Work with tables in word

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Working With Tables in Microsoft Word

Use tables to align columns and rows of text

Updated on October 31, 2019

Aligning text in a word processing document can be tedious when it’s done with tabs and spaces. With Microsoft Word, insert tables in a document to align columns and rows of text with ease. Learn how to work with tables in Word.

Instructions in this article apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.

Insert Table Method

Using the menu, you can either select or type the desired number of columns and rows.

1. Open a Word document and select the location where you want to place the table.

2. Go to the Insert tab.

3. In the Tables group, select Table.

4. Select Insert Table.

   To make a quick and basic table, drag across the grid to select the number of columns and rows for the table.

5. In the Insert Table dialog box, enter the number of columns and rows you want in the table.

6. In the Autofit Behavior section, enter a width measurement for the columns. Or, leave the field set to autofit to generate a table the width of the document.

7. Select OK. The blank table appears in the document.

8. To add or delete rows or columns, select Insert > Table.

9. To change the width or height of the table, drag the lower-right corner of the table.

When you select the table, the Table Design and Layout tabs appear on the ribbon. Use the tabs to apply a style or make changes to the table.

Draw Table Method

Drawing a table in Word gives you more control over a table’s proportions.

1. With a Word document open, go to the Insert tab.

2. Select Table.

3. Select Draw Table. The cursor turns into a pencil.

4. Drag down and across the document to draw a box for the table. The dimensions can be modified later if needed.

5. Click inside the box and draw a vertical line for each column and a horizontal line for each row you want in your completed table.

6. Style the table using the Table Design and Layout tabs.

Enter Text in a Table

No matter which of these methods you use to draw a blank table, you enter text in the same way. Select a cell and type. Use the tab key to move to the next cell or the arrow keys to move up and down or sideways within the table.

For more advanced options, or if you have data in Excel, embed an Excel spreadsheet in a Word document in place of a table.

Convert Text to Table

If there’s text in a document that you want to use in a table, insert separator characters, such as commas or tabs, to indicate where to divide the text into table columns. For example, in a list of people’s names and addresses, insert a tab between each name and corresponding address to make it easy to create a table.

1. Open the Word document containing the text you want to convert into a table and select that text.

2. Go to the Insert tab.

3. Select Table.

4. Select Convert Text to Table.

5. In the Convert Text to Table dialog box, change the default settings if needed.

6. Select OK to create the table.

7. To revert the table to text, go to the Layout tab and select Convert to Text.

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Microsoft Word or MS-WORD is a graphical word processing program that users can type with. It allows the users to type and save documents very similar to other word processors. There are many versions of MS-word in market, which the user can install as per te. In this tutorial, we will learn about the tables in MS-Word. 

Tables in MS Word are made up of rows and columns with an organized arrangement of text. These tables can be used to align numbers in columns and then various operations can be performed on them. Tables can also be used to create page layouts. Rows in a table are series of data banks laid out horizontally in a table or spreadsheet. Columns are vertical series of cells in a chart, table, or spreadsheet.

How to Create a Table?

Tables in MS Word can be created in the following two ways:

1. Using the Grid

2. Using Table Dialogue Box

Using the Grid

Following are the steps of creating a table using the Grid provided in MS Word:

Step 1: Go to the Insert tab and click on the Table button.

Step 2: In the dropdown menu, select the number of rows and columns from the Grid.

Using Table Dialogue Box

Following are the steps of creating a table using Table Dialogue Box in MS Word:

Step 1: Go to the Insert tab and click on the Table button.

Step 2: Under the grid, you will see an Insert Table button. Click on it.

Step 3: In the Insert Table Dialogue box, mention the number of rows and number of columns as per the requirement and click on OK button.

How to Modify a Table?

We can also edit/modify a table to make it more creative. Multiple operations can be performed on a table like changing the layout, splitting of cells, merging the cells, applying borders, etc. Here, we will see some of the operations performed on a table in MS Word.

Changing Layout of a Table

Changing the layout of a table can be done with the help of the following steps: 

Step 1: Select the table for which the layout is to be changed. Go to the design tab.

Step 2: Click on the dropdown menu to get various different types of layouts for your table.

Step 3: Select any layout as per the need.

Splitting the Cell

Splitting of a cell can be done with the help of the following steps:

Step 1: Select the cell that you want to split into multiple cells. Then go to the Layout tab and click on the Split Cells button.

Step 2: In the dialogue box, mention the new dimensions as per the requirement. 

Step 3: Click on the Ok button.

Merging the Cells

Merging of various cells can be done by the following steps:

Step 1: Select all the cells that are to be merged into a single cell. Then go over the layout tab, and you will see a Merge Cell button.

Step 2: Now click on the Merge Cell button and the selected cells will be merged.

Applying Borders and Styles on a Table

Borders and styles can also be applied to a table in a similar way as the layout of a table is changed. Go through the following steps to do the same:

Step 1: Select the entire table and go over the design tab.

Step 2: Select the style that you want to apply to your table.

Converting Text to a Table

MS Word allows the conversion of existing text into a table with the help of the following steps:

Step 1: Select the text that is to be converted into the table. Now go to the Insert Tab and you will see a Table button.

Step 2: Click on the Insert Table button and in the drop-down menu, click on the Convert Text to Table button.

Step 3: In the dialogue box, mention the dimensions of the required table and other data that is required. 

Step 4: Click on the OK button and the selected text will be converted to a Table.

Inserting Images in a Table

MS Word allows adding images inside the table cells. To insert an image in a table, go through the following steps:

Step 1: Select the cell in which you want to add the Image. Go to the Insert tab and select the Pictures button.

Step 2: You can either choose a picture from your device or select one online.

Step 3: Choose a picture from the browser window and click on the Insert button.

Step 4: Selected Image will be added in the cell selected.

Performing Calculations in a Table

Mathematical calculations can also be performed on the values present in the table. Microsoft provides various formulas to perform these operations. By default, the sum of the values lying in the rows to the left or column lying above are calculated by Word. Following are the steps to do the same:

Step 1: Select the cell in which the result of the mathematical operations is required. 

Step 2: Now go to the Layout tab and select the formula button. 

Step 3: In the dialogue box, define the formula for the mathematical operation, the default formula is the sum of the values to the left or above.

Step 4: After defining the formula, click on the OK button to apply the formula on the cells given in the formula.

Tables in Word are useful in so many situations. In this post you’ll discover how to create tables, then manipulate and design them in the quickest and easiest way to provide that visual punch.

1.  What are tables in Word good for?

Tables are useful for 2 distinct reasons.

1.  Select the Insert tab.

2.  Click the Tables icon in the Tables group.

3.  Move your mouse pointer into the table grid until the required number of rows and columns are highlighted orange, then left-click.

An empty table is inserted into the document.

Two new tabs, Design and Layout are also added to the ribbon area, under the banner of Table Tools.

3. MOVING AROUND A Word TABLE

4. SELECTING A CELL, ROW, