208 short tips that save time every day, each with exactly how to do it and why it helps. Shortcuts switch between Windows and macOS; anything that depends on a version, edition or setting is marked. For commands and formulas by role, see the cheat sheets.
Most spreadsheet time goes on moving around, fixing ranges and cleaning the same export again. These tips cut all three. Shortcuts are for Excel unless a row says Google Sheets. See also the cheat sheet.
Hold Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) and press an arrow key to land on the last filled cell in that direction. Add Shift to select everything on the way.
Why it saves time: Dragging down 40,000 rows of store sales takes seconds and often stops short; this is one keypress and never misses the last row.
NoteSame keys in Google Sheets.
Click inside the data, press Ctrl+T and tick My table has headers (on a Mac: Insert > Table). Formulas can use column names such as =[@Qty]*[@UnitCents], new rows pick up formulas and formats, and pivots and charts built on the Table grow with it.
Why it saves time: You stop fixing ranges like A2:F9812 every month when the export gets longer.
NoteExcel on Windows, Mac and the web. Google Sheets has a similar Format > Convert to table in recent versions.
Click inside the data and press the shortcut to add or remove filter buttons on the header row. Alt+Down Arrow on a header cell opens its filter menu on Windows.
Why it saves time: Faster than the ribbon, and you will toggle filters dozens of times a day.
NoteExcel.
While editing a formula, put the cursor on a reference such as B2 and press the key. Each press cycles $B$2, B$2, $B2, B2.
Why it saves time: No more typing dollar signs by hand, and fewer formulas that drift when you copy them down.
NoteExcel. Some laptops need Fn+F4.
Select the cell with the formula and the cells below it (Ctrl+Shift+Down helps), then press the shortcut to copy the top cell into the rest.
Why it saves time: Dragging the fill handle through a long sheet is slow and easy to overshoot.
NoteSame keys in Google Sheets.
Select the column, press Ctrl+G, click Special and choose Blanks. Type = and press Up Arrow, then Ctrl+Enter: every blank cell copies the value above it. Paste as values afterwards.
Why it saves time: Exports that print the store name only on the first row of each block become a proper table in ten seconds.
NoteExcel for Windows.
Press the shortcut in a cell to type today's date as a fixed value. Use =TODAY() only when the date should change every day.
Why it saves time: Stamping when you counted stock or logged a call takes one key, and the value does not change tomorrow.
Click the cell under a column of numbers and press the shortcut; Excel writes the SUM and guesses the range. Check the range, then press Enter.
Why it saves time: Totals in two keys, and selecting a whole block first adds totals to every column at once.
NoteExcel.
Select cells and press the shortcut for number formats, alignment, borders and protection in one dialog.
Why it saves time: Every formatting option without hunting through the ribbon.
NoteExcel.
Copy, then open Paste Special and choose Values (in Excel for Mac, pick Values in the dialog). Newer Excel 365 on Windows also pastes values with Ctrl+Shift+V.
Why it saves time: Freezes formula results before you delete the source sheet, and stops pasting someone else's colours and borders into your model.
NoteCtrl+Shift+V in Excel needs a recent Microsoft 365 build.
Press the shortcut (the key left of 1) to show formulas instead of results in every cell. Press it again to go back.
Why it saves time: The fastest way to spot the one hard-typed number in a column of formulas before you send a model.
NoteExcel.
Next to a column of values like S-014 Riverside, type the result you want for the first row or two (Riverside), then press Ctrl+E. Excel fills the rest by example.
Why it saves time: Splitting and joining text without writing LEFT, MID and FIND formulas.
NoteExcel 2013 and later on Windows. Check the results: it guesses.
Select a block of numbers and press Ctrl+Q for one-click data bars, totals, percentages and charts.
Why it saves time: A first look at a new export before you build anything.
NoteExcel 2013 and later on Windows.
Press the shortcut to go to the next or previous sheet tab.
Why it saves time: Flicking between Inputs, Calculations and Outputs without the mouse.
NoteExcel for Windows.
While typing in a cell, press the shortcut to start a new line in the same cell.
Why it saves time: Readable notes and headers without merging cells.
NoteExcel.
After new data lands, refresh all pivots and Power Query queries in the workbook at once (on a Mac: Data > Refresh All).
Why it saves time: A stale pivot is the most common reason two people quote different numbers from the same file.
NoteExcel for Windows.
Press the shortcut to open the searchable list of shortcuts.
Why it saves time: Learn the two or three you need for today's task instead of a whole list.
NoteGoogle Sheets and other Google Docs editors.
=XLOOKUP(A2, Prices[SKU], Prices[PriceCents], "missing") finds A2 in the SKU column and returns the price from the same row, or "missing" when there is no match.
Why it saves time: Exact match by default, it can look left, and inserting a column no longer breaks a hard-coded column number.
NoteExcel 365, Excel 2021 and later, and Google Sheets. Not in Excel 2019.
=SORT(UNIQUE(Sales[Store])) lists each store once, sorted. =FILTER(Sales, Sales[Store]="S-014", "none") returns only S-014's rows. Results spill into the cells below and update when the data changes.
Why it saves time: A report tab that rebuilds itself, without copying and pasting filtered rows.
NoteExcel 365 and 2021 and later. In Google Sheets, FILTER's extra arguments are more conditions, not an if-empty value; wrap it in IFERROR instead.
