The Ribbon in Excel – Instructions and Video Lesson

How to Use the Ribbon in Excel: Video Lesson

            This video lesson, titled “Excel for Microsoft 365 Tutorial: How to Use the Ribbon,” shows you how to use the Ribbon in Excel for Microsoft 365. This video lesson is from our complete Excel tutorial, titled Mastering Excel Made Easy™.

Overview:

            The Ribbon in Excel is the primary tool available for you to use. The Ribbon lets you perform all the commands available. The Ribbon is divided into tabs. Except for the “File” tab, which lets you access the backstage view of a file, you can click any tab to show button groups of commands below it. You can then access the commands in each button group using the buttons, boxes, or menus available in the group.

            To access advanced options for some button groups, you can click the “dialog box” launcher button in the lower-right corner of some button groups on the currently displayed, or “active,” tab in the Ribbon. Doing this then opens a dialog box of all the available options or settings for the button group.

            Also notice that you can double-click the active tab in the Ribbon to both hide and show the contents of the Ribbon. This can be a handy way to gain additional workspace while creating your workbook’s contents.

            You can click the main tabs in the Ribbon to switch the button groups that appear. The default tabs that appear in the Ribbon are: “File”, “Home,” “Insert,” “Page Layout,” “Formulas,” “Data,” “Review,” “View,” “Automate,” “Help,” and possibly “Add-Ins,” if you enabled add-ins in Excel. You can also enable the “Developer” tab, if using macros or code within a workbook.

            In addition to the primary tabs available in Excel, you will also see special “contextual” tabs appear in the Ribbon when you have a particular type of object selected in a workbook. Contextual tabs appear, for example, when you select either a picture, table, diagram, drawing, or chart in your workbook. The button groups on the contextual tabs directly relate to modifying the selected type of object. To hide the contextual tabs, click away from the selected object in the workbook to deselect it.

            To change the Ribbon display options in Excel, if desired, click the “Ribbon Display Options” drop-down arrow in the lower-right corner of the far-right button group in the Ribbon. Then select your desired Ribbon display choice from the drop-down menu that appears. To show Excel in full-screen mode, select the “Full-screen mode” command. To show the Ribbon when using Excel in full-screen mode, click the ellipsis mark button in the window’s upper-right corner.

            To only show the tabs in the Ribbon, select the “Show tabs only” command. To always show the full Ribbon, select the “Always show Ribbon” command. To show or hide the Quick Access toolbar, select the “Hide Quick Access Toolbar” or “Show Quick Access Toolbar” command.

How to Use the Ribbon in Excel: Instructions

1. The Ribbon in Excel is divided into tabs. Except for the “File” tab, which lets you access the backstage view of a file, you can click any tab to show button groups of commands below it. You can then access the commands in each button group using the buttons, boxes, or menus available in the group.
2. To access advanced options for some button groups, click the “dialog box” launcher button in the lower-right corner of some button groups on the currently displayed, or “active,” tab in the Ribbon to show a dialog box of all the available options or settings for the button group.
3. To both hide and show the contents of the Ribbon, double-click the active tab in the Ribbon.
4. The default tabs in the Ribbon are: “File”, “Home,” “Insert,” “Page Layout,” “Formulas,” “Data,” “Review,” “View,” “Automate,” “Help,” and possibly “Add-Ins,” if you enabled add-ins in Excel.
5. You can also enable the “Developer” tab, if using macros or code within a workbook.
6. Special contextual tabs also appear in the Ribbon if you select an object in a workbook. The button groups on contextual tabs directly relate to modifying the selected type of object.
7. To hide the contextual tabs in the Ribbon, click away from the selected object in the workbook to deselect it.
8. To change the Ribbon display options, if desired, click the “Ribbon Display Options” drop-down arrow in the lower-right corner of the far-right button group in the Ribbon.
9. Then select your desired Ribbon display choice from the drop-down menu that appears.