Excel insert new rows

Insert or delete rows and columns

Insert and delete rows and columns to organize your worksheet better.

Note: Microsoft Excel has the following column and row limits: 16,384 columns wide by 1,048,576 rows tall.

Insert or delete a column

1. Select any cell within the column, then go to Home > Insert > Insert Sheet Columns or Delete Sheet Columns.

2. Alternatively, right-click the top of the column, and then select Insert or Delete. 

Insert or delete a row

1. Select any cell within the row, then go to Home > Insert > Insert Sheet Rows or Delete Sheet Rows.

2. Alternatively, right-click the row number, and then select Insert or Delete.

Formatting options

When you select a row or column that has formatting applied, that formatting will be transferred to a new row or column that you insert. If you don’t want the formatting to be applied, you can select the Insert Options button after you insert, and choose from one of the options as follows:

If the Insert Options button isn’t visible, then go to File > Options > Advanced > in the Cut, copy and paste group, check the Show Insert Options buttons option.

Insert rows

To insert a single row: Right-click the whole row above which you want to insert the new row, and then select Insert Rows.

To insert multiple rows: Select the same number of rows above which you want to add new ones. Right-click the selection, and then select Insert Rows.

Insert columns

To insert a single column: Right-click the whole column to the right of where you want to add the new column, and then select Insert Columns.

To insert multiple columns: Select the same number of columns to the right of where you want to add new ones. Right-click the selection, and then select Insert Columns.

Delete cells, rows, or columns

If you don’t need any of the existing cells, rows or columns, here’s how to delete them:

1. Select the cells, rows, or columns that you want to delete.

2. Right-click, and then select the appropriate delete option, for example, Delete Cells & Shift Up, Delete Cells & Shift Left, Delete Rows, or Delete Columns. 

When you delete rows or columns, other rows or columns automatically shift up or to the left.

Tip: If you change your mind right after you deleted a cell, row, or column, just press Ctrl+Z to restore it.

Insert cells

To insert a single cell:

1. Right-click the cell above which you want to insert a new cell.

2. Select Insert, and then select Cells & Shift Down.

To insert multiple cells:

1. Select the same number of cells above which you want to add the new ones.

2. Right-click the selection, and then select Insert > Cells & Shift Down.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

See Also

Basic tasks in Excel

Overview of formulas in Excel

Is this article up to date?

Creating new tables, reports and pricelists of different types, we cannot predict the number of necessary rows and columns. Using Excel program implies to a great extent creating and setting up spreadsheets, which requires inserting and deleting different elements.

First, let’s consider the methods of inserting sheet rows and columns when creating spreadsheets.

Note that in this tutorial we indicate hot keys for adding or deleting rows and columns. They should be used after highlighting the whole row or column. To highlight the row where the cursor is placed, press the combination of hot keys: SHIFT+SPACEBAR. Hot keys for highlighting a column are CTRL+SPACEBAR.



How to insert a column between other columns?

Assuming you have a pricelist lacking line item numbering:

To insert a column between other columns for filling in pricelist items numbering you can use one of the two ways:

1. Move the cursor to activate A1 cell. Then go to tab «HOME», tool section «Cells» and click «Insert», in the popup menu select «Insert Sheet Columns» option.



2. Right-click the heading of column A. Select «Insert» option on the shortcut menu.



3. Select the column, and press the hotkey combination CTRL+SHIFT+PLUS.

Now you can type the numbers of pricelist line items.

Simultaneous insertion of several columns

The pricelist still lacks two columns: quantity and units (items, kilograms, liters, packs). To add simultaneously, highlight the two-cell range (C1:D1). Then use the same tool on the «Insert»-«Insert Sheet Columns» main tab.

Alternatively, highlight two headings of columns C and D, right-click and select «Insert» option.

Note. Columns are always added to the left side. There appear as many new columns as many old ones have been highlighted. The order of inserted also depends on the order of highlighting. For example, next but one etc.



How to insert a row between rows in Excel?

Now let’s add a heading and a new goods line item «All for the garden» to the pricelist. To this end, let’s insert two new rows simultaneously.

Highlight the nonadjacent range of two cells A1,A4 (note that character “,” is used instead of character “:” – it means that two nonadjacent ranges should be highlighted; to make sure, type A1; A4 in the name field and press Enter). You know from the previous tutorials how to highlight nonadjacent ranges.

Now once again use the tool «HOME»-«Insert»-«Insert Sheet Columns». The picture shows how to insert a blank row between other rows in Excel.

It is easy to guess the second way. You need to highlight headings of rows 1 and 3, right-click on one of the highlighted rows and select «Insert» option.

To add a row or a column in Excel use hot keys CTRL+SHIFT+PLUS having highlighted the appropriate row or column.

Note. New rows are always added above the highlighted rows.

Deleting rows and columns

When working with Excel you need to delete rows and columns as often as to insert them. Therefore, you have to practice.

By way of illustration, let’s delete from our pricelist the numbering of goods line items and the unit column simultaneously.