=SUMIFS(Sales[AmountCents], Sales[Store], $A2, Sales[Month], B$1) sums one store for one month. Copy it across the grid; the $ signs keep the store column and month row fixed.
Why it saves time: One formula fills a whole store-by-month table with no helper columns. The sum range comes first, unlike SUMIF.
NoteExcel and Google Sheets.
=LET(sales, SUMIFS(Sales[AmountCents], Sales[Store], A2), target, XLOOKUP(A2, Targets[Store], Targets[Cents]), sales / target)
Why it saves time: Each piece is calculated once and has a name, so the formula reads like a sentence and is easier to check.
NoteExcel 365, Excel 2021 and later, and Google Sheets.
=TEXTBEFORE(A2, " ") returns S-014 from "S-014 Riverside"; =TEXTAFTER(A2, " ") returns Riverside. TEXTSPLIT splits into several cells.
Why it saves time: Replaces nests of LEFT, FIND and LEN that nobody can read later.
NoteExcel 365 and Excel 2024. Google Sheets: SPLIT and REGEXEXTRACT.
Click inside a Table, Insert > PivotTable. Drag Store to Rows, Month to Columns and Sales to Values. Right-click a value > Show Values As > % of Grand Total for shares; right-click a date > Group to roll days into months. Add a Slicer for click-to-filter buttons.
Why it saves time: 400,000 checkout rows summarised without a single formula to break.
NoteGoogle Sheets: Insert > Pivot table, and Data > Add a slicer.
Data > Get Data > From File > From Folder. Pick the folder where each month's CSV lands, choose Combine and Transform, clean once (remove columns, set types, filter rows), then Close and Load. Next month, drop the new file in and Refresh All.
Why it saves time: An hour of monthly copy-paste becomes one click, and the recorded steps show anyone exactly what was done to the data.
NoteExcel 2016 and later, and Microsoft 365, on Windows. Excel for Mac (365) has Power Query with fewer sources. Not in Google Sheets.
In Power Query, select the columns that identify a row (Store, SKU), then Transform > Unpivot Other Columns. One column per month becomes two columns, Month and Value.
Why it saves time: Wide reports are easy to read but hard to chart, filter and pivot. Long tables work everywhere.
NoteExcel with Power Query.
Select the input cells, Data > Data Validation, Allow: List, and point Source at a range of valid values (for example =StoreList). Add an input message and an error alert that says what is allowed. Google Sheets: Data > Data validation > Dropdown (from a range).
Why it saves time: Stops S014, S-14 and s-014 becoming three different stores in your totals.
Select A2:F500, Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule > Use a formula, and enter =$F2<0 with a red fill. The $ fixes column F, so each row checks its own margin. Google Sheets: Format > Conditional formatting > Custom formula is.
Why it saves time: Problem rows jump out without anyone scanning the sheet.
Click the Name Box left of the formula bar. Type a cell such as Z5000 and press Enter to jump there, or select a range, type a name such as StoreList and press Enter to name it.
Why it saves time: Named ranges make formulas and dropdown sources readable, and jumping beats scrolling.
NoteExcel.
Watch for green triangles or numbers aligned left. Check with =ISNUMBER(A2). Convert a column with Data > Text to Columns > Finish, or with =VALUE(A2).
Why it saves time: SUM skips numbers stored as text, so totals come out low with no error at all.
Data > Remove Duplicates deletes rows in place. =UNIQUE(Table[Store]) in a new spot gives the same list and leaves the source alone.
Why it saves time: Nothing is lost if you picked the wrong columns, and the list updates with the data.
NoteUNIQUE needs Excel 365 or 2021 and later, or Google Sheets.
=QUERY(Sales!A:E, "select B, sum(E) where C = 'S-014' group by B", 1) summarises with a SQL-like language. The last argument is the number of header rows.
Why it saves time: A grouped summary in one formula, and practice for real SQL.
NoteGoogle Sheets only.
=IMPORTRANGE("spreadsheet URL", "Sales!A1:E") reads a range from another Google Sheet. The first time, click Allow access.
Why it saves time: One source of truth instead of copied tabs that go stale.
NoteGoogle Sheets only.
View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row in Excel; View > Freeze > 1 row in Google Sheets.
Why it saves time: Column names stay visible on row 9,000, so nobody reads the wrong column.
Built into Windows 10 and 11 unless marked. The Windows key is shown as Win.
Press Win+V to see the last things you copied and paste any of them. The first time, turn it on when asked (or Settings > System > Clipboard). Pin snippets you paste often.
Why it saves time: Copy five things, then paste them in any order, without going back and forth between windows.
NoteWindows 10 (October 2018 Update and later) and Windows 11.
Win+Shift+S lets you drag a region; it goes to the clipboard, and the notification opens it for marking up. Win+Print Screen saves the whole screen to Pictures\Screenshots.
Why it saves time: A marked-up screenshot in a bug report or chat answers questions before anyone asks them.
Snap one window to each half, or press Win+Z to pick a layout with three or four zones.
Why it saves time: Spec on one side, ticket or spreadsheet on the other, without dragging window edges.
NoteWin+Z snap layouts: Windows 11.
Keep one desktop for focused work and one for chat and mail, or one per project. Switching hides everything else.
Why it saves time: Fewer windows in view means fewer distractions and less hunting.
Press the shortcut to throw the active window to the next screen, keeping its size.
Why it saves time: Faster than dragging across, especially with a laptop and one external screen.
