When you are managing a complex project tracker or a shared inventory list in Google Sheets, you often need to show that a specific task is completed or an item is out of stock. Deleting the row entirely destroys your historical data, and highlighting it in red can make the spreadsheet look chaotic. The most professional way to indicate completion is by applying a “strikethrough” (a solid horizontal line drawn directly through the middle of the text) to the specific cell.
Using the Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest Method)
If you frequently check off items in a to-do list, memorizing the keyboard shortcut will save you massive amounts of time.
- Click once on the cell containing the text you want to cross out. (You can also click and drag to highlight multiple cells at once).
- Press Alt + Shift + 5 on a Windows PC or Chromebook.
- If you are using a Mac, press Command + Shift + X.
The text will instantly be crossed out. If you made a mistake and need to remove the line, simply select the cell again and press the exact same keyboard shortcut to toggle the formatting off.
Using the Format Menu
If you prefer using your mouse, you can apply the formatting through the top toolbar menu.
- Click the cell you want to format.
- In the top menu bar, click on Format.
- Hover your mouse over Text.
- Click on Strikethrough from the flyout menu.
Unlike simply typing an “X” in the next column, striking through the actual data provides an immediate, universally understood visual cue that the information inside that specific cell is no longer active.