Excel has so many tools that finding the right ones can often slow your workflow.

This is why using the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) is the way forward.

There are various ways tocustomize what you see here.

Microsoft Excel featuring the Quick Access Toolbar.

Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek

If the AutoSave toggle is green, your work issaved and backed up to your OneDrive cloud.

Similarly, you might only want to copy and paste the formatting, not the data.

Even if you don’t have the time (or the inclination!)

Excel’s ribbon showing that the quick access toolbar is not enabled.

So, having it in my QAT means I don’t have to go searching for it each time.

In this example, I want to freeze row 1 and columns A and B.

This option freezes all rows above and all columns to the left of the selected cell.

The Show Quick Access Toolbar in Excel is highlighted.

Personalized Macro Buttons

Microsoft 365’s macros let youperform very specific actions with one click.

Now, choose the relevant macro, and click “Add.”

you could then choose a suitable icon for your macro by selecting the macro and clicking “Modify.”

Excel’s Quick Access Toolbar with AutoSave and Save as default options.

You cannot modify QAT icons for standard commandsExcel only lets you change your personalized macro icons.

poke the down arrow next to your QAT, and click “More Commands” to open Excel Options.

The Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu with More Commands selected.

The Excel Options dialog box with the different Quick Access Toolbar commands available under All Commands.

Excel’s AutoSave toggle switched to Off in the QAT.

Excel’s Paste Special dialog box.

An Excel worksheet containing four sets of data, each with different preset Conditional Formatting rules.

An Excel spreadsheet containing dates down the left, numbers along the top, and data in between.

Excel’s Quick Access Toolbar with the Freeze Panes drop-down expanded.

The Excel Options window with a macro being added to the Quick Access Toolbar.

Excel Options with the arrows for reordering the Quick Access Toolbar highlighted.