Pin your main apps to the taskbar in a fixed order. Win+1 opens or switches to the first one, Win+2 the second, and so on.
Why it saves time: Your browser, editor and chat are always one chord away.
Press Win+L every time you leave your desk.
Why it saves time: Two keys stop someone sending mail or approving a change as you.
Opens Task Manager without the Ctrl+Alt+Delete screen. Sort by CPU or Memory to find what is slowing the machine.
Why it saves time: Find and end the frozen app in seconds.
Opens a menu with Terminal, Device Manager, Disk Management, Network Connections, Event Viewer and more.
Why it saves time: Admin tools without digging through Settings.
Type a path or a folder variable such as %temp% or %appdata% and press Enter.
Why it saves time: Jump straight to folders that are hidden or deep, for example to clear a stuck cache.
Click into any text box and press Win+H, then speak.
Why it saves time: Drafting a long message or meeting notes is often faster spoken than typed.
NoteWindows 11 voice typing; Windows 10 dictation uses the same keys. Needs an online connection for some languages.
Opens the emoji and symbols panel. The symbols tab has arrows, maths signs and currency symbols.
Why it saves time: Type ≥, → or € in a document or chat without remembering Alt codes.
NoteWindows 10 and 11.
In the address bar, type cmd or powershell and press Enter to open a terminal already in that folder. Type a path such as C:\exports to jump there.
Why it saves time: No more cd-ing through long paths after finding a folder by clicking.
Select files and use the keys instead of right-click menus. The preview pane shows a file's content without opening an app.
Why it saves time: Sorting a folder of exports goes several times faster.
Right-click the file and choose Copy as path (on Windows 10, hold Shift while right-clicking). The path is copied in quotes, ready for a terminal or a script.
Why it saves time: No more typing paths by hand and getting one character wrong.
Windows 11: File Explorer > View > Show > File name extensions. Windows 10: View tab > File name extensions.
Why it saves time: You see report.csv versus report.xlsx at a glance, and spot a file named invoice.pdf.exe before opening it.
Keep PowerShell, Git Bash and an SSH session as tabs or panes of one window. Set your default profile in Settings.
Why it saves time: One window for every shell, with the logs and the command side by side.
NoteWindows Terminal (built into Windows 11; install it from the Microsoft Store on Windows 10).
Install Microsoft PowerToys (free). Press Alt+Space and type to open apps, files, calculations or a running window.
Why it saves time: Launch anything in two keystrokes without the Start menu.
NoteMicrosoft PowerToys, default key. Newer PowerToys versions add Command Palette as its successor.
With PowerToys Text Extractor on, press the shortcut and drag over any part of the screen, such as an error in a screenshot or a scanned invoice. The text lands on the clipboard.
Why it saves time: No retyping error messages, IDs or invoice numbers from images.
NoteMicrosoft PowerToys, default key.
With PowerToys Always On Top on, press the shortcut on a window (for example the call or a checklist) to pin it above the others. Press again to unpin.
Why it saves time: Follow a runbook or a video call while you work in another window.
NoteMicrosoft PowerToys, default key.
Select files in Explorer, right-click > Rename with PowerRename. Search and replace across names, with optional regular expressions and a live preview.
Why it saves time: Renaming 300 store photos from IMG_0001 to S-014_shelf_0001 takes seconds.
NoteMicrosoft PowerToys.
Windows 11: turn on Do not disturb in the notification centre, or start a Focus session from the Clock app to silence notifications for a set time.
Why it saves time: Notifications break concentration far more than the seconds they take to read.
NoteWindows 11.
Built into macOS unless marked. Option is also labelled Alt on some keyboards.
Type the first letters of an app, file or setting and press Return. It also does sums and unit conversions: type 17.5% * 2840.
Why it saves time: Faster than the Dock or Finder for anything you open more than once a day.
Hold Cmd and tap Tab to pick an app. Cmd+` cycles through windows of the app you are in, such as two browser windows.
Why it saves time: No reaching for the mouse to find the right window.
Cmd+Shift+4 then drag; press Space instead to capture one window. Cmd+Shift+5 also records the screen and sets where files are saved.
Why it saves time: A screenshot or a 30-second recording makes a bug report clear at once.
Press it every time you leave your desk.
Why it saves time: Nobody can send mail or approve a change as you.
Opens the Force Quit window; pick the app that is not responding.
Why it saves time: Faster than waiting for the spinning wheel.
Open Mission Control and click + at the top to add a Space. Keep one Space for focused work and one for chat and mail.
Why it saves time: Switching Spaces hides everything you are not working on.
Drag a window to the edge of the screen, or use the shortcut (Fn is the Globe key) to fill the left or right half. Window > Move & Resize lists more layouts.
Why it saves time: Spec beside the ticket without dragging window edges.
NotemacOS 15 Sequoia and later.
Cmd+Shift+G and type a path such as ~/Library or /usr/local. Cmd+Shift+. toggles hidden files such as .env and .git.
Why it saves time: Reach folders Finder hides, without the terminal.
Select a file: Option+Cmd+C copies its full path; Space previews it without opening an app. To move instead of copy, Cmd+C the file, then Option+Cmd+V in the target folder.
Why it saves time: Paths for scripts and tickets in one chord, and quick checks of CSVs and PDFs.
Hide others to clear the screen down to the app you are using. Cmd+, opens the current app's settings in most apps.
