Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

The Excel Quick Access Toolbar is ideal for adding your favorite commands or storing macros because it is always visible.

In a nutshell:

The Quick Access Toolbar is customizable
QAT is an independent tab and contains a set of commands
It is always visible
You can use it in two different places: above or below the Ribbon
You can add macros to the QAT
The toolbar is a single line. Multiple lines are not supported.

Steps to Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

Here are the steps to add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar:

Click the File tab, then select Options.
Select the Quick Access Toolbar from the left pane.
On the top of the dialog box, locate the ‘Choose Command From‘ drop-down list and select ‘All Commands‘.
Scroll through the list and pick the command from the list that you want to add to the QAT.
Click the ‘Add’ button to add the selected command. Finally, click OK to save the toolbar.

Tip: To rearrange the displayed commands, click the up and down arrow buttons. Don’t forget that if you change the order of commands, Excel will change the shortcut, too!

You can discover useful options here to export, import, or reset the current setup containing the hand-picked functions. Finally, move the toolbar below the ribbon by clicking the checkbox.

Everyone knows how frustrating it is to lose your custom settings. The export function is helpful if you want to store your custom commands. Export the list!

If you need to reinstall Office, import your setup. This is a time-saving feature; we like it!

There is a faster way to customize the toolbar. To add more commands quickly, locate the Quick Access Toolbar and select the ‘More Commands’ option from the list.

Now, the Excel Options dialog box will appear.

Shortcuts

Using Excel Shortcuts is the fastest way to reach your favorite commands. We have good news: Excel assigns a shortcut to every command on the QAT. Thus, you can start the given function quickly!

In the example, you can use the shortcuts from Alt, 1 to Alt, 8.

The point is to press the Alt shortcut key first! After that, check the commands’ orders. Finally, press the command’s position on the QAT. It’s not rocket science.

Back to the example: in this case, if you want to use the Redo command, apply the Alt, 3 sequences.

Important: The demonstrated commands and their QAT positions can be variable. The Alt + Number shortcuts depend on the order of functions you’ve added.

Moving the QAT

By default, you can find the Toolbar above the ribbon. However, moving the toolbar below the ribbon is easy if you prefer another view.

How to add macros

Last but not least, here is a great trick. If you read this article, you’ll face the following information: “Only commands can be added to the QAT.”

No, not all. In reality, you can add macros too. In this guide, you will learn how to do that! Macros play a vital role in Excel. Apply user-defined functions and custom formatting styles! By default, you can use them from the Developer tab or assign a shortcut to execute them.

We will add a subscript shortcut macro to the QAT in the example.