Excel Refresh Data Shortcut: Refresh All or a PivotTable

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Ctrl+Alt+F5 to refresh all refreshable data in the workbook. To refresh just the selected PivotTable, press Alt+F5; for a query or linked table, use its Refresh command or choose Data > Refresh All when you want to update everything.

Excel refresh shortcuts at a glance

The right shortcut depends on what you mean by “data.” Excel can connect to databases, files, web sources, and other workbooks; it can also display PivotTables built from a source range. These objects have refresh commands, while ordinary formulas have calculation commands. Start by identifying which object needs updating.

Refresh all workbook connections and queries: Ctrl+Alt+F5 on Windows.
Refresh the selected PivotTable: Alt+F5 on Windows. Select a cell inside the PivotTable first.
Refresh a specific query or table: select its result table and use Data > Refresh, or right-click the query in the Queries & Connections pane and choose Refresh.
Refresh everything from the ribbon: choose Data > Refresh All.

Refresh All is the broad option: it can update multiple workbook connections, queries, and PivotTables that depend on refreshed data. Use it when you are unsure which connection supplies a value, but expect it to take longer than refreshing one object. In a large workbook, refreshing everything can also trigger extra downloads or database requests.

What refresh does—and what it does not do

Refreshing asks a data connection or query to retrieve updated information from its source, then updates the workbook object that displays or uses that information. For example, a Power Query table might reload rows from a folder of monthly files, or a PivotTable might update its summary after its source table has changed. Refresh does not necessarily mean that every kind of workbook content is updated.

Formulas such as SUM and IF generally recalculate based on the values already present in the workbook. They do not fetch new records from a database just because you press F9. Conversely, refreshing a query does not correct a formula that is using the wrong range or calculation. If formulas appear stale, check Excel’s calculation setting and use Formulas > Calculate Now or press F9. On Windows, Ctrl+Alt+F9 forces a full recalculation of formulas; it is not a data-connection refresh shortcut.

A similar distinction applies to PivotTables. A PivotTable summarizes its source data, and its displayed totals may remain unchanged after the underlying source has been edited until the PivotTable is refreshed. Refreshing a PivotTable updates its cache from its source, but it cannot include records outside a fixed source range. If new rows are often added, converting the source range to an Excel table with Insert > Table can help the PivotTable include future rows when refreshed.

How to refresh one query, table, or PivotTable

Refreshing one item avoids waiting for unrelated connections. For a query loaded to a worksheet, click a cell in its output table and choose Data > Refresh. You can also open the Queries & Connections pane from the Data tab, right-click the relevant query, and choose Refresh. The pane is useful when the query result is not obvious on the sheet or when you need to distinguish several similarly named queries.

For a PivotTable, click inside it and press Alt+F5, or use PivotTable Analyze > Refresh. The PivotTable Analyze tab appears when a PivotTable is selected. If you select a cell elsewhere in the workbook, Alt+F5 may not refresh the PivotTable you had in mind, so confirm the selection before using the shortcut. Refresh All is a practical alternative if the workbook has several connected summaries that should stay in sync.

For a worksheet table populated by an external connection, select the table and look for Data > Refresh. The exact commands visible can depend on how the table was created and the connection type. A normal range that was typed or pasted into Excel has no external source to refresh; it changes only when someone edits or replaces its contents.

Refreshing Power Query and external connections

Power Query is Excel’s tool for importing and transforming data. A query can read a workbook, text file, folder, database, or supported online source, apply steps such as filtering and changing column types, and load the result to a worksheet or the Data Model. Refreshing runs the query again against its source and applies those saved transformation steps to the newly retrieved data.

When a refresh fails or produces unexpected rows, check the source itself as well as the query. A file may have moved, a column heading may have changed, a database may be unavailable, or credentials may need attention. A query can also successfully refresh but return no new records because the source has not changed or because a saved filter excludes them. The query’s steps are applied on each refresh; refresh does not mean Excel will automatically redesign those steps for a changed source layout.

For connections managed in the workbook, open Data > Queries & Connections to inspect their status and refresh individual queries. Some connections have properties controlling whether data refreshes in the background, when the workbook opens, or at a specified interval. Those options are connection-dependent, and not every source supports every setting. If a refresh appears to finish immediately, check the status or output rather than assuming the source returned different data.

