Tips & tricks

One database, many views: no more copying

The same tasks as a table, a kanban board, and a calendar. Notion views filter and display one dataset differently — nothing gets duplicated.

Align objects with the tool, not by eye

Select objects and let PowerPoint align and space them evenly. The difference between an amateur slide and a clean one.

Slide Master: change the font everywhere at once

View → Slide Master controls the look of the whole presentation from one place — fonts, colors, logos.

Copying formatting: Ctrl+Shift+C and V

Ctrl+Shift+C

The format painter has a keyboard version — copy the look of one element and stamp it onto the next.

Notion: Ctrl+P jumps to any page

Ctrl+P

Quick search finds a page by title and by content. In a growing workspace, it's the only navigation that makes sense.

Notion: the slash inserts anything

/

The / key opens the block menu — headings, tables, reminders, columns. Notion's core control.

Presenter view: notes only you can see

The projector shows slides; on your laptop you see notes, a timer, and a preview of the next slide.

PowerPoint: Shift+F5 starts the show from the current slide

Shift+F5

F5 runs from the beginning, Shift+F5 from wherever you are. Priceless when you're fine-tuning a single slide.

The B key while presenting: black out the screen, get attention

B

Pressing B during a slideshow blacks out the screen — the audience turns to you. W does the same with white.

Ctrl+Shift+V: paste without formatting works everywhere

Ctrl+Shift+V

In Docs, Gmail, and most web apps, it pastes plain text without foreign fonts and colors.

Shift+F3: change letter case without retyping

Shift+F3

Caps Lock stuck on by accident? Select the text and Shift+F3 cycles between lowercase, Title Case, and UPPERCASE.

Text to Columns: Split a CSV Export Apart

Data separated by commas or semicolons crammed into one column? The Text to Columns wizard splits it correctly.

Paste Values Only: Formulas Out, Numbers Stay

Ctrl+Alt+V

Ctrl+Alt+V opens Paste Special — paste results without formulas, formats without content, or transpose a table.

Sum and Average Without a Formula: Just Select

Select the cells and look down at the status bar — the sum, average, and count are always right there.

Switching Sheets: Ctrl+PageUp and PageDown

Ctrl+PageDown

Move between the sheets of a workbook from the keyboard — no clicking the tabs at the bottom.

A PivotTable in Two Minutes

A revenue summary by month and category out of thousands of rows? Insert → PivotTable, then drag three fields.

Alt+= : Auto-Sum Below a Column

Alt+=

Cursor below a column of numbers, Alt+equals — and SUM is done, range and all.

Double-Click the Fill Handle to Copy a Formula All the Way Down

You don't have to drag a formula across a thousand rows — double-clicking the little black square copies it down to the end of the adjacent data.

A Drop-Down List in a Cell: No More Typos

Data validation turns a cell into a menu of allowed values. Task statuses or categories can no longer be typed wrong.

Removing Duplicates in Three Clicks

Data → Remove Duplicates cleans up a list of contacts or line items — and tells you how many it deleted.

Today's Date in One Shortcut: Ctrl+;

Ctrl+;

Ctrl+semicolon inserts today's date as a fixed value — unlike the TODAY() function, it doesn't change.

A New Line Inside a Cell: Alt+Enter

Alt+Enter

Enter jumps to the next cell — Alt+Enter creates a line break inside the same one. No more broken layouts.

Freeze Panes: Keep Headers Visible Even at Row 500

View → Freeze Panes keeps the table header locked at the top no matter how far you scroll.

XLOOKUP: Lookups Without VLOOKUP's Weaknesses

The newer replacement for VLOOKUP searches in either direction, doesn't break when a column gets inserted, and has a built-in “not found” fallback.

Conditional Formatting: Let Colors Do the Talking

Duplicate values, overdue deadlines, or below-average results highlight themselves — you just define the rule.

Flash Fill: Excel Finishes the Pattern for You

Ctrl+E

Type one example into the next column (say, a name pulled from an email address) and Ctrl+E fills in the rest to match. No formulas.

Format as a Table: Filters, Banding, and Formulas for Free

Ctrl+T

Ctrl+T turns a range into a “smart” table — automatic filters, formatting for new rows, and readable formulas.

Set your Teams status with a duration, not just a toggle

“Do not disturb until 12:00” tells coworkers more than a permanent red dot — and it turns itself off.

Paragraphs in Teams: Shift+Enter and the expanded editor

Shift+Enter

Enter sends a Teams message right away. Shift+Enter starts a new line, and the formatting button opens the full editor.

Block off calendar time for focused work

An empty calendar is an invitation to meetings. Block off your mornings for deep work before someone else does it for you.