11 best Data Entry Courses Online: Updated (2023)

Data entry is a great field of employment to get into, and it is one that is expanding constantly.]

There are no degree requirements and with the right training you will be able to earn a good living quite quickly. 

We here to help you find data entry courses online so that you can get stuck into your training straight away. 

We’ll take a look at the different online training providers that offer these courses and look at seven of them, so you can find the one that is right for you. 

Let’s take a look at what is on offer for the beginner up to the more advanced learner. 

Coursera

Coursera is one of the biggest online learning providers in the world with more than 100 million people taking their courses. 

In their 2020 impact report Coursera noted that 87% of people who were learning for professional development report increased likelihood of getting a promotion, raise or beginning a new career. 

Their courses range from arts and humanities to information technology, personal developement to data science.

They also offer several foreign language subtitles to their online courses to make them accessible to a wider range of people. 

Excel Skills for Business Specialization

This course of Excel Skills for Business Specialization covers all aspects of this fundamental digital skill.

It will be a valuable asset in your employability portfolio as millions of jobs are advertised every day worldwide that require the applicant to be proficient in Excel. 

You will learn the basics of the program from the beginning up to advanced level by the end of the four courses in this specialization. 

At the outset you will learn skills such as applying formulas, validating data, preventing errors occurring in spreadsheets and using conditional logic. 

By the end of the course the learner will be able to manage large datasets, extract meaningful information from datasets and eventually work towards designing complicated spreadsheets. 

You will also be capable of performing complex calculations using some of Excel’s most advanced features. 

Pros

• Teaches Excel from the basics up to the most advanced level
• 100% online course
• Flexible schedule to complete
• Subtitles available in ten different languages
• Increases your employability

Cons

• The four parts of the course will take approximately 6 months to complete at the suggeted pace of five hours per week

Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning platform which anyone can use to take or teach a class.

You can join to watch and learn from online classes, create a project or even become a teacher yourself in your chosen profession.  

The platform was developed to close the professional skills gap and give everyone access to high quality learning.

It helps people learn new skills, share their knowledge and find inspiration. 

Beginners Guide to Microsoft Excel – Data Entry

The Beginners Guide to Microsoft Excel, Data Entry course is the perfect tool for those who are new to data entry.

You can take advantage of Skillshare’s one month free trial to see if this is the right course for you.  

Learn the basic tools of data entry and keep up to date with all the industry changes and providing you with the latest techniques of data entry. 

You will learn how to effectively use Excel and all its functions including how to use flash fill, auto fill and custom fill.

Learn how to sort through data and how to apply filters.

Finally you will learn the techniques for copy and paste in Excel as well as the cut and drag option. 

The course lasts just 42 minutes, so it’s really quick and easy to get through. 

Pros

• Will teach you how to use Excel basic functions for data entry
• Take advantage of one month free trial
• Get the basics, so you can go on to more advanced Excel functions
• Very quick course

Cons

• Only a 42 minute course so will not go into any real depth of explanation

Excel for The Real World: Gain The Basic Skills for Microsoft Excel

This course in Excel by Skillshare is the next step up from the Beginner’s Guide and will help you develop your data entry skills.

It will take you through the ribbon of Excel functions and explain how each of them work and what purpose they serve. 

This will help you learn how to use Excel for a range of practical functions as well as the Quick Access toolbar which can be very helpful. 

In Excel for the Real World you can learn how to customize the ribbon to your needs, create a structured workbook by working with worksheets and working in cells. Learn how to format data, delete and filter it. 

Get to grips with basic formulas and understand the importance of VLOOKUP to make dealing with data easier.

Analyze data with greater speed and accuracy by learning how to organize, sort and list it. 

Go beyond the Copy and Paste function with the Paste Special feature. Maximize your productivity and increase your skill set.

Pros

• Learn the functions of the Excel ribbon
• Customize it to suit your needs
• Understand more complex functions such as VLOOKUP 
• Learn about Paste Special
• Format, organize, delete and filter data

Cons

• This is still a basic Excel course with some additional features

Excel for The Real World II

This is the second part of a three part course for learning to use Excel for data entry.

Following on from the previous course it will fill in any missing knowledge and expand your skill sets when using Excel.

In particular, you will learn how to use the shortcuts on the keyboard which helps to increase the speed of your work.

This in turn will benefit your productivity and help you to work without using a mouse. 

As well as all the features you will have learned in the previous course, this Excel for the Real World II has some of the strongest features for performing operations in a spreadsheet. 