Automatic refresh and refresh-on-open settings

You can configure certain connections to update without pressing a shortcut. Depending on the connection, select its query or connection in the Queries & Connections pane, open its properties, and look for options such as refreshing data when the file opens or refreshing at a defined interval. For a PivotTable, right-click inside it, choose PivotTable Options, and check the Data tab for the option to refresh data when opening the file.

Automatic refresh is useful for recurring reports, but it is not a guarantee that data is continuously current. The workbook must be open for many interval-based refreshes, the computer needs access to the source, and sign-in or network requirements still apply. Background refresh can also mean that a refresh starts before its results are ready. If you are about to export or share a report, wait for the refresh to complete and check the displayed date, row count, or other source-specific indicator.

Consider the audience before saving a workbook configured to refresh on open. A colleague may not have access to the same database, file path, or credentials. In that case, the workbook may show an error or retain previously loaded values. If recipients need a stable snapshot rather than live data, document when the information was last updated and avoid implying that the saved copy will refresh for everyone.

Common refresh problems and practical checks

A shortcut that seems to do nothing usually has a specific cause. Work through the likely ones before rebuilding the workbook:

The wrong object is selected: Alt+F5 is for the selected PivotTable. Click inside the intended PivotTable first.
You expected formulas to fetch new source data: use the connection’s Refresh command; F9 recalculates formulas from existing workbook values.
The source range did not expand: a PivotTable based on a fixed cell range may omit newly added rows. Check its source and consider using an Excel table as the source.
Excel asks for credentials or reports an error: confirm network access, permissions, the source location, and any required sign-in. Ask the data owner if access has changed.
The result looks unchanged: verify that the external source itself has new data, check filters and query steps, and confirm that you refreshed the correct connection.
Refresh is still running: allow time for a large query or slow source to finish. Avoid starting several overlapping refreshes while diagnosing it.

Some data sources or workbook environments impose limits, and not every source can refresh in every Excel client. A workbook opened without access to its source may still display the last saved results, which are not proof that a fresh retrieval succeeded. Treat a visible refresh error as meaningful; do not rely on old output as if it were current.

Windows, Mac, and Excel for the web

The shortcuts above are for Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. In Excel for Mac, the corresponding commonly used shortcuts are Control+Option+F5 for Refresh All and Option+F5 for the selected PivotTable. Keyboard layouts and macOS function-key settings can affect how keys are sent, so the ribbon is a dependable alternative: use Data > Refresh All, or select the PivotTable and use its Analyze tab’s Refresh command.

In Excel for the web, use the Data tab’s refresh commands when they are available for the workbook and connection. Support depends on the connection type and the web version’s capabilities; a connection that works in desktop Excel may have limitations in a browser. If a command is missing or an online source cannot refresh there, open the workbook in desktop Excel and use its Data refresh options. Browser and operating-system shortcuts can also overlap, which is another reason to use the ribbon when a keystroke is intercepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Excel shortcut to refresh all data? In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, press Ctrl+Alt+F5. This requests a refresh of all refreshable workbook data connections and queries, rather than only the currently selected PivotTable.

How do I refresh only one PivotTable? Click a cell inside the PivotTable and press Alt+F5 on Windows. You can also choose PivotTable Analyze > Refresh. On Mac, use Option+F5 or the ribbon command.

Does F9 refresh external data in Excel? No. F9 recalculates formulas; it does not generally retrieve new records from an external connection. Use Refresh or Refresh All for connected data, and use calculation commands when formula results need updating.

Can I refresh one Power Query without refreshing everything? Yes. Open Data > Queries & Connections, right-click the query you want, and choose Refresh. If the query is loaded to a worksheet table, selecting that table and using Data > Refresh is another route.

Why does my PivotTable still exclude new rows after refresh? Its source may be a fixed range that does not include the added rows. Check the PivotTable’s data source and expand it, or use an Excel table as the source so new table rows can be included when the PivotTable refreshes.

Will Refresh All update every formula and every value in a workbook? No. It refreshes supported data connections and related objects, but ordinary formulas are handled by calculation, and manually entered values have no source to reload. Refreshing and recalculating solve different problems.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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