How to Move Around and Between Worksheet Tabs in Excel

This article explains how to navigate Excel quickly between worksheet tabs and around large worksheets using various shortcuts and cell references. Some methods—such as the Go To command—can be accessed using keyboard shortcut key combinations. These instructions should work for all versions of Excel for Windows. Any minor differences between versions are called out in the steps.

Use Shortcut Keys to Change Worksheets in Excel

Switching between worksheets in an Excel workbook is done easily enough by clicking on the tabs at the bottom of the worksheets, but it is the slow way of doing it — at least it is in the opinion of those who prefer to use keyboard shortcuts or shortcut keys whenever possible.

1. To move to the right, press and hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

2. Press and release the PgDn key on the keyboard.

3. To move another sheet to the right press and release the PgDn key a second time.

4. To move to the left, press and hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

5. Press and release the PgUp key on the keyboard.

6. To move another sheet to the left press and release the PgUp key a second time.

Using 'Go To' to Move Around Excel Worksheets

The Go To command in Excel can be used to quickly navigate to different spreadsheet cells in a worksheet. Although using Go To is not that useful for worksheets containing only a few columns and rows, for larger worksheets it is another way of jumping from one area of your worksheet to another.

1. Select the Home tab at the top of Excel. If you don't see it, select the Edit menu.

2. Choose Find & Select from the Editing group. Or, if you used the Edit menu, choose Find.

3. Choose the Go To... option.

4. Type in the destination cell reference in the Reference line at the bottom of the dialog box.

5. Click OK or press the Enter key on the keyboard. The result is that the active cell highlight jumps to the cell reference that was entered in the dialog box.

Other Ways to 'Go To'

The Go To command can also be activated with these keyboard shortcuts:

• By pressing the F5 key on the keyboard.
• By pressing the Ctrl+G keys in combination on the keyboard.

Storing Cell References for Reuse

An additional feature that Go To has is that it stores previously entered cell references in the large Go To window at the top of the dialog box for later reference. If you are jumping back and forth between two or more areas of a worksheet, Go To can save you even more time by reusing the cell references stored in the dialog box.

Navigating Between Worksheets With 'Go To'

Go To can also be used to navigate to different worksheets in the same workbook by entering the sheet name along with the cell reference.

Use the exclamation point (!), located above the number 1 on the keyboard, as a separator between the worksheet name and the cell reference because spaces are not permitted.

For example, to move from Sheet 1 to cell HQ567 on Sheet 3, enter Sheet3!HQ567 in the reference line of the Go To dialog box and press the Enter key. If the sheet name has one or more spaces, use quotes, like this: 'My Other Sheet'!B12 to move between worksheets.

Using the Name Box to Move Around Excel Worksheets

The Name Box is located above column A in an Excel worksheet and it can be used to navigate to different areas of that worksheet using cell references.

As with the Go To command, the Name Box might not be helpful in worksheets that contain only a few columns and rows of data, but for larger worksheets, or for those with separate data areas using the Name Box to easily jump from one location to the next can be a very efficient way to work.

The Active Cell Reference in the Name Box

Typically, the Name Box displays the cell reference or named range for the current or active cell — the cell in the current worksheet that is outlined by a border or box.

Entering a new cell reference or range name in the Name Box and pressing the Enter key changes the active cell and shifts the black box, and what is visible on the screen, to the new location.

1. Click on the Name Box above column A to highlight the cell reference of the active cell.

2. Type in the cell reference of the desired destination.

3. Press the Enter key on the keyboard.

4. The black box that surrounds the active cell should jump to the newly selected active cell.

Navigating Between Worksheets With the Name Box

Like Go To, the Name Box can also be used to navigate to different worksheets in the same workbook by entering the sheet name along with the cell reference.