Learn to format through shortcuts and other tools such as alignment and borders and where to use formatting.

Get the data you need and select a range of cells using just your keyboard. 

Pros

• Learn all the basics of Excel from the beginning
• Build on these skills with more advanced functions
• Use your keyboard for shortcuts and more speed
• Learn how to format data through keyboard shortcuts
• Work faster and more efficiently

Cons

• Needs to be taken as part of a 3 part course 

Udemy

Udemy are an online training course provider that offer courses in business, finance, IT, design and marketing among many others.

They have a range of 204,000 online video courses to choose from, and new additions are added all the time. 

This is a great place to learn a new skill, launch a new career and advance in your chosen field.

There is something for everyone here. Choose from web development, Javascript, data science or AWS certification. 

The courses at Udemy are taught by real-world experts who allow you to learn at your own pace.

And you will have lifetime access to the course from your desktop or mobile. 

Data Entry Course for Beginners 

This course is aimed at complete beginners to data entry and seeks to teach them all they need to know to kick-start their careers in this field.

You will learn how to convert PDF files and images, how to do web research and carry out basic data entry tasks.

These skills are taught with the aid of live demo work examples directly from Upwork. 

The tutor gives you free demo project examples to try and this will give you a taste of what kind of jobs you would be doing as part of a data entry job.

Practice files are a great way to build your portfolio and give you some confidence in applying what you have learned. 

Progress to using large data sets and learn advanced data entry skills. 

Pros

• Teaches the basics of data entry
• Learn how to do web research 
• Live demos directly from Upwork
• Practice files add to your portfolio and your confidence
• Learn advanced data entry with large data sets

Cons

• Advertised as for beginners but is almost 3 hours long

Xero Online Accounting – The Practical Data Entry Course

Learn how to use Xero, the cloud based accounting software for small and medium sized businesses.

It aims to make accounting run smoothly, keeping records tidy and making compliance easy. 

To learn how to use Xero this Practical Data Entry course from Udemy is a great place to start.

With this course, you learn by doing. Using video instruction you will be able to complete the tasks alongside the instructor. This is great for visual learners. 

You will learn how to design and create an invoice and how to issue them.

You will also learn how to use data entry for entering invoices for purchases, how to import bank statements and reconcile transactions done through the bank. 

Run reports, identify a particular record in a data set and make changes once data has been entered.

As learn some tips on how to avoid mistakes or identify and correct them quickly. 

Pros

• Learn data entry and basic accounting in one course
• Get to grips with Xero
• Follow the instructor through step-by-step videos
• Watch the videos as many times as you like

Cons

• Lot of content and the free trial is only 30 days

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is a subsidiary of LinkedIn, the largest professional network on the internet.

LinkedIn Learning is an online training platform that offers course in a multitude of areas including technology, business, and creative skills. 

Some but not all of their courses lead to certifications, and it depends on the purpose of the training.

You may want to brush up on your skills or be a complete beginner looking to beef up your resume. 

Almost 60% of learning and development professionals state that reskilling and upskilling is their highest priority.

As technololgy changes so rapidly it is important to keep yourself up to date with the latest software, in-demand skills and professional requirements. 

Excel Essential Training

Most people have heard of LinkedIn Learning as it is part of the professional networking site LinkedIn.

They offer an essential training course in Excel to help you learn from the basics to sorting and filtering data. 

This course covers everything you need to know about working with these spreadsheets including how to create a file, enter text, merge cells and much more.

Learn how to use XLOOKUP, AutoSum and how to build a formula. 

Get to grips with conditional formatting and how to create a Pivot Table to group and summarize data.

Then protect your file from unwanted changes and learn how to collaborate and share your data. 

At the end of each section there is a quiz to test your understanding.

You can do this course anywhere as you can access it on your phone or tablet as well as a laptop or desktop. 

Pros

• Course covers all the essentials of an Excel spreadsheet
• Certification on successful completion which is shareable
• Learn how to create formulas and format data
• Each section tests your knowledge before you proceed to the next one

Cons

• Needs to be updated every year to keep pace with updates

Final Thoughts

Data entry is one of the fastest growing job markets in recent times and it has only become more popular with the advent of remote working.

There are few industries where data entry is not used. Spreadsheet software programs are used in offices all over the world. 

This makes learning this valuable skill worthwhile for anyone looking for work or who wishes to make a career change. 

At a time where digital skills are among the most sought after it makes sense to position yourself where you have a greater chance of a job offer or promotion by training in data entry. 

We hope this guide to data entry courses online has been helpful to you.