How to Select Only Populated Cells with Ctrl+Shift in WPS Spreadsheets
Question details
The user needs to select only populated cells with Ctrl+Shift+Arrow when a formula range contains blank results, so the selection stops at the last visible value instead of extending through the entire formula range.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- The user is working in a worksheet where formulas return blank results and wants to use Ctrl+Shift+Arrow to select only the cells that display values.
- Observed behavior
- Ctrl+Shift+Arrow selects the entire formula range, including the blank formula result cells, instead of stopping at the last visible value.
Open the workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets and click any cell inside the range you want to select. Then press Ctrl+F to confirm the Find dialog opens before following the selection steps.
Select Only Populated Cells by Finding the Last Non-Empty Value
Use Find with Look in set to Values to locate the last visible value first, then select upward with Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow. This prevents blank formula results from expanding the selection.
Ctrl+Shift+Arrow normally stops at the edge of a data region, but cells containing formulas are still considered part of that region even when the formula currently returns an empty string. Searching by displayed values first lets you position the active cell on the last populated cell before making the upward selection.
Click any cell in the range and press Ctrl+F to open the Find dialog.
In the Find what box, type an asterisk (*). Open the Look in drop-down and choose Values so WPS Spreadsheets finds only cells with displayed values rather than formulas.
Hold down the Shift key and click Find Next. WPS Spreadsheets selects the last cell containing a visible value.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow to select the populated range from the selected last value up to the first filled cell.
Select Only Populated Cells in WPS Office Spreadsheets
Use WPS Office Spreadsheets to open the workbook, search by displayed values, and select only the populated cells with Ctrl+Shift+Arrow. The Find method keeps blank formula results from extending the selection.
- 1. Download and install WPS Office: Go to the official WPS Office site, download WPS Office, and install the suite on your device.
- 2. Open the affected workbook: Launch WPS Office Spreadsheets and open the Excel workbook containing the formula range.
- 3. Locate the last populated cell: Press Ctrl+F, type an asterisk (*) in Find what, set Look in to Values, hold Shift, and click Find Next.
- 4. Select the populated range: Press Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow to select from the active last populated cell up to the starting cell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Ctrl+Shift+Arrow select blank formula cells instead of stopping at the last visible value?
Because the shortcut moves through cells that contain formulas, even if the formula currently returns an empty string. Those cells are still part of the data region, so the selection extends beyond the last visible result.
Does the asterisk Find method work when formulas return blank text values?
Yes. In the Find dialog, type an asterisk (*), set Look in to Values, hold Shift, and click Find Next. This forces WPS Spreadsheets to locate only cells whose displayed value is not blank.
Can I use Go To Special to select only populated cells?
If the populated cells are typed constants such as numbers or text, open Go To Special with Ctrl+G > Special in WPS Spreadsheets and choose Constants. For formula results, use the Find method because Constants selects only typed values.
Will this shortcut work the same way in WPS Office as in Microsoft Excel?
Yes. WPS Spreadsheets supports Ctrl+F, Ctrl+Shift+Arrow, and Ctrl+G, and the Find dialog includes a Look in: Values option, so the workflow works for Excel-compatible workbooks including .xlsx files.