Why it saves time: A clean screen in one chord before a screen share or a focus block.
System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements. Add short codes such as ;sig for your sign-off or ;addr for the office address.
Why it saves time: Phrases you type ten times a day expand from four characters, and sync to your iPhone through iCloud.
Opens the character viewer; search for arrow, degree or euro.
Why it saves time: Type ≥, → or € without remembering Option combinations.
macOS 26 Tahoe adds clipboard history to Spotlight. On older versions, install a clipboard manager app.
Why it saves time: Copy several things, then paste them in any order.
NoteBuilt in from macOS 26 Tahoe.
Put the one app you need in full screen, and turn on a Focus (Control Centre > Focus) that only lets chosen people and apps through. Schedule it for your focus blocks in System Settings > Focus.
Why it saves time: One app and no banners for an hour is how deep work actually happens.
Open a PDF in Preview, show thumbnails (View > Thumbnails) and drag other PDFs into the sidebar to combine them. Markup toolbar > Sign adds your signature.
Why it saves time: Signing and merging documents without printing or a separate PDF tool.
Shortcuts work in Chrome and Edge, and most in Firefox. DevTools tips are written for Chrome and Edge, which share the same DevTools.
Press it again to reopen tabs in the order you closed them, even a whole window.
Why it saves time: Closing the wrong tab costs one shortcut instead of a search through history.
Select the address bar, type a search or URL, press Enter. On Windows, Alt+Enter opens the result in a new tab.
Why it saves time: No mouse trip to the top of the window.
Keep pinned tabs (mail, calendar, tracker) on the left so their numbers never change.
Why it saves time: Your three most used tabs are always one chord away.
Type part of a page title to jump to it among dozens of tabs.
Why it saves time: Finding the right ticket among 40 tabs takes a second.
NoteChrome.
Chrome: Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search > Site search > Add. Give it a shortcut such as pr and a URL with %s where the search goes, for example your tracker's issue URL ending in %s. Then type pr, a space and the issue key in the address bar. Firefox: add a keyword to a bookmark.
Why it saves time: Open ticket PAR-123 or search the internal wiki straight from the address bar.
Create a browser profile per account: work, personal, and a test user. Each has its own logins, cookies and extensions.
Why it saves time: Test as a store manager and as a partner shop at the same time, and never post from the wrong account.
Use it in web apps such as Google Docs, Gmail and most chat tools to paste without the source's fonts and colours.
Why it saves time: No more fixing formatting after every paste.
NoteWorks in Chrome and Edge and most web apps; desktop apps vary.
Ctrl+Click (Cmd+Click) or middle-click each result you want, then read them in order.
Why it saves time: Triage a list of search results or tickets without losing your place.
Reloads the page and fetches files again instead of using the cache.
Why it saves time: The first thing to try before reporting "my change does not show".
Inspect element puts the picker on, so the next click selects that element in the Elements panel.
Why it saves time: Check a colour, a text or an error without searching through panels.
NoteChrome and Edge.
With DevTools focused, type a command: screenshot (Capture full size screenshot), disable JavaScript, show rendering, dark or light theme emulation.
Why it saves time: Every DevTools feature by name, without knowing which panel it hides in.
NoteChrome and Edge.
With DevTools open, toggle the device toolbar, pick a 375 px phone and a slow network preset in the throttling menu.
Why it saves time: See what most of your users see before you ship, in seconds.
NoteChrome and Edge.
Tick Preserve log and Disable cache. In the filter box try status-code:500, method:POST, -domain:cdn.example.com or larger-than:100k.
Why it saves time: Find the one failing request among 200 in a page load.
NoteChrome and Edge.
Right-click a request in the Network panel > Copy > Copy as cURL. Paste it into a terminal to replay it, or into the bug ticket. Remove cookies and tokens before sharing.
Why it saves time: The developer can reproduce your exact request instead of guessing from a screenshot.
$0 is the element selected in Elements, $$('a') returns all links as an array, copy(x) puts any value on the clipboard, and console.table(rows) shows an array of objects as a table.
Why it saves time: Pull data out of a page or check an element in one line.
NoteChrome and Edge; Firefox has $0, $$ and copy() too.
In the Console type document.designMode = 'on', then click on the page and type to change any text. Reload to undo.
Why it saves time: Show a wording change or a long product name in a real screen without a design tool.
Default key bindings. Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Cmd+K Cmd+S) lists every binding and lets you search and change them. See also the cheat sheet.
Type any command by name in the palette. In Quick Open, type part of a file name; start with : to go to a line or @ to go to a symbol.
Why it saves time: Every feature and file in a few letters, without the menus or the file tree.
Select a word and press Ctrl+D (Cmd+D) to add the next match as another cursor, then type once.
Why it saves time: Rename a field in ten places or edit ten similar lines in one go.
Works on the current line or every selected line, with no selection needed.
Why it saves time: Reordering code or YAML without cut and paste.
Better still, set "editor.formatOnSave": true in settings so every save formats the file.
Why it saves time: Formatting stops being a thing anyone thinks about or argues over in review.
Jump into a function, read it, then go back to where you were.
Why it saves time: Reading unfamiliar code goes much faster when you never lose your place.
Put the cursor on a variable, function or type and press F2. The language server renames every real use across files, not just matching text.
Why it saves time: Safe renames in seconds, where find and replace would also hit comments and other names.
On a squiggly line, press the shortcut for fixes such as add the missing import or remove unused code.
