Save Time by Adding Common Commands to Excel’s Quick Access Toolbar

Microsoft Excel users typically depend on the onscreen Ribbon through which most of the commands are executed. The Ribbon organizes various commands under several categories such as Home, Insert, Formulas, etc. Each Excel user has a set of commands which are used most often. Did you know that you don’t have to go through the tabs on the Ribbon to locate your favorite command? You can always have your favorite commands accessible through the Quick Access Toolbar located above the Ribbon.

What is the Quick Access Toolbar?

The Quick Access toolbar, located directly above the Ribbon, by default shows four common commands: Save, Undo, Redo and Touch/Mouse Mode (if a touchscreen device is used to run Excel). These commands are by far the most commonly used commands by any Excel user. However, if you are like me, I also use Paste, New, Open, Fill and Insert Rows commands quite often. So, this post will discuss how to add your favorite commands to the Quick Access toolbar. By having your favorite commands at your fingertips, you will save plenty of time by avoiding navigating through the Ribbon tabs.

How to Add Common Commands to the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar has a tiny arrow next to it for customizing the quick access toolbar. For this example, we will be adding Paste, New, Open, Fill and Insert Rows commands to the quick access toolbar.

• Click on the arrow to customize the quick access toolbar. Several most popular commands can be added directly from the drop down menu which appears after clicking on the arrow. For example, New and Open commands are available as options at this point.

• To locate more commands, click on More Commands located towards the bottom of the drop-down menu. A dialog box will open listing all the commands.

• The left pane of dialog box will allow you to choose the commands you wish to add to your quick access toolbar. Simply select the command by clicking on it and then click the Add button. The drop-down menu under Choose commands from, allows you to display more commands which are organized under various Ribbons. Once done, click OK.

That’s it, now you will have your favorite commands available at all times on the quick access toolbar.