Microsoft Excel is one of the world’s most widely used spreadsheet software. It has become a standard for financial and other business data analysis and a way to store and manipulate data before input into other programs.
With so many powerful features, it’s somewhat easy to forget all the fantastic things you can do with Microsoft Excel. That’s why I’m going to list 15 amazing features of Microsoft Excel, many of which are very useful for everyday computing.
What is Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheet application developed by Microsoft. It’s a valuable tool for storing and managing data and producing reports and graphs.
Undoubtedly, Microsoft Excel is beneficial in simplifying various tasks, including simple, advanced, and complex spreadsheet-based activities.
15 Amazing Features of Microsoft Excel
Nowadays, most business people and professionals worldwide are using Microsoft Excel for their daily work because of its easy to use, fast performance, and many more unique features that save lots of time and effort. So, let’s explore some of the special features of Microsoft Excel that make it so valuable.
1. Insert and Designs Pivot Tables and Charts
Pivot tables and charts allow you to see various data in one place. You can organize multiple types of information into columns or a set of rows and then sort, filter, or group those data sets together.
You can do this with just a few clicks. For example, you can organize sales data by month, by product, or even by a competitor. You could also see the monthly sales in a range of years.
This is especially useful for business professionals because it allows them to find patterns and trends in their data. It’s also useful for anyone who collects and analyzes data.
2. Conditional Formatting of Worksheets
Conditional formatting allows you to highlight specific values in your spreadsheet. So, if you have a formula that matches the number of sales that fell below a particular number, you can highlight only those cells in the worksheet and make them look different. You can also change the format of a single cell or multiple cells based on various criteria.
3. Slicers
It is a visual way to see an overview of different data sets. It helps us narrow down the data operation by clicking a slicer. This is one of the most valuable features of Microsoft Excel that allows us to make our worksheets more convenient, easier, and productive.
4. Adding Formulas
Microsoft Excel has an in-built formula editor that you can use to create and edit formulas. You can also refer to other cells or ranges as inputs for your formulas. This feature is useful for adding conditional formatting, creating pivot tables, and performing calculations.
5. Inserting Images
In Microsoft Excel, you can insert images into your spreadsheet by simply dragging and dropping them into the worksheet. It allows you to include a variety of images in your worksheet. This will also enable you to add colour and size changes to the picture.
6. Add a Personal Touch with Sparklines
Sparklines are a new way to represent the data visually and can be represented in a small, medium, or large size. You can use this feature in your worksheets to see the overall trend of your data.
7. Data Validation
Data validation is a useful feature in Microsoft Excel that prevents users from inserting invalid data into a worksheet. It provides a visual indication to the user of what line of data is valid and what line is invalid or contains an error, i.e. whether the data is type-in or user input.
8. Copy and Paste Special Features
In Microsoft Excel, you can click a cell/range, hold the mouse button, and drag it within the sheet. When you release the mouse button, Excel will select cells with a similar pattern.
For example, it will select all the blank cells within the same column or row. With copy-paste, you can make a lot of changes in a short time, especially if your worksheet is lengthy.
9. Changing Font Size & Colors
Microsoft Excel allows you to change the font size, colour, and style easily. This feature allows you to make your worksheet as clear as you want. You can also change the background of your spreadsheet from simple white too plain or fancy colours like purple or red.
10. Shortcut Keys to Save Time
Microsoft Excel allows you to save time by using special shortcut keys. Using these Excel shortcut keys, you can save lots of time by performing multiple tasks with just a few clicks. These keys are completely customizable and can be customized to your preferences.
11. Add Multiple Rows and Columns
As the name suggests, these features allow you to add multiple rows and columns. You can even use this feature to split the worksheet or create a summary of different data sets in multiple columns. This saves time and is useful for making a long and complicated spreadsheet.
12. Flash Fill
In Microsoft Excel, you can add data automatically in a single cell. This feature is called “Flash Fill” and helps you fill values without manually typing into each cell.
You need to type the formula and click the cell you want to fill. If the cell contains a value, the data will be automatically filled in the cell. This is another cool function that saves time in Microsoft Excel.
13. Export Sheets in Multiple Formats
In Microsoft Excel, you can export your sheets in multiple formats like PDF, XLSX, HTML, and XML. It allows you to save your data in a form that can be accessed easily. You can then send this data to your friends and colleagues.
14. Collaboration Features
Microsoft Excel also provides collaboration features that save time and effort in sharing information with your colleagues. You can share your worksheet with anyone by allowing them to edit it.
It also allows you to work with other people and make changes together. Most teams use Microsoft Excel to edit their data and make it easier to manage.
15. Save and Print Worksheets
You can save and print Microsoft Excel worksheets without any hassle. The workbook is stored in the library so that you can edit it anytime. Tasks such as printing take a few clicks, and this feature is a huge time saver for us.
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Mostly Asked Questions
What are some basic features of Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet application with basic features through which you can easily perform spatial analysis, create charts and graphs, and manipulate data.
When it comes to a number of features, Excel is simply unbeatable, especially if you’re dealing with structured data and need to perform data analysis.
What are some advanced features of MS Excel?
It has several advanced features for statistical analysis, including data analysis and graphing. It has a very advanced VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), which enables you to create and automate your spreadsheet tasks and direct work with the Excel data.
Final Thoughts
These features show that Microsoft Excel is not a simple spreadsheet program but a powerful tool for data analysis and manipulation.
Therefore, we should learn all features of Microsoft Excel and use the functions in a professional way.
So, which feature of MS Excel do you think is amazing? Why do you think so? Leave a comment and let us know what you think.