Highlight the nonadjacent range of cells A1; D1 and select «HOME»-«Delete»-«Delete Sheet Rows». The shortcut menu can also be used for deleting if you highlight headings A1 and D1 instead of cells.

Row deleting is performed in the similar way. You only need to select a tool in the appropriate menu. Applying a shortcut menu is the same. You only have to highlight the rows correspondingly by row numbers.

To delete a row or a column in Excel, use hot keys CTRL+MINUS having preliminary highlighted them.

Note. Inserting new columns and rows is in fact substitution, as the number of rows (1 048 576) and columns (16 384) doesn’t change. The new just replace the old ones. You should consider this fact when filling in the sheet with data by more than 50% — 80%.

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Insert Row | Insert Rows | Insert Cells

To quickly insert a row in Excel, select a row and use the shortcut CTRL SHIFT +. To quickly insert multiple rows, select multiple rows and use the same shortcut.

Insert Row

To insert a row in Excel, execute the following steps.

1. Select a row.

2. Right click, and then click Insert.

Result:

Note: instead of executing step 2, use the shortcut CTRL SHIFT +.

Insert Rows

To quickly insert multiple rows in Excel, execute the following steps.

1. Select multiple rows by clicking and dragging over the row headers.

2. Press CTRL SHIFT +.

Result:

Insert Cells

Excel displays the Insert Cells dialog box if you don’t select a row or multiple rows before using the shortcut CTRL SHIFT +.

1. Select cell A3.

2. Press CTRL SHIFT +.

3a. Excel automatically selects «Shift cells down». Click OK.

Result:

3b. To insert a row, select «Entire row» and click OK.

Result:

This post will guide you how to quickly insert multiple rows or columns in your Microsoft worksheet. You will see that how to add new multiple rows or columns with shortcut or insert feature, or insert copied cells in excel. Or how to quickly insert rows or columns with Excel VBA macro.

Suppose that you want to quickly insert 5 blank rows between row 4 and row5 in your worksheet, and how to do it? May be you can do it by manually, but this is not a good idea, because if you need to insert hundreds of blank rows or columns, it will be tedious and time-consuming.

Of course, there are several ways to quickly insert new multiple rows or column in Excel. Let’s see the below detailed description.

Method 1: Insert multiple rows or columns in Excel using Insert feature

Insert Rows:

If you want to insert 5 rows between Row 3 and Row 4 in your worksheet, then you can do it following steps:

1# you should locate the destination row, it should be Row 4, so select 5 entire rows below from Row 3 using the row number buttons.

2# On the HOME tab, click Insert command under Cells group. Or click Insert Cells from the drop-down list of Insert.

Or you can right-click on the selected rows, then choose the insert option from the pop-up menu list.

You will see that 5 rows are inserted after Row 3 in your worksheet.

Insert Columns:

If you want to insert 5 columns between column B and column C using insert feature, just do it follow:

1# select 5 columns next to column C (includes the column 3) using the column number buttons.

2# On the HOME tab, click Insert command under Cells group. Or click Insert Cells from the drop-down list of Insert.

Method 2: Insert multiple rows or columns in Excel using shortcut

You can also use the shortcut F4 to insert multiple rows or columns in Excel, and this is the simplest way to insert new rows or columns in Excel.

Insert Rows:

If you want to insert 5 rows between Row 2 and Row 3, then you just need to select the Row 3, then press F4 shortcut 5 times, then it will insert 5 rows after Row 2.

Insert Columns:

If you want to insert 5 columns between Column B and Column C, then you just need to select the entire Column C, then press F4 shortcut 5 times. You will see that 5 new columns are inserted in your worksheet.

Method 3: Insert multiple rows or columns in Excel using Insert Copied Cells feature

You can also use the Insert Copied Cells functionality to inert multiple rows or columns, just follow the below steps:

1# select multiple rows in your worksheet (the selected rows should be equal to the number of rows that you want to inert)

2# press Ctrl +C to copy the selected rows

3# select the destination rows, such as, if you want to insert new rows between Row2 and Row 3, then you should select Row 3. Then right-click on it, choose Insert Copied Cells option from the drop-down menu list.

4# you will see that multiple rows are inserted after row 2.

And if you need to insert multiple columns using Insert Copied Cells method, just select multiple columns in the above Step1. Then repeat the rest steps.

Method 4: Insert multiple rows in Excel using Excel VBA macro

If you want to insert multiple rows with VBA macro in Excel, you can follow the below steps:

1# click on “Visual Basic” command under DEVELOPER Tab.

2# then the “Visual Basic Editor” window will appear.

3# click “Insert” ->”Module” to create a new module

4# paste the below VBA code into the code window. Then clicking “Save” button.

