53
Philip
Note that recently terminology has changed. This tip is not accurate in the light of the introduction of the "collaboration comments".
A "Comment" is now similar to what a "comment" has been in Word in the past, and is used to exchange thoughts between different collaborators on the same workbook.
What used to be called a "comment" in Excel, is now called a "note".
Alt+r+c inserts a "comment" for collaboration.
Alt+i+m inserts a "note" (which is the "old style" comment)
By right-clicking on a cell, you have both options ("New Note" and "New Comment") available
2017-01-20 05:40:57
Dave Smith
@ Chris G.
In Excel 97 I tap the ESC key twice to return to the spreadsheet.
2017-01-19 13:52:16
Chris G.
Um, that's great. But now how do I get out of the comment without using the mouse?
2016-12-31 15:25:50
Lanier Dodson
Or simply right click the cell and click on "Insert Comment" in the drop-down menu.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2022 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments