Editing Data

Lesson 6: Edit Cells, Formulas & Undo

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In Lesson 6, we will learn how to edit data in a spreadsheet by covering several ways to update and correct information in Excel. We will walk through typing over existing data, using the formula bar to make detailed changes, double-clicking to enter Edit mode, and using the F2 key for quick cell edits. I will also show you how to erase data from a cell and demonstrate how to use the Undo and Redo features to fix mistakes. We will discuss the difference between the Backspace and Delete keys when editing data.

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Next: Lesson 07

Keywords

TechHelp Excel, edit data in Excel, correct cell value Excel, Excel formula bar, Excel F2 key, undo in Excel, redo in Excel, remove cell data Excel, overtype in Excel, Excel double click edit, delete cell content Excel, Excel keyboard shortcuts

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Intro

Transcript

In lesson 6, we will learn how to edit the data that we entered into our spreadsheet in the last lesson.

In the last lesson, we created a basic spreadsheet showing a list of sales reps and their sales for each month from January through April.

Now let's say I goofed. Alex's sales for February should have been 62, but I accidentally typed in 65. I need to correct that.

As with everything in Excel, there are multiple ways to do this. I am going to show you a couple of different ways to edit data in Excel. I want you to pick one way and stick with it until you are comfortable. You do not have to remember all of these different methods.

The first way to replace data in Excel is to simply type over it. Take your mouse and click on C3 or use your arrow keys and move there. Then just type right over it. I will type in 62.

Notice that what I type in replaces the data that was there. Press Enter and you can see the changes are made. You do not have to do anything special like delete the data first. Just type right over it.

The next way to edit data in Excel is to use the formula bar. I can click on the cell, C3, then click on the formula bar right here and notice now I have a blinking cursor. I can then backspace over the two and replace it with, oh, let's say a seven. So now it says 67. Press Enter and you are done. Now 67 is the value in cell C3.

You can use the formula bar to make changes to any data in Excel. This is especially handy if you have a lot of data in Excel and you do not want to have to replace the whole thing.

Let's take "sales rep" for example. Let's say I want this to say just "rep" instead of "sales rep." I can come up here, click in the formula bar. Notice I clicked right after the word "sales," and now I can backspace the word "sales" away and then maybe press Delete to get rid of that space. Now it just says "rep" and I can press Enter.

I am going to put that back so it says "sales rep" and just type right over the cell.

The formula bar is very handy if you have very long functions and you want to change just one little bit of a function or formula instead of retyping the whole thing.

You can also edit a cell by simply double-clicking on it. For example, let's say I want to change the 67 back to a 62. I will double click on cell C3. Notice the blinking cursor. Now I am in Edit mode and I can press Delete to delete those characters and press 62.

For those of you who have not taken my Microsoft Word course and do not know the difference between the Backspace and the Delete keys, here is how they work. The Backspace key eats the characters on the left side of the blinking cursor. So if I press Backspace right now, back, back, back, back, you can see it eats the characters on the left or behind the cursor.

The Delete key on your keyboard eats the characters on the right side of the cursor. If I press Delete, Delete, Delete, Delete, Delete, you can see it eats the characters on the right side of the blinking cursor. That is the difference between Backspace and Delete. It works the same in Excel. As long as you are editing a cell and you have the blinking cursor, it works the same as it does in Microsoft Word.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a ton of different keyboard shortcuts that you can use when working with Excel. One of my favorites is the F2 key. Function 2. It is on your keyboard right across the top row usually. If you press the F2 key, it will put you into Edit mode in whatever cell you happen to be in.

I am going to move my mouse out of the way and if I am using the arrow keys to move around, and I decide I want to change that cell, all I have to do is press the F2 key on my keyboard. Now I am in Edit mode. Now I can change that to a 97 and press Enter. That is the F2 key.

To recap, you can edit the data in a cell by simply over-typing it, which means clicking on it or moving to it and just typing some stuff over it. Or you can use the formula bar, click on the cell, then edit the data in the formula bar. Or you can double click on a cell and change it right in place. Or you can press the F2 key to go into Edit mode in the cell also.

As I said before, there are many ways to do things in a cell, pick one way that you are comfortable with and stick with that.

You can erase the data from a cell by using the Delete key on the keyboard when you are not in Edit mode. For example, let's say I want to delete the word "Pat" from cell A5. I will use my keyboard and move over to cell A5 and then press the Delete key.

Notice all of the data has been removed from cell A5. I just erased it. That is the Delete key when you are not in Edit mode.

Now let's say I goofed. I really want "Pat" there. Well, I have got a couple of options. I could just retype "Pat," but there is a way to undo a mistake. It is called the Undo feature.

If at any time you realize that you goofed, come right up top here on the Quick Launch Toolbar and find the Undo button. Right now it says Undo Clear because the last thing that I did was I cleared the data out of cell A5. I am going to now click on the Undo button and it puts "Pat" right back there. That was the last thing that I did.

If you keep clicking on the Undo button, it will continue to undo the previous steps that you did in order to try and fix your mistake.

Undo also has a close cousin, which is the Redo button right here. Redo is essentially the Undo for the Undo. It puts the mistake back. If you decide you really wanted to get rid of "Pat," click on redo and it will clear the cell again.

I do want "Pat" there, so again, I will undo it. Undo essentially steps backwards and then redo steps forwards again. We will talk a lot more about Undo and Redo and some different options in future lessons.

For now, I just want you to know that Undo is there. If you make a mistake, you can click on the Undo button to get rid of that mistake.

Quiz

Q1. What is one way to quickly replace data in a cell in Excel?
A. Click on the cell and type over it
B. Use the Save button
C. Highlight the cell and press Ctrl+P
D. Right-click and select Print

Q2. How can you edit the data in a cell using the formula bar?
A. Select the cell, click in the formula bar, make changes, and press Enter
B. Double click the worksheet tab and start typing
C. Use the Find and Replace tool
D. Drag the formula bar to a new location

Q3. When editing a cell directly, what does double-clicking a cell accomplish?
A. Puts the cell into Edit mode
B. Deletes the cell contents
C. Opens a new worksheet
D. Copies the cell

Q4. What is the function of the F2 key in Excel?
A. Puts the selected cell into Edit mode
B. Formats the cell as currency
C. Saves the workbook
D. Inserts a new worksheet

Q5. What is the difference between the Backspace and Delete keys when editing a cell?
A. Backspace deletes characters to the left of the cursor, Delete deletes to the right
B. Backspace deletes the entire cell, Delete clears all formatting
C. Backspace adds a space, Delete adds a period
D. There is no difference in Excel

Q6. What happens if you press the Delete key when you are not in Edit mode and a cell is selected?
A. The cell's data is erased
B. The entire worksheet is deleted
C. The column is hidden
D. The cell is formatted as text

Q7. If you accidentally erase data from a cell, which feature in Excel can help you restore it?
A. Undo button
B. Redo button
C. Filter option
D. Merge Cells

Q8. What does the Redo button do in relation to the Undo button?
A. Re-applies an action that was just undone
B. Deletes the previous row
C. Formats cells as bold
D. Inserts a new formula

Q9. Why might you prefer to use the formula bar to edit cell data, especially with long entries?
A. You can easily edit just part of the data without retyping the entire entry
B. The formula bar deletes older data automatically
C. It formats text as bold
D. It creates a backup copy of your data

Q10. Which of the following methods can put a cell into Edit mode?
A. Double-clicking the cell
B. Pressing the F2 key
C. Using the formula bar
D. All of the above

Answers: 1-A; 2-A; 3-A; 4-A; 5-A; 6-A; 7-A; 8-A; 9-A; 10-D

DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Summary

Today's video from Excel Learning Zone is all about how to edit data in the Excel spreadsheet we created in the previous lesson. Last time, we set up a simple sheet listing sales reps and their monthly sales from January through April.

Suppose you entered Alex's February sales incorrectly. You typed 65 but the correct value should be 62. Excel gives you several options for correcting mistakes like this, and you only need to choose the one that works best for you.

The simplest method is just to type over the existing value. Move to the cell that needs to be changed, whether with the mouse or the arrow keys, and type the new value. When you press Enter, your new entry replaces the old one automatically. You do not have to clear the cell first - just enter the new content.

Another approach is to use the formula bar. Select the cell you want to change, then go up to the formula bar and you will see a blinking cursor. You can place your cursor anywhere you want, use Backspace or Delete as needed, type in your correction, and when you press Enter the updated value appears in the cell. This is handy if you are working with longer entries or formulas and need to make small adjustments without retyping everything.

Say you want to edit a longer label like "sales rep" and shorten it simply to "rep". You can select the cell, make the change in the formula bar, and press Enter when you are done.

Of course, you can double-click on a cell to begin editing right there as well. Double-clicking activates Edit mode, just like being in the formula bar. You can use Backspace and Delete here too to correct individual characters.

If you are not familiar with the difference between the Backspace and Delete keys: Backspace removes the character to the left of the cursor, while Delete gets rid of the character to the right. This works the same way in Excel as it does in Word as long as you are editing the cell and see the blinking cursor.

There is also a keyboard shortcut for entering Edit mode: the F2 key at the top of most keyboards. While navigating with the arrow keys, if you want to edit the current cell, press F2 to start editing right in place.

To summarize, you can edit cell contents by typing right over them, by editing in the formula bar, by double-clicking the cell, or by using F2 for quick access to Edit mode. You do not need to learn all of these, just pick whichever method you are most comfortable with.

When you want to erase everything from a cell, simply select the cell and press the Delete key while not in Edit mode. For example, if you want to remove the name "Pat" from a cell, select it and press Delete.

If you accidentally erase data you want to keep, Excel provides the Undo feature. The Undo button is found on the Quick Launch Toolbar at the top of the screen and lets you reverse your last action. If you click Undo after clearing a cell, your previous data will come back. Each click will take you further back in your action history, and if you change your mind, the Redo button lets you reverse an Undo.

The Undo feature is essential for catching mistakes as you work. Redo gives you the option to go forward again if needed.

We will talk more about Undo and Redo and other tools in future lessons. For now, remember that editing data in Excel can be done by typing over, using the formula bar, double-clicking for Edit mode, or pressing F2. Erasing and undoing mistakes is just as easy.

You will find a complete video tutorial with step-by-step instructions for everything we covered here on my website at the link below.

Live long and prosper, my friends.

Topic List

Editing data directly in a cell by over-typing
Editing data using the formula bar
Editing cell contents by double-clicking
Using Backspace vs Delete key in Edit mode
Using the F2 key to enter Edit mode
Erasing cell data with the Delete key
Undoing actions with the Undo button
Redoing actions with the Redo button

Article

In this lesson, we are going to learn how to edit data that you have entered into an Excel spreadsheet. This is a handy skill to master, since making a small mistake in data entry is common and Excel gives you several easy ways to make corrections.

Imagine you have set up a spreadsheet to track sales reps and their monthly sales from January through April. If you discover that you made an error, such as entering 65 for Alex's February sales when it should have been 62, you will need a way to fix it. There are a few simple approaches you can use to edit or correct the contents of a cell, and you only need to use the one that feels most comfortable.

The first and most direct way to edit a cell is to simply type over the value. To do this, click on the cell you want to change. For example, if Alex's February sales are in cell C3, select that cell either by clicking it with your mouse or moving to it with the arrow keys. Once the cell is selected, just type the correct value, like 62, and press Enter. The old value will immediately be replaced with the new one. There is no need to delete the previous content before typing in the new data.

Another useful way to edit a cell is by using the formula bar, which sits above your spreadsheet just below the ribbon. First, click on the cell you want to change. Then go up and click inside the formula bar. You will see a blinking cursor where you can make your edit. You might want to use the formula bar if the cell contains a long value or a complex formula that you want to adjust without retyping everything. For example, if you want to change "sales rep" in a cell to just "rep," select the cell, click into the formula bar, then use your keyboard to remove "sales" and any extra spaces. After making your change, press Enter to apply it.

A third way to edit cell contents is to double-click directly on the cell. When you double-click a cell like C3, you will enter Edit mode, which shows a blinking cursor right in the cell. You can now use your keyboard to fix the content. For instance, to fix 67 back to 62, double-click the cell, highlight the existing value if needed, and type your correction.

It can help to understand how the Backspace and Delete keys work while editing text in a cell. When you are in Edit mode with the blinking cursor active, using the Backspace key removes characters to the left of the cursor, while the Delete key removes characters to the right. This behavior is the same as in most word processing programs like Microsoft Word.

There is also a handy keyboard shortcut: pressing the F2 key when a cell is selected. This puts you into Edit mode in that cell without having to use your mouse. Once in Edit mode, you can make any changes directly in the cell and press Enter to save them. This shortcut is especially useful if you prefer to keep your hands on the keyboard while working.

If you need to remove all data from a cell, you can do so easily by selecting the cell and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard while not in Edit mode. The cell will be cleared, and all its contents will disappear at once. For example, to delete the name "Pat" from cell A5, select the cell and press Delete.

If you make a mistake and delete information you meant to keep, you can use Excel's Undo feature. The Undo button is located on the Quick Access Toolbar at the top of the screen. Clicking Undo will reverse your last action, so if you accidentally cleared cell A5, clicking Undo would restore "Pat" to the cell. You can keep clicking Undo to go back through your previous steps if necessary.

There is also a Redo button next to Undo. If you undo something and then decide you actually want to redo that action, clicking Redo will reverse the Undo, putting things back the way they were after your original action.

To recap, you can edit data in Excel by overtyping the cell, editing it in the formula bar, double-clicking the cell to enter Edit mode, or using the F2 key to quickly start editing. You can erase a cell quickly with the Delete key, and if you make a mistake, remember that Undo and Redo are there to help you step forward or backward through your actions. Try each method and use whichever feels most natural as you get comfortable working with Excel. If you can correct your data easily, you will save yourself time and frustration as you build and maintain your spreadsheets.