Go To Special in Excel for Mac: Shortcut, Options and Examples
Go To Special is one of the most useful, least known tools in Excel. It selects every cell of a certain kind at once: all the blanks, all the formulas, all the errors, only the visible cells. On Windows you reach it with Ctrl+G and then Alt+S. On a Mac the path is slightly different, and there is no single key for it. This guide shows the Mac route, every option in the dialog, and the shortcuts that do have keys.
Quick answer: In Excel for Mac, press Control+G (or F5) to open the Go To dialog, then click Special… to open Go To Special. Choose what to select, such as Blanks, Formulas, Constants or Visible cells only, and click OK. Excel has no default shortcut for the Special button itself, but Shift+Command+asterisk selects only the visible cells directly. To get the Windows Alt-key route back, the Mac Excel Shortcuts app lets you type Windows-style sequences in Excel for Mac.
How to open Go To Special on a Mac
Click any cell in your worksheet, or select the range you want to search.
Press Control+G or F5. On most MacBooks, F5 needs the Fn key, so Fn+F5.
In the Go To dialog, click Special….
Pick an option and click OK.
If you select a range first, Go To Special looks only inside that range. If you select a single cell, it searches the whole sheet. That one detail explains most of the "it selected the wrong cells" problems.
Microsoft lists Control+G and F5 as the Mac shortcuts for the Go To dialog. It does not list a shortcut for the Special button, so on a Mac you click it. (On Windows the dialog button has an Alt key, which is why Windows users search for an Alt equivalent.)
Every Go To Special option
| Option | What it selects | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Comments / Notes | Cells with comments or notes | Review or remove annotations |
| Constants | Cells with typed values, not formulas (numbers, text, logicals, errors) | Find hard-coded inputs |
| Formulas | Cells containing formulas (numbers, text, logicals, errors) | Audit calculations, then lock or colour them |
| Blanks | Empty cells in the range | Fill gaps or delete blank rows |
| Current region | The block of data around the active cell | Select a whole table without dragging |
| Current array | The array formula range | Edit multi-cell array formulas |
| Objects | Charts, shapes and images | Delete or format all objects at once |
| Row differences / Column differences | Cells that differ from the active cell in each row or column | Spot inconsistent entries |
| Precedents / Dependents | Cells that feed a formula, or depend on it | Trace a calculation |
| Last cell | The last used cell on the sheet | Find stray data far away |
| Visible cells only | Cells that are not hidden or filtered out | Copy filtered data safely |
| Conditional formats / Data validation | Cells with those rules | Review or clear rules |
The options you will use most are Blanks, Formulas, Constants, Visible cells only and Row differences.
Examples you can try
Fill all blank cells in a column
Select the column range.
Open Go To Special and choose Blanks, then click OK. Only the empty cells are selected.
Type = and then press the Up arrow to point at the cell above.
Press ⌘Return (or Control+Return) to fill every selected blank at once.
This is the classic way to fill down grouped data from a report. Convert the result to values with Paste Special afterwards. Our Paste Special guide explains how.
Delete all blank rows
Select the data.
Go To Special → Blanks.
On the Home tab, choose Delete → Delete Sheet Rows.
This deletes rows that contain a blank in the selected range. If other columns have valid data in those rows, check before you delete.
Find formulas and hard-coded numbers
Choose Formulas to highlight every formula, or Constants to select typed-in values. Auditing a model for hard-coded numbers inside formula areas takes seconds this way: select the formula range, choose Constants, and fill the selection with a colour.
Select only the visible cells before copying
If you have filtered data or hidden rows, a normal copy can include the hidden cells. Select your range, then press Shift+Command+asterisk (Microsoft's Mac shortcut for selecting only visible cells) or choose Visible cells only in Go To Special. Then copy and paste. See how to filter data in Excel for Mac with the keyboard for the filtering side.
Spot cells that differ from the rest of a row
Select a row range, choose Row differences, and Excel selects the cells that do not match the active cell in that row. Microsoft also lists a Mac shortcut for this: Control with the backslash key.
Shortcuts that skip the dialog
| Action | Mac shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open the Go To dialog | Control+G or F5 |
| Select only visible cells | Shift+Command+* (asterisk) |
| Select cells in a row that do not match the active cell | Control+\ (backslash) |
| Select the current region or entire sheet (press more than once) | ⌘A |
| Fill the selected range with what you type | ⌘Return or Control+Return |
Go To Special on Mac vs Windows
The dialog and options are the same on both. The only difference is how you reach the Special button. On Windows it is Alt+S after Ctrl+G. On a Mac, press Control+G or F5, then click Special. If you have trained your fingers on Alt+S and want it back, the Mac Excel Shortcuts app handles Windows-style Alt sequences in Excel for Mac, and the cheat sheet lists the Mac equivalents of the common ones.
Common mistakes
Searching the whole sheet by accident. With one cell selected, Go To Special covers the entire sheet. Select the range first.
Deleting rows with a stray blank. Blanks selects empty cells, not empty rows. Check the other columns before you delete rows.
Pasting into hidden cells. Pasting onto a filtered range can write into hidden rows. Work on the visible cells deliberately and check the result.
Forgetting Fn. If F5 changes the screen instead of opening Go To, press Fn+F5 or use Control+G.
FAQs
What is the shortcut for Go To Special in Excel on Mac?
There is no single key. Press Control+G or F5 to open Go To, then click Special. For visible cells only, use Shift+Command+asterisk.
Where is Go To Special on a Mac menu?
It is in the Go To dialog. Press Control+G, or choose Edit → Go To… from the menu bar, then click Special.
Is there an Alt+S equivalent on Mac?
Not in native Excel for Mac. You click the Special button instead. Apps such as Mac Excel Shortcuts add Windows-style Alt sequences.
How do I select all blank cells in Excel on a Mac?
Select your range, press Control+G, click Special, choose Blanks and click OK.
How do I select only visible cells on a Mac?
Select the range and press Shift+Command+asterisk, or use Go To Special → Visible cells only.
Related guides
Find, Replace, Go To, AutoSum and Fill Down Shortcuts in Excel for Mac
Function Keys in Excel for Mac: The Fn Setting and the F-Key Shortcuts