Why it saves time: The editor writes the boring fix for you.
Use the files to include box (for example src/**/*.ts) and the regular expression toggle to narrow results.
Why it saves time: Find every place a field or an endpoint is used before you change it.
Toggles the integrated terminal, opened in the project folder. Split it to run the dev server and tests side by side.
Why it saves time: No switching windows between code and commands.
Each press expands the selection to the next larger unit: word, string, argument list, statement, block.
Why it saves time: Select exactly one function or object literal without dragging.
Hide the sidebar while reading, split the editor to see a test next to the code, and use Zen mode for writing. Press Esc twice to leave Zen mode.
Why it saves time: Space for the code you are reading, not for panels.
Command Palette > Snippets: Configure Snippets, pick the language and add a snippet with a prefix such as nestctl. Type the prefix and press Tab.
Why it saves time: Boilerplate such as a test skeleton or a controller method appears in one word.
Set a breakpoint, start the debugger (or open a JavaScript Debug Terminal and run your npm script), and inspect every variable at that point. Step with F10 and F11.
Why it saves time: One breakpoint shows what ten log lines and five restarts would.
Select two files in the Explorer (Ctrl or Cmd click), right-click > Compare Selected. From a terminal: code --diff a.json b.json.
Why it saves time: Spot the one changed setting between two config files or two exports.
Accounts icon (bottom left) > Backup and Sync Settings, then sign in with GitHub or a Microsoft account.
Why it saves time: A new laptop has your settings, keys, snippets and extensions in minutes.
Commands that save minutes every day. Anything that rewrites history is for commits you have not pushed, or that only you use. See also the cheat sheet.
git switch - jumps to the branch you were on before, like cd - for folders.
Why it saves time: Hopping between a feature branch and main costs three words.
git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --decorate --all", then git lg.
Why it saves time: See branches and merges as a graph without typing four flags.
git add -p shows each change and asks y or n.
Why it saves time: Commit the fix and leave the debug lines out, so each commit does one thing.
Stage the file, then git commit --amend --no-edit.
Why it saves time: One tidy commit instead of a follow-up called "oops".
NoteRewrites history: only before you push.
git commit --fixup <sha> records a fix for an earlier commit; git rebase -i --autosquash main folds it in.
Why it saves time: Address review comments without a pile of "fix review" commits.
NoteRewrites history: only on your own branch.
git stash push -u -m "wip: price check" saves changes including new files; git stash list shows them; git stash pop brings the latest back.
Why it saves time: Switch tasks in seconds without a throwaway commit.
git worktree add ../hotfix main checks out main in another folder. Fix, commit and push there, then git worktree remove ../hotfix.
Why it saves time: Fix production without stashing, switching or rebuilding your half-done feature.
git config --global push.autoSetupRemote true. From then on, the first git push on a new branch sets up tracking.
Why it saves time: No more copying the suggested command after every new branch.
NoteGit 2.37 and later.
git config --global fetch.prune true.
Why it saves time: Branches merged and deleted on GitHub stop cluttering your branch list.
git config --global rerere.enabled true. Git records how you resolved a conflict and reuses it when the same conflict comes back.
Why it saves time: Rebasing a long branch again does not mean resolving the same conflict again.
git reflog lists everywhere HEAD has been. Find the commit and git switch -c rescue <sha>.
Why it saves time: A bad reset or a deleted branch is almost never lost for good.
git bisect start, git bisect bad, git bisect good v1.4.0, then test each commit Git checks out and mark it good or bad. git bisect reset when done.
Why it saves time: A binary search finds the bad commit among 500 in about nine steps.
git grep -n "discountCents" searches tracked files fast. git log -S "discountCents" --oneline finds the commits that added or removed that text.
Why it saves time: Answer "when did this change, and why?" without asking around.
git restore --source=main -- src/prices.ts.
Why it saves time: Undo your changes to one file without touching the rest.
git diff --stat main...HEAD lists the files and lines your branch changes.
Why it saves time: If the list surprises you, split the PR before a reviewer has to.
gh pr create --fill opens a PR from your commits; gh pr checkout 123 checks out a teammate's PR; gh pr view --web opens it in the browser; gh run watch follows the CI run.
Why it saves time: Review and ship without switching to the browser for each step.
NoteGitHub CLI (gh).
bash and zsh (macOS, Linux, Git Bash on Windows) unless a row says PowerShell. See also the cheat sheet.
Press Ctrl+R and type part of an old command; press Ctrl+R again for older matches, Enter to run, or an arrow key to edit first.
Why it saves time: Re-run that long docker or psql command without retyping or scrolling.
Notebash, zsh, and PowerShell with PSReadLine (the default in PowerShell 5.1 and 7).
Fix the start of a long command without holding the arrow key.
Why it saves time: Editing commands becomes as fast as typing them.
Notebash and zsh. In PowerShell use Home and End.
cd - returns to the folder you were in before.
Why it saves time: Hop between a project and a log folder without typing paths.
Notebash and zsh; PowerShell 6.2 and later.
!! stands for the previous command, so sudo !! re-runs it with sudo.
Why it saves time: The classic fix for "permission denied".
Notebash and zsh.
Add lines such as alias gs='git status' to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc and open a new terminal. PowerShell: put a function in your profile (notepad $PROFILE), for example function gs { git status }.
