How to Use Excel Online Free – No Need to Purchase Office 365

Excel Online Free: Do you want to use Excel but don’t have Microsoft Office installed or Office 365? Good news—Microsoft Excel Online is completely free to use in your browser! You don’t need to download or pay anything. Whether you’re a student, job seeker, or professional, Excel Online can be your best friend.

In this post, you’ll learn how to:

• Login or create a free Microsoft account
• Create and manage Excel files
• Use time-saving keyboard shortcuts
• Save, download, and share files easily

Let’s get started!

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Step 1: Sign in to Excel Online Free

To use Excel Online:

1. Visit www.office.com
2. Click on “Sign in” at the top-right corner.
3. Enter your Microsoft account email (Outlook, Hotmail, Skype, etc.)
4. Enter your password and hit Next

Once you’re signed in, you’ll see the Microsoft 365 dashboard with app icons.

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Step 2: Sign Up for Free (If You Don’t Have a Microsoft Account)

No Microsoft account? No problem!

1. Go to www.office.com
2. Click on “Sign in”
3. Then click “Create one!” below the email field
4. Use any email (even Gmail) to register, or get a new @outlook.com ID
5. Set a password, verify your identity, and you’re in!

Now you have full access to Excel Online and other free Office tools like Word, PowerPoint, and OneDrive.

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Step 3: Open Excel and Start a Blank Workbook

From the Office dashboard:

1. Click the Excel icon
2. Choose “New blank workbook”

You’re now inside Excel Online with a clean sheet, ready to type and calculate!

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Step 4: Understand the Excel Online Interface

• The layout is similar to desktop Excel
• Tabs include: Home, Insert, Formulas, Data, Review, View
• You can enter data in cells, use formulas, and even create charts
• Autosave is enabled by default (it saves to OneDrive)

Read Now: Excel Overview and Excel Ribbon Tabs

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Step 5: Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for Excel Online

Here are some important shortcuts that will make your work faster:

Action	Desktop Shortcut (Windows)	Laptop Shortcut
Full Screen View	Ctrl + F11	Fn + F11
Add a new sheet	Shift + F11	Shift + Fn + F11
Save manually	Ctrl + S	Command + S (Mac)
Go to top cell (A1)	Ctrl + Home	Command + Home (Mac)
Move to next worksheet	Ctrl + Page Down	Fn + Ctrl + ↓ (Mac)
Find in sheet	Ctrl + F	Command + F
Undo last action	Ctrl + Z	Command + Z

💡 Tip: Use Ctrl + F11 (or Fn + F11 on laptops) to switch your browser into full-screen mode for distraction-free Excel work.

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Step 6: Save, Create New Sheets, Download & Share

How to Save Your File

• Excel Online autosaves your work to OneDrive.
• To rename the file, click the name at the top-left and type your new name.

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Add a New Sheet

• Click the + (plus) sign next to the sheet name tabs at the bottom.

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Download Excel File to Your Computer

1. Click File > Create a Copy
2. Select Download a Copy
3. Your .xlsx file will be saved locally

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Share Excel Online with Others

You can collaborate in real time with others:

1. Click the “Share” button on the top-right
2. Choose either:
   • Add people by email
   • Copy and send a shareable link
3. Choose permission: Can Edit or Can View

Perfect for group work, reporting, or class assignments.

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Summary

Here’s a quick recap of what you’ve learned:

• You can use Excel Online 100% free with a Microsoft account
• Login or sign up via office.com
• Use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + F11 for full screen
• Create, save, download, and share files from your browser
• Excel Online autosaves everything to the cloud (OneDrive)

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FAQs – Excel Online Free