Data, filters, tables and pivots shortcuts

Excel filter shortcut

Quick answerClick a cell in your data and press CtrlShiftL on Windows or in Excel for the web. On a Mac, press CmdCommandShiftF or CtrlShiftL. Press it again to remove the filter buttons and show every row.

The keys

Shortcut	Windows	Mac
Turn filters on or offTurning filters off also clears every filter, so all rows show again.	`CtrlShiftL`	`CmdCommandShiftF` or `ControlShiftL`
Open the drop-down list or filter menu of the cellWorks on filter buttons, PivotTable fields and data validation lists.	`Alt↓Down arrow`	`Option↓Down arrow`
Reapply the filter and sort after the data changesNot in Microsoft's Mac list. It does not reapply a sort by rows.	`CtrlAltL`	—No Mac shortcut in Microsoft's list

Checked against Microsoft's official lists on November 5, 2026. Where Microsoft lists a key for one platform only, the other column says so instead of guessing.

Filter without the mouse

Move to a header cell and press Alt↓Down arrow (Option↓Down arrow on a Mac) to open its filter menu.
On Windows, in the menu press F for number or text filters, or I for filter by color.
Use the arrow keys and Space to tick values, then Enter.
After the data changes, CtrlAltL reapplies the filter and sort (Windows and the web).

Copy or sum only what the filter shows

Copying a filtered range copies only the visible rows in current versions of Excel. To be sure, select the range and select visible cells only first. For totals that follow the filter, use SUBTOTAL or AGGREGATE rather than SUM; see summing visible cells only.

When Ctrl+Shift+L does not work

Turning filters off clears them: if the buttons vanished, that is why. Press it again to bring them back.
The filter covers the wrong range: there is a fully blank row or column inside your data. Select the whole range first, then press the shortcut.
Nothing happens: another app may have taken Ctrl+Shift+L as a global hotkey. Close background tools one by one, or use Data > Filter.
The sheet is protected or grouped with other sheets (the title bar says Group). Unprotect it, or click a single sheet tab.
Excel for the web: the file opened in Viewing mode. Switch to Editing.

Filter with a formula instead

In Excel 365 and 2021, the FILTER function returns matching rows to another place on the sheet and updates by itself. See filtering with multiple criteria.

Why a shortcut sometimes does nothing

Another program took the shortcut

Some background apps, such as screen recorders, graphics-driver tools and clipboard managers, register global hotkeys. If one shortcut stopped working everywhere at once, close those apps one at a time to find the culprit. Starting Excel in Safe Mode (hold Ctrl while it opens on Windows) also tells you whether an Excel add-in is the cause.

Excel for the web: the browser takes some keys

In a browser, a few keys belong to the browser first: F1 opens the browser's help, CtrlO opens a file, CtrlW closes the tab, and F6 moves around the browser. Excel for the web uses CtrlF6 instead of F6, CtrlAltPage Down for the next sheet in Chrome, and AltWindows key with a letter for ribbon tabs. To get desktop behavior back, go to Help > Keyboard Shortcuts and select Override browser shortcuts. If the file opened in Viewing mode, editing shortcuts do nothing until you switch to Editing.

Related shortcuts

Shortcut	Windows	Mac
In a filter menu, filter by colorNot in Microsoft's Mac list.	`Alt↓Down arrow`, `I`	—No Mac shortcut in Microsoft's list
In a filter menu, filter by number or textNot in Microsoft's Mac list.	`Alt↓Down arrow`, `F`	—No Mac shortcut in Microsoft's list
Create a table How to: Create table shortcut in Excel On a Mac, Cmd+T switches $ signs instead while you are editing a formula.	`CtrlT` or `CtrlL`	`CmdCommandT` or `ControlT`
Select only the visible cells How to: Shortcut to select visible cells only in Excel Windows: press F5 (or Ctrl+G), choose Special, then Visible cells only.	—No Windows shortcut in Microsoft's list	`ShiftCmdCommand*`

FAQ

What is the shortcut for filter in Excel?

Ctrl+Shift+L on Windows and Excel for the web. Cmd+Shift+F or Ctrl+Shift+L on a Mac.

How do I clear all filters with the keyboard?

Press Ctrl+Shift+L twice: off clears every filter, on brings the buttons back. Data > Clear clears the filters and keeps the buttons.

How do I open the filter drop-down with the keyboard?

Select the header cell and press Alt+Down on Windows and the web, or Option+Down on a Mac.

Does Ctrl+Shift+L work in a table?

Yes. It turns the filter buttons in the table header on or off.

Related guides

Related functions

In the glossary: Filter SUBTOTAL

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