CACBLAZE

Excel Tips

Clean data, reliable formulas, pivots, dashboards, validation, and protected sharing aligned to locale. If you are here for Excel Tips, you are likely searching for practical guidance you can trust, delivered in a clear, human way that respects your time and helps you make forward progress today; this guide was created to meet that exact need by combining first‑hand experience with proven methods so you can move from uncertainty to confident action without feeling overwhelmed. Inside, you will find structured steps, realistic examples, and decision frameworks tailored to real‑world constraints, plus shortcuts and checklists that reduce friction while preserving quality, so whether you are getting started or leveling up, you have everything required to succeed in Excel Tips.

Start GuideBrowse Topics

Work faster in Excel with clean data, reliable formulas, pivots, and clear visuals. Use official features, validate inputs, and protect files while aligning locale settings and evidence for audits.

Setup & Formatting

  • Set workbook currency, date format, and locale.
  • Use Tables for structured ranges and auto-fill formulas.
  • Freeze panes and use filters for consistent navigation.

Data Cleaning

  • Trim spaces and remove duplicates before analysis.
  • Use Text to Columns for splitting combined fields.
  • Consider Power Query for repeatable transformations.

Formulas & Lookups

  • SUMIF/SUMIFS and COUNTIF/COUNTIFS for rules-based totals.
  • XLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH for robust lookups.
  • IF/IFERROR for control flow and graceful failures.

Dates & Times

  • Use DATEVALUE/TIMEVALUE and proper cell formats.
  • NETWORKDAYS/EOMONTH for schedules and cutoffs.
  • Text() formatting for exports and reports.

Pivot Tables

  • Build pivots for grouping and aggregations.
  • Add slicers/timelines for interactive filtering.
  • Refresh data and ensure stable source ranges.

Charts & Dashboards

  • Use simple chart types and clear labels/legends.
  • Apply conditional formatting to highlight trends.
  • Use named ranges and tables for dynamic charts.

Data Validation

  • Dropdown lists for controlled inputs.
  • Numeric/date ranges and custom formulas.
  • Input messages and error alerts to guide users.

Error Handling

  • Wrap lookups with IFERROR for clean outputs.
  • Check types with ISNUMBER/ISTEXT for validation.
  • Use auditing tools to trace precedents/dependents.

Shortcuts & Productivity

  • Master navigation: Ctrl+Arrow, Ctrl+Shift+Arrow.
  • Convert ranges to Tables (Ctrl+T) for speed.
  • Use quick analysis and flash fill where suitable.

Nigeria‑Specific Tips

  • Format currency with ₦ and correct thousand separators.
  • Align date format (dd/mm/yyyy) across sheets and exports.
  • Handle CSV encodings (UTF‑8) and separator differences.

Checklist

  • Clean data; use Tables and stable formats.
  • Prefer XLOOKUP/INDEX‑MATCH and wrap with IFERROR.
  • Validate inputs and protect files before sharing.

Power Query (Get & Transform)

  • Import CSV/Excel/Web data and define repeatable steps.
  • Trim, split, replace values, and change types in the Query Editor.
  • Merge/Append queries to join tables and build pipelines.
  • Refresh on demand; set background refresh where appropriate.

Dynamic Arrays & Advanced Formulas

  • FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE for live, spill‑range analytics.
  • TEXTJOIN, CONCAT, LET, LAMBDA for clean logic and reuse.
  • Use structured references in Tables to avoid broken ranges.

Data Model & Power Pivot

  • Load tables to Data Model; define relationships by keys.
  • Build PivotTables from the model for cross‑table analysis.
  • Create measures with implicit aggregations for performance.

Import/Export & CSV

  • Use correct delimiter and UTF‑8 encoding for Nigerian data.
  • Map columns explicitly; avoid header drift in automation.
  • Validate numeric/date types after import; fix locale mismatches.

Protection & Sharing

  • Protect sheets/workbooks; lock formulas and critical cells.
  • Set file passwords and restrict editing for shared copies.
  • Use OneDrive/SharePoint permissions with version history.

Printing & PDF

  • Set print area, page breaks, headers/footers, and scaling.
  • Use “Fit to page” for summary sheets; export to PDF for sharing.
  • Preview before export to confirm pagination and legibility.