Cancel and Close Dialog in Excel
The Esc key allows you to cancel an action, close a dialog box, or exit a menu in Excel without applying any changes.
Keyboard Shortcut
| Windows | Mac |
|---|---|
| Esc | Esc |
What Does This Shortcut Do?
Pressing Esc cancels the current operation and closes the dialog or menu. It is equivalent to clicking the Cancel button.
How to Use the Shortcut
- Open any Excel dialog box or menu
- Press Esc
- The dialog will close without applying changes
Where This Shortcut Works
- Format Cells dialog
- Excel Options
- Find and Replace dialog
- Data Validation settings
- PivotTable dialogs
Tips & Best Practices
- Use Esc to exit quickly instead of clicking Cancel
- Combine with Enter for efficient keyboard-only workflows
- Works in most Windows and Mac versions of Excel
FAQ
- Q: Can I undo after pressing Esc?
- A: Pressing Esc cancels the current dialog, so no changes are applied and undo is not required.
- Q: Does it close Excel completely?
- No, it only closes the active dialog or menu.
- Q: Does this work on Mac?
- Yes, the Esc key functions the same on Mac.