Status bar in Excel: customize and use (2023)

Mobile mode

On the leftmost side of the Excel status bar, thecell mode indicatorwaiting for your attention. This indicator serves as a useful visual signal, informing you of the current status of the active cell. It notifies you if you're done, editing content, confirming changes, or referencing other cells.

• Finished. When you first open a new worksheet or navigate to a new worksheet, the cell mode indicator usually appearsFinished. This means that the selected cell is ready to receive input or perform actions, so you can immediately start typing or edit the contents of the cell.
• Enter. Indicates that you are entering information in the cell. It is activated when you select a cell and start typing, or when you pressF2twice.
• Edit. When you double-click on a cell or on theF2key, the cell mode switches toEdit, indicating editing in the cell. In this mode, you can navigate within the cell, make changes, and use various keyboard shortcuts specific to editing.
• Punt. Indicates a formula cell selection mode. It appears when you start creating a formula and click on the cells you want to use as a reference. This mode means that the selected cell references other cells elsewhere in the workbook.

Macro recording icon

Next to the cell mode indicator on the left side of the status bar you will find theMacro shoticon. It allows you to automate repetitive tasks by recording a series of actions as a macro. Click this icon to start the recording process and then perform the desired actions within the spreadsheet. As the macro is being recorded, the icon changes to a transparent square, providing a visual indication of the active recording process. To stop recording, simply click on this icon and it will return to its original appearance.

For more information, seeHow to record a macro in Excel.

Accessibility check

Located next to theMacro shoticon on the status bar is itAccessibility Checkerchoice. This feature allows you to evaluate the accessibility of your spreadsheet and ensure that it can be used effectively by anyone, including users with disabilities.

When you launch the Accessibility Checker, Excel examines various aspects, such as cell formatting, document structure, and worksheet readability. It highlights any issues that may affect individuals with visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, or other accessibility needs.

If there are any accessibility issues in your workbook, the status bar will be displayedAccessibility: Explore. If you click on this text, it will becomeAccessibilitypanel, which provides guidelines for improving the accessibility of your workbook for everyone.

Conversely, if no issues are found, the status bar will be displayedAccessibility: Good to go, indicating that your workbook meets accessibility standards.

Overall, the Accessibility Checker option provides valuable insights and recommendations to make your spreadsheet more inclusive and easy to use.

Workbook views

On the right side of the status bar in Excel, you will see the threeWorkbook viewsoptions. These options allow you to switch between different display modes to optimize your workspace and focus on specific aspects of your workbook.

Normal view- the default workbook view. It offers a standard layout with gridlines, headers and footers.

Page layout view- provides a more visual representation of your worksheets. It simulates what the printed pages will look like, including margins, page breaks, and backgrounds. This view is especially useful for designing and customizing the layout of your workbook for printing or sharing as a PDF.

Page break example- displays your worksheets with visible page breaks, so you can see exactly how the content will be split between pages when printed. You can adjust page breaks and make any necessary changes to ensure optimal page layout.

Tip.These options are also accessible on theDisplaytab of the Excel ribbon.

Page number

When you work with a worksheet that is divided into multiple printed pages (Page Layout view), thePage numberoption shows you the total number of pages in the sheet and the current page number.

Zoom options

As the rightmost option on the status bar in Excel, you have theZoom options, which allows you to change the zoom level of your workbook view.

Zoom slider- is a useful tool to adjust the magnification of your workbook. It appears as a scroll bar with a marker that you can drag left or right to decrease or increase the zoom level. As you move the slider, the percentage value displayed next to it changes, indicating the current zoom level. By default, the slider is set to 100%. Moving it to the left will zoom out so you can see more rows and columns. Moving it to the right zooms in and gives you a better view of the worksheet.

Zoom in and zoom out icons- on either side of the zoom slider are theZoom inInZoom outicons, represented by a plus sign (+) and a minus sign (-), respectively. Clicking these icons changes the zoom level by 10%, which is a quick and convenient way to adjust the zoom level of your workbook without using the slider.

Zoom percentage- displays the current zoom level of your workbook. This value represents the relative size of the content compared to its actual size. You can also directly enter a specific percentage value by clicking theZoom percentagevalue and type the desired percentage.

These zoom options provide flexibility in adjusting the display size of your workbook to accommodate different screen sizes, readability preferences, or the need to view more or less content at once.

Sheet number

As part of the status bar customization, Excel provides theSheet numberoption that allows you to display the order of the active sheet in the workbook.

To enable this option, right-click the status bar and selectSheet numberfrom the customization menu. Once enabled, the status bar will display the page number on the left, in addition to the other information already displayed.

Statistics workbook

OfStatistics workbookoption in the custom status bar provides a summary of key information about the workbook, helping you understand its structure and content.

To access this feature, right-click on the status bar and selectStatistics workbookfrom the menu. A separate window appears with various details about the current sheet and the whole workbook, such as the number of sheets, cells with data, tables, and formulas.

Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock

When enabled, the status bar indicators provide a visual reminder of the current state of the Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock keys on your keyboard, helping you avoid typos and ensure accurate data entry.

Remark.Excel's status bar only displays the Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock status, but does not control them. For more information, seeHow to Disable Scroll Lock in Excel.

Overtype mode

supertypeis a typing mode in which new characters overwrite existing text as you type, rather than pushing the existing text forward. This can be useful when you need to replace the existing content without manually deleting it.

To enable or disable overwrite mode in Excel, simply press theInsertkey on your keyboard. When this mode is enabled, the indicator is displayed in the status barsupertype, and any new text you type replaces the characters to the right of the insertion point. When overwrite mode is off, the indicator disappears and new text is inserted at the cursor position without replacing the existing values.

Number of cells changed by Flash Fill

One of the outstanding features of Excel isFlash fill, which intelligently recognizes patterns and automatically fills adjacent cells accordingly. The status bar informs you of the applied Flash Fill operation, ensuring that the desired data transformation has been accurately applied.

Number of filtered rows

When youapply a filterto a table or data range in Excel, the status bar displays the number of visible rows. This handy feature allows you to track which records meet the applied filter criteria, helping you understand the filtered subset of data.

Comment author

Collaborating in Excel often goes hand in handadd commentsto specific cells to provide additional context or instructions. The status bar takes it a step further by displaying the name of the person who commented on a particular cell. This helps identify the contributors, making it easier to follow up or ask for clarification when needed.