Why it saves time: Ten keystrokes saved, dozens of times a day.
cut -d, -f2 sales.csv | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head counts each value in column 2, most common first.
Why it saves time: A quick answer to "which store has the most rows?" without opening a spreadsheet.
NoteSimple CSVs only: quoted commas break cut.
curl -s https://api.example.com/orders | jq '.items[] | {id, totalCents}' keeps only the fields you need.
Why it saves time: Check an API response or a log line in seconds.
NoteInstall jq first.
rg "discountCents" src/ searches recursively, skips files in .gitignore, and is much faster than grep -r on big projects.
Why it saves time: Find every use of a field in a large codebase instantly.
NoteInstall ripgrep (rg) first.
code . opens the current folder in VS Code. open . (macOS) or explorer . (Windows) opens it in the file manager.
Why it saves time: Move between terminal, editor and files without navigating twice.
macOS: git log -1 | pbcopy. Windows: git log -1 | clip, or Set-Clipboard in PowerShell.
Why it saves time: Paste exact output into a ticket or chat without selecting it with the mouse.
tail -f app.log | grep ERROR prints new error lines as they arrive. PowerShell: Get-Content app.log -Wait -Tail 50.
Why it saves time: Watch a deploy or a test run react live.
npm ci && npm test && npm run build stops at the first failure; ; runs the next command even if one fails.
Why it saves time: One line you can re-run from history, which never builds after failing tests.
Put multi-step commands in package.json scripts (npm run seed), a Makefile or a small shell script in the repo.
Why it saves time: The team runs the same steps the same way, and new people do not need a wiki page.
tldr tar shows the five ways people actually use tar, instead of the whole manual.
Why it saves time: The flag you need, without reading a man page.
NoteInstall a tldr client first.
Faster for you, and kinder to everyone you write to.
Type a few letters of the channel or person and press Enter.
Why it saves time: No scrolling the sidebar to find the right conversation.
Opens the app's own list of keyboard shortcuts.
Why it saves time: Pick two that fit how you work, such as marking channels read.
Press Up in an empty message box to fix a typo in your last message.
Why it saves time: Fewer clicks, fewer correction messages.
Use them while the meeting window is in focus.
Why it saves time: No fumbling for the mute button when the courier rings.
Send the greeting, the context and the question in one message: "Hi Imran, the Partner app price import failed for 3 shops this morning (log linked). Can you confirm whether we retry today or tomorrow? Needed by 3 pm for the sales reps."
Why it saves time: The other person can answer the first time they look, instead of replying "hi?" and waiting.
Reply in a thread, not the main channel. When a thread reaches a decision, post one line in the channel: what was decided, who does what, by when.
Why it saves time: People who were not there catch up in ten seconds, and the channel stays readable.
Slack: /remind me to check the stock report at 4pm, or a message's menu > Remind me about this. Use schedule send (the arrow next to Send) to deliver messages during the other person's working hours.
Why it saves time: Your memory stops being the task list, and nobody gets pinged at 11 pm.
Mute noisy channels, add keyword alerts for words that matter (your service name, "incident"), set working hours and pause notifications during focus blocks.
Why it saves time: You still see what needs you, without a ping every few minutes.
Write the action and the date first: "Decision needed by Thu 23 Oct: Partner app delivery fee" or "FYI, no action: October stock count results". Put the answer or the ask in the first two lines.
Why it saves time: Readers can sort and act from the inbox list without opening every mail.
Turn them on first: Settings > See all settings > General > Keyboard shortcuts on. Press ? for the full list; j and k move between conversations.
Why it saves time: Clear an inbox without touching the mouse.
NoteMust be switched on in Gmail settings.
Search from:invoices@example.com has:attachment older_than:30d or is:unread label:ci, then choose Create filter from the search options to label, skip the inbox or forward automatically.
Why it saves time: Build notifications and receipts sort themselves; you read the mail that needs a person.
Create rules (right-click a message > Rules) that move CI alerts and newsletters into folders.
Why it saves time: The inbox holds only mail from people.
NoteOutlook for Windows.
Check mail and chat at set times, for example 9:00, 12:30 and 16:00, and close them in between. Anything that takes under two minutes, do at once; everything else becomes a task with a date.
Why it saves time: Ten switches an hour can cost more time than the messages themselves.
No tool saves as much time as an hour without interruptions.
Book two 90-minute blocks a week, or one a day, as busy, with a name such as "Focus: Partner app spec". Treat them like a meeting with someone important.
Why it saves time: Hard work needs unbroken time; an empty calendar gets filled by other people.
Before a focus block, close chat and mail, and keep only the tabs for this task. Write any distracting thought on a parking-lot note to handle later.
Why it saves time: Each tab and badge is a small invitation to switch.
For a task you keep avoiding, set a 25-minute timer, work only on that, then take a 5-minute break (the Pomodoro technique).
Why it saves time: Starting is the hard part; a short timer makes it small enough to begin.
Before you log off, write the first concrete step for tomorrow at the top of your list: "Write the SQL for the S-014 shrinkage check".
Why it saves time: You start the day working instead of deciding what to work on.
Every ask from chat, mail and meetings goes into one list or tracker, with a date. Review it daily.
Why it saves time: Nothing lives only in your memory or in a chat you cannot find later.
Every Friday: clear the inbox to zero decisions, update the task list, check next week's calendar and book focus blocks.
Why it saves time: Monday starts with a plan instead of a backlog of surprises.