Sub InsertRowsAtCursor()
    Answer = InputBox("How many Rows to insert? (50 Rows maximum)")
    NumLines = Int(Val(Answer))
    If NumLines > 50 Then
        NumLines = 50
    End If
    If NumLines = 0 Then
        GoTo EndInsertLines
    End If
    Do
        Selection.EntireRow.Insert
        Count = Count + 1
    Loop While Count < NumLines
    EndInsertLines:
End Sub

5# back to the current worksheet, then run the above excel macro. Click Run button.

6# type rows number that you want to insert, then click OK button.

Home > Microsoft Excel > How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel? The 4 Best Methods

Note: This guide on how to insert multiple rows in Excel is suitable for all Excel users. 

Have you ever wondered how to insert multiple rows in Excel in one go? In this tutorial, I am going to explain how to do just that. 

Also, I am going to talk about some lesser-known tricks and shortcuts about Excel rows. 

Related:

How to Autofit Excel Cells? 3 Best Methods

How to Shade Every Other Row in Excel? (5 Best Methods)

How to Superscript in Excel? (9 Best Methods)

I am confident that, by the end of this guide, you will be able to handle Excel rows like a pro. 

I’ll cover: 

1. Why Insert Multiple Rows in Excel?
2. How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel? 
3. Excel Insert Row Shortcut
4. Excel Insert Row Shortcut for Tables
5. How to Add a Row in-between Rows Multiple Times in Excel?

Why Insert Multiple Rows in Excel?

Many times, you will come across situations where you need to insert new rows of data into your spreadsheet. This will become strenuous and time-consuming even while using the Excel insert row shortcut. 

That’s when these techniques will come in handy, especially when you have too many important tasks on your plate. All the things I am going to cover will help you save time and use Excel effectively. 

How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel? 

The easiest way to insert multiple rows in Excel is to use the Insert menu options. Follow these steps to do this: 

Step 1: Select the rows where you want to insert the new blank rows. To easily do this, just select the first few cells and

use the shortcut Shift + Space to select entire rows.

Step 2: Click on the Insert icon in the Home tab. Another way to access the Insert icon is by 

right-clicking on the selection. 

Excel will insert blank rows in place of the rows you just selected. 

Step 3: Now that you have the empty rows ready, fill in the relevant data inside them to 

complete the spreadsheet. 

Also Read:

How to Use the Excel Fill Handle Easily? (Top 3 Uses with Examples)

How to Make a Line Graph in Excel? 4 Best Line Graph Examples

How to Group Worksheets in Excel? (In 3 Simple Steps)

Excel Insert Row Shortcut

The best way to fastly add multiple rows is to use keyboard shortcuts. They are: 

Step 1: Click and Select the Row cells where you want to add the new rows. Use Shift+Space. 

This will select the entire rows. 

Step 2: Press Alt+I

Step 3: Press Alt+R

That’s it. Excel will add multiple rows of blank data in the selected location. It is simple yet very effective. 

Do you want a simpler alternative shortcut? 

Just select the rows where you want to add new rows and click Ctrl plus “+”. 

Note: For some reason, this “+” has to be only from the keypad on your keyboard, for this to work properly. 

It cannot get simpler than this, isn’t it? 

Excel Insert Row Shortcut for Tables

Sometimes, you may need to add multiple rows, not for all columns but for a select data range. 

For example, in this case, I have a data range, which needs new rows to be added inside. But the problem here is that I have a separate set of data that is placed in an adjacent place on the worksheet. 

Now, If I add new columns for the entire worksheet range, it will affect the neighbouring data set as well. To avoid this, you need to convert your data range into a table before adding the rows. 

To do this, select the data range where you want to add multiple new rows and press “Ctrl+T”. This will convert your normal data into a table. 

Now, use Alt+H+I+A to add multiple rows at the place of your choice. The Ctrl plus “+”  option also works here. 

How to Add a Row in-between Rows Multiple Times in Excel?

Let’s say, for example, I have a spreadsheet where I need to insert a row in between every two rows. 

To do this easily just select entire rows by clicking on the row number with “Ctrl” simultaneously. 

Then, simply click on the Insert button under the Home tab. 

That’s it! Now Excel adds one empty row in between all the selected rows automatically. 

But, what if you need to add more than one row in between every two rows?

To do this you will need an additional column. 

In this additional column, assign serial numbers to all the rows in your data set. 

Next, copy the entire set of serial numbers and paste it at the end of the same column as many times as the number of rows you want to add. 

Now, go to Sort and sort your data using the additional column in ascending order. You have successfully added more than one row in between every two rows. 

You can delete the additional column if needed. 

Suggested Reads:

How to Extract an Excel Substring? – 6 Best Methods

How to Split Cells in Excel? 3 Easy Methods

Easily Make a Bullet Chart in Excel—2 Examples

Closing Thoughts

These are all the different methods to insert multiple rows in Excel. If you have any questions about this or any other Excel feature, let us know in the comments. We are always happy to help. 

If you need more high-quality Excel guides, please check out our free Excel resources centre.

Simon Sez IT has been teaching Excel for over ten years. For a low, monthly fee you can get access to 100+ IT training courses. Click here for advanced Excel courses with in-depth training modules.