Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Keyboard Shortcut for Comments.

Keyboard Shortcut for Comments

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 18, 2020)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


2

Larry often adds comments to cells in his worksheets. He wonders if there is a keyboard shortcut for adding those comments.

Normally you would insert a comment by selecting the cell you want, choosing the Insert menu, and then clicking the Comment option. If you prefer to not take your hands off the keyboard, however, Excel does provide two different ways you can insert comments.

The first method is actually a keyboard equivalent for invoking the Comment option on the Insert menu. All you need to do is press Alt, I, M. The Alt key is used to activate the menus, then the following two keystrokes select the Insert tab and the Comment command, in turn. (You don't need to hold down the Alt key as you press the two keys after it.)

The third method to insert a comment is to simply press Shift+F2. This shortcut produces the exact same result as the previous one—it opens a comment box in the current cell. (If one already exists in the cell, then it is opened; if one does not exist, one is added and opened.)

You should note that the Shift+F2 shortcut works just fine in Excel 2003, but it is unclear whether it works in earlier versions of Excel, such as Excel 97. If it doesn't, just remember that the Alt, I, M approach will work in your case.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12316) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Keyboard Shortcut for Comments.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Recovering Macros and AutoText Entries from Normal.dot

Many of your custom configurations of Word—most notably macros and AutoText entries—are stored in the ...

Discover More

Changing the Size of a Graphic

Adding a graphic to a worksheet is easy. Getting that graphic to just the right size may take a little bit of trial and ...

Discover More

Copying and Pasting without Affecting the Clipboard

Just about everyone knows the simple ways of copying and pasting using the Clipboard. What if you want to copy and paste, ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Viewing Comments

There are three different ways that Excel allows you to display any comments that are in your worksheet. Here's how you ...

Discover More

Managing Comments

If you frequently add comments to cells in a worksheet, Excel provides a variety of tools you can use to manage those ...

Discover More

Printing Comments

Comments can be a boon when you want to annotate your worksheets. If you want, you can instruct Excel to print the ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 0 + 1?

2022-11-14 14:56:11

jbess

These shortcuts add a note not a comment. They are different. I am looking for comment keystrokes.


2020-08-17 13:25:18

Mywordink

For more information on excel keyboard shortcuts visit: http://www.mywordink.com/tips-tricks/excel-keyboard-shortcuts-secret/


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.