Pick three shortcuts from this page for the tools you use most, write them on a sticky note, and use them until they are habit.
Why it saves time: A few seconds saved hundreds of times a week adds up to hours a month.
Shorter meetings that end in decisions, and documents people can skim.
Put the decision or output you need in the invite: "Outcome: choose the delivery fee for the Partner app". Attach the pre-read. If an invite has neither, ask for them before accepting.
Why it saves time: Meetings with a stated outcome end on time and end with an answer.
Google Calendar: Settings > Event settings > Speedy meetings. Outlook: Options > Calendar > End appointments and meetings early.
Why it saves time: Back-to-back meetings get a few minutes between them for notes and a break.
Keep notes in a shared doc on screen with three headings: Decisions, Actions (owner and date), Open questions. Read the actions back in the last two minutes.
Why it saves time: Everyone leaves with the same understanding, and nobody writes minutes afterwards.
Each person posts three lines in a thread before a set time: done, next, blocked. Meet only to unblock.
Why it saves time: Status is read in two minutes instead of heard in thirty.
Select the text and add a comment. Type @ and a name to mention someone, and tick Assign to give them an action they must resolve.
Why it saves time: Review happens in the document, and every open point has an owner.
Apply heading styles instead of bold text. Google Docs builds a clickable outline from them (View > Show outline); Word shows them in View > Navigation Pane.
Why it saves time: Long documents become skimmable and searchable, and a table of contents is one click.
NoteGoogle Docs and Microsoft Word.
Tools > Preferences > Automatically detect Markdown. Then # starts a heading, - a list and **bold** makes bold text as you type.
Why it saves time: Write as fast as in a chat or a README.
NoteGoogle Docs, added in 2022.
In a Google Doc type @meeting notes and pick the calendar event: the date, title and attendees are filled in for you.
Why it saves time: Notes start with the right context in two seconds.
NoteGoogle Workspace.
Turn on Track Changes in Word, or Suggesting mode in Google Docs (the pencil menu at the top right), before you edit someone else's document.
Why it saves time: The author sees and accepts each change, instead of hunting for what you changed.
Google Docs: File > Version history > Name current version ("Sent to finance"). Word in OneDrive or SharePoint: File > Info > Version History.
Why it saves time: Going back to what was approved takes one click, not an archaeology session.
What a product manager can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
Save and pin filters such as "my team, this sprint, blocked". In Jira, JQL like project = PAR AND status = Blocked ORDER BY updated DESC.
Why it saves time: The question "what is stuck?" takes one click before standup.
Keep a weekly review doc that links to one saved dashboard and asks the same questions: what moved, why, what we do. Paste last week's numbers beside this week's.
Why it saves time: Trends become obvious and the review takes 15 minutes, not an afternoon of new charts.
Paste interview transcripts into an AI assistant and ask for themes with direct quotes. Check every quote against the transcript before it goes into the synthesis.
Why it saves time: Hours of notes become a first draft in minutes, without inventing what users said.
Keep a one-page spec template (problem, users, metric, scope, non-goals, risks) and a decision memo template. Start every new doc from them.
Why it saves time: No blank page, and reviewers always know where to look.
Learn enough SQL to run and tweak saved queries, and keep a folder of the ones you use, such as orders by store per day.
Why it saves time: Small questions get answered in minutes instead of joining the analyst's queue.
What a data analyst can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
Keep tested snippets for patterns you repeat: dedupe with ROW_NUMBER(), a date spine, week starting Monday, top N per group. Paste and adapt.
Why it saves time: Tricky patterns are written once and right, not from memory each time.
Use a parameter or filter for store, date range and region instead of copying a query or dashboard for each.
Why it saves time: A fix happens once, and numbers stay consistent across teams.
Turn manual cleaning steps into Power Query steps or a pandas script that reads the raw export and writes the clean table.
Why it saves time: Next month's report is a refresh, and the steps are documented by the code.
After each join or filter, check the row count (and a sum of a key column) against what you expected.
Why it saves time: A bad join that doubles revenue is caught in seconds, not in the exec meeting.
Use the BI tool's scheduled refresh and subscriptions to send the dashboard or a PDF to people every Monday.
Why it saves time: No more Monday morning export-and-email ritual.
In Jupyter, Kernel > Restart and Run All before you share a notebook.
Why it saves time: Proves the notebook runs top to bottom, not just in the order you happened to run cells.
What a developer can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
Add package.json scripts such as dev, test, lint, db:seed and db:reset, and document them in the README.
Why it saves time: Everyone runs the same commands, and onboarding is npm run plus a name.
Set up a pre-commit hook (for example with husky and lint-staged, or the pre-commit tool) that formats and lints only the staged files.
Why it saves time: Style comments disappear from code review.
Run npx vitest (watch mode by default) or npx jest --watch while you code.
Why it saves time: Tests re-run on every save, so you see a break the moment you make it.
Add .github/pull_request_template.md with what changed, why, how to test and screenshots.
Why it saves time: Reviewers get the context they need, and PRs get approved faster.
Use an AI assistant for test scaffolding, types from a JSON sample and repetitive mapping code. Read every line and run the tests before you commit.
Why it saves time: Hours of typing saved, without shipping code nobody understands.
What a qa engineer can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
npx playwright codegen https://staging.example.com opens a browser and writes a test as you click. Clean up the locators to use roles and labels.
