Discover How To Automatically Move the Cell Pointer In A Direction After Entering A Number With This Excel Tutorial

Problem: If you type a number and then press a direction arrow key, Excel will enter the number and move the cell pointer in the direction of the arrow key. However, if you are using the numeric keypad, it is much more convenient to use the Enter key on the numeric keypad rather than the arrow keys. By default, Excel will move the cell pointer down one cell when you type Enter. When entering data in a worksheet such as the one shown in Fig. 21, is there a way to have Excel automatically move the cell pointer to the next cell to the right after each entry?

Strategy: Go to Tools – Options. On the Edit tab, go to the Move Selection after Enter Direction dropdown. Choose Right.

Result: The cursor will automatically move one cell to the right every time you press the Enter key.

Summary: You can have the cell pointer move in any direction after using Enter by changing this setting on the Edit tab of the Options menu.

Commands Discussed: Tools – Options – Edit

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