Excel Keyboard Shortcut to Insert a Note

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select a cell and press Shift+F2 to insert a note. If the selected cell already has a note, the same shortcut opens it for editing. A note is Excel’s cell annotation for extra information; it is different from a modern threaded comment.

The shortcut and what it does

Shift+F2 is the Windows keyboard shortcut to add or edit a note in the active cell. Select the cell first, then press the keys together. Excel opens a note box beside the cell, ready for you to type or revise its text. When you finish, click another cell or press Esc to leave the note box.

The shortcut works on an existing cell or an empty one. It does not put text into the cell itself: the note is an annotation attached to that cell. The cell’s value, formula, and formatting remain separate. This makes the shortcut useful when you want to explain a value without changing what appears in the grid or affecting calculations.

To create a note, select a cell without one and press Shift+F2.
To change an existing note, select its cell and press Shift+F2 again.
To exit the note box, click elsewhere or press Esc.

If the key combination does not open a note, check that the cell itself is selected and that you are not currently typing in the formula bar or editing the cell. See the troubleshooting section below for other likely causes.

Insert a note from the ribbon

If you prefer menus, or the keyboard shortcut is inconvenient on your device, use the ribbon in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Select the cell, open Review > Notes > New Note, and enter the text in the note box. The command creates the note in the selected cell, just as Shift+F2 does.

Click the cell that needs an annotation.
Choose Review > Notes > New Note.
Type the explanation in the box that appears.
Click outside the box when you are done.

You can also right-click a cell and look for the note command in its context menu. The wording or placement may vary with the Excel build and the cell’s current state, so the Review tab is a useful alternative when the context menu does not show the command you expect. If the selected cell already has a note, Excel offers an edit or show command rather than creating a second note on that cell.

Notes and threaded comments are different

Excel uses the word comment for two related but distinct tools. Notes are the older, simple annotations attached to cells. They are suitable for definitions, reminders, assumptions, or a brief explanation of an unusual value. Comments in current Microsoft 365 are threaded conversations: collaborators can reply, and a discussion can be resolved. Their different purposes explain why there are separate commands and shortcuts.

For a new threaded comment in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the cell and press Ctrl+Alt+M. For a note, use Shift+F2. Do not assume that a guide referring to an older version’s comments means the same feature as today’s threaded comments; older Excel versions used comment terminology for what Microsoft now calls notes.

Use a note for a compact, cell-specific explanation that does not need replies.
Use a threaded comment when people need to discuss a cell, respond to one another, or track a conversation.

For example, a note on a budget cell could say that the estimate excludes shipping. A threaded comment on that cell could ask a colleague to verify the estimate and allow them to reply. Choosing the right feature helps readers understand whether an annotation is simply background information or an open discussion.

Show, edit, hide, and delete a note

After you leave a note, it may appear as a small indicator on the cell rather than as an always-open box. Hovering over or selecting the cell can reveal its contents, depending on the workbook and Excel display settings. A note can be opened without changing its text, edited with Shift+F2, or shown or hidden through the notes commands on the Review tab.

To manage one, select the cell that contains it and use Review > Notes. Choose the appropriate command to show or hide the note, edit it, or delete it. Deleting is different from hiding: hiding leaves the annotation in the workbook, while deleting removes it. If you are unsure whether the note is still needed, hide it first rather than deleting it.

When a workbook contains many notes, it can be helpful to inspect them before sharing. A note may explain an assumption that is not obvious from the number alone, but an outdated note can mislead people. Review the text after changing the underlying data, and remove or revise annotations that no longer describe the cell accurately.

Good uses and a practical example

Notes work best when they provide context that would clutter a worksheet if placed in another column. For example, a sales report might show 125 in a cell while the note explains that the figure is preliminary and omits one region. The number stays available to formulas and charts, while a reader can inspect the qualification when needed.

Other reasonable uses include recording the source of a manually entered figure, defining a code used in a table, or explaining why a cell is intentionally blank. Keep the wording specific. A note such as Source: March supplier statement is more useful than Check this, because it tells the next person what the annotation refers to.

A note is not a replacement for a data field when the information needs to be sorted, filtered, counted, or used in calculations. If every row needs a status or source, add a proper worksheet column. Notes are better for occasional explanatory context that belongs to one cell but is not part of the table’s structured data.

Using the shortcut on Mac and in Excel for the web

In Excel for Mac, Shift+F2 is also the shortcut commonly used to add or edit a note. Some Mac keyboards assign brightness or media controls to the function keys. If pressing Shift+F2 changes a system setting or does nothing, try holding Fn as well, or use the note command on Excel’s Review tab. The exact need to press Fn depends on the keyboard and its function-key settings.

Excel for the web runs inside a browser, so browser or operating-system shortcuts can affect what happens when keys are pressed. If Shift+F2 is intercepted or does not open the note editor, select the cell and use the available note command on the ribbon or context menu. The web interface can change over time, so relying on the visible command is often clearer than assuming every desktop shortcut behaves identically in a browser.

On any platform, check that you are in Excel rather than another application and that the intended worksheet cell is active. If you are using a compact keyboard, a remote desktop, or accessibility software, the function-key combination may be handled differently. The menu command provides a practical fallback without changing the workbook’s contents.

Why Shift+F2 may not work

When the shortcut appears to do nothing, start with the cell selection. Click once on the cell rather than double-clicking into its text, then try Shift+F2 again. If a cell is being edited, Excel may treat your keystrokes as part of that edit instead of as a note command. Press Esc to leave cell editing, select the cell normally, and retry.

The wrong cell is active: select the cell where the note should be attached.
You are editing cell contents: press Esc, select the cell, and use the shortcut again.
A function key is intercepted: on Mac or a compact keyboard, try Fn+Shift+F2 or use the ribbon.
You are using a browser: use the Review ribbon command if the browser captures the shortcut.
The cell already has a note: the shortcut opens that note for editing instead of adding another one.

Also distinguish a note from a comment when checking the result. Pressing Shift+F2 is not the same as pressing Ctrl+Alt+M to create a threaded comment in Windows Microsoft 365. If you need a conversation with replies, choose the comment command; if you need a simple cell annotation, choose New Note. A note may be present even when its box is not currently displayed, so look for the cell indicator or use the Review tab’s note commands before assuming it was not saved.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the keyboard shortcut to insert a note in Excel?
In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select a cell and press Shift+F2. The same shortcut edits a note that is already attached to the selected cell.

Is Shift+F2 the shortcut for a comment?
It creates or edits a note, not a new threaded comment in current Microsoft 365. On Windows, Ctrl+Alt+M is the shortcut for inserting a threaded comment.

How do I edit an existing Excel note?
Select the cell containing the note and press Shift+F2. You can also select the cell and use the note-editing command under Review > Notes.

How do I insert a note in Excel on a Mac?
Use Shift+F2 with the cell selected. If your keyboard treats function keys as media controls, try Fn+Shift+F2 or use the Review tab command instead.

Can I put a note in a blank cell?
Yes. Select the blank cell and press Shift+F2, then type the annotation. The note is attached to the cell and does not turn the note text into the cell’s value.

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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