How to Find a Sheet by Name in Excel (Without Scrolling Through 50 Tabs)

Method 1: Right-Click the Navigation Arrows

This is the hidden gem most users never discover.

Right-click on the small arrows at the left of the sheet tab bar (the ones you use to scroll through tabs). A list of all sheets appears. Click any sheet name to jump directly to it.

Limitation: The list only shows about 15 sheets at a time. If you have more, you need to click “More Sheets...” to see the rest.

Method 2: Ctrl+Page Down / Page Up

Not exactly “finding” a sheet, but useful for sequential navigation:

• Ctrl+Page Down — Move to the next sheet
• Ctrl+Page Up — Move to the previous sheet

Hold the keys to cycle quickly. Works well when you know the sheet is “somewhere nearby.”

Method 3: The Name Box

If you know a named range on the target sheet, click the Name Box (left of the formula bar) and type the name. Excel jumps to that range, switching sheets if necessary.

You can also type a cell address with the sheet name: January!A1

Hit Enter and Excel navigates there. This requires knowing (or guessing) the sheet name, but it's faster than scrolling.

Method 4: Go To Dialog (Ctrl+G)

Press Ctrl+G or F5 to open the Go To dialog. Type a sheet reference like 'Q3 Sales'!A1 (quotes needed for names with spaces).

The dialog also shows recent locations, so if you've visited the sheet before, it might appear in the list.

Method 5: Hyperlinks from a TOC Sheet

Create a “Table of Contents” sheet with hyperlinks to every other sheet:

=HYPERLINK("#'Sheet Name'!A1", "Go to Sheet Name")

Click the link to jump directly. This requires upfront setup but provides permanent quick navigation.

Why These Methods Fall Short

All of these approaches have problems:

• The right-click menu requires multiple clicks for large workbooks
• Keyboard shortcuts only work for sequential navigation
• Go To requires you to know and type the exact sheet name
• TOC sheets need maintenance and don't help with hidden sheets

What you really want is a searchable, always-visible list of all sheets. That's not built into Excel.

Official Resources

• Move or copy worksheets — Microsoft worksheet guide
• Go To Special — navigation dialog guide