Why it saves time: A working skeleton in minutes instead of writing selectors by hand.
NotePlaywright.
Turn on traces for retries in the Playwright config and open one with npx playwright show-trace trace.zip: every step, screenshot, network call and console line.
Why it saves time: See exactly why a CI test failed without reproducing it locally.
NotePlaywright.
Write a script or test fixture that creates the users, stores and orders a test needs through the API or the database, instead of clicking through screens.
Why it saves time: Each test starts from a known state in seconds.
Title with the symptom, steps, expected, actual, environment and build, plus a screen recording and the request copied from DevTools.
Why it saves time: Developers reproduce the bug at the first try, and the ticket does not bounce back.
Keep requests for each endpoint in a collection with variables for base URL and token, one environment per stage.
Why it saves time: Check the API on staging or production in two clicks, with no copied tokens in notes.
What a devops and sre can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
For each runbook step that is a command, write a script or make target (make rotate-certs) and link it from the runbook.
Why it saves time: At 3 am you run one tested command instead of copying ten from a wiki.
Put shared build and deploy steps in a workflow with on: workflow_call and call it from each repository.
Why it saves time: Fix the pipeline once, not in twenty repositories.
alias k=kubectl, and check kubectl config current-context before any change. Name contexts clearly, such as prod-eu and staging.
Why it saves time: Faster commands, and fewer changes made to the wrong cluster.
Put the runbook URL and the dashboard link in each alert's description.
Why it saves time: The person paged starts fixing instead of searching.
gh run rerun <run-id> --failed, or Re-run failed jobs in the GitHub UI.
Why it saves time: A flaky step costs one job's time, not the whole pipeline's.
NoteGitHub CLI and GitHub Actions.
What a security analyst can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
Save the searches you run every morning in the SIEM (new admin accounts, failed MFA spikes, logins from new countries) and pin them on one dashboard.
Why it saves time: The daily review takes ten minutes and nothing is forgotten.
Have a playbook add the user, the device owner, IP reputation and recent logins to each alert before an analyst opens it.
Why it saves time: Triage starts with context instead of five lookups.
Same questions for every alert: what happened, who and what is affected, is it expected, what evidence, what next. Same case template for notes.
Why it saves time: Faster, consistent decisions, and clean hand-overs between shifts.
List the five rules with the most false positives and add narrow, documented exceptions, rather than turning rules off.
Why it saves time: Less noise means real alerts get attention.
Use CyberChef (a free web tool) to decode Base64, URL encoding or timestamps found in logs, chaining steps into a recipe.
Why it saves time: Read what an encoded string says in seconds, without writing a script.
What a finance can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
Build models with separate sheets for inputs (one colour for cells people may change), calculations and outputs.
Why it saves time: Anyone can change an assumption safely, and reviewers know where to look.
Load ERP, bank and billing exports with Power Query and refresh them each month instead of pasting.
Why it saves time: Month-end prep shrinks from hours to a refresh, with fewer paste errors.
Add check cells such as =SUM(Detail[AmountCents]) - Summary!B12 that should be 0, and highlight them red when they are not.
Why it saves time: A broken link or a missed row shows up before the model is sent.
Stack budget and actual rows in one Table with a Type column, pivot by cost centre and month, and add variance and variance % columns plus a comment column.
Why it saves time: The monthly variance pack is a refresh plus comments.
A data-validation dropdown (Base, Low, High) on the inputs sheet, and assumptions that pick their value with XLOOKUP or CHOOSE.
Why it saves time: Show three scenarios in a meeting by changing one cell.
What a business analyst can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
One row per requirement with columns for the story, the acceptance tests and the UAT result.
Why it saves time: "Is everything we agreed covered and tested?" has an answer in one filter.
Turn workshop notes into draft stories with Given/When/Then acceptance criteria the same day, and send them back to the attendees.
Why it saves time: Memories are fresh, and mistakes are caught before development starts.
Keep one page of business terms (GRN, site, article, partner order) with one agreed definition each, linked from every spec.
Why it saves time: Half of requirement bugs are two people meaning different things by one word.
Paste a story and its acceptance criteria into an AI assistant and ask for missing edge cases and error paths. Keep the ones that are real for the business.
Why it saves time: A broader first pass at what could go wrong, in minutes.
One row per scenario with steps, expected result, tester, pass or fail and a link to evidence. Share it before UAT starts.
Why it saves time: UAT runs to a plan, and sign-off has evidence.
What a team lead can automate or speed up. The role path has the courses and the cheat sheet the references.
One shared doc per report, newest date at the top, with their topics first, then yours, then actions.
Why it saves time: Nothing discussed is lost, and reviews and promotions have a record.
Shipped, next, risks, asks, in five bullets, sent at the same time each week.
Why it saves time: Your manager and peers stop asking for status, and writing it takes ten minutes.
Hold two open slots a week for questions and reviews, and point ad hoc asks to them unless they are urgent.
Why it saves time: You get focus time back, and people still get help within days.
Say the outcome, the constraints (budget, date, what not to change) and when you will check in. Then let them choose how.
Why it saves time: Work moves without you, and people grow.
Pull deployment frequency, lead time, change failure rate and time to restore from CI and incident records into one dashboard.
Why it saves time: Talk about delivery with numbers that update themselves.
Each person posts done, next and blocked in a thread by 10:00. Meet only about the blockers.
Why it saves time: Saves a daily meeting and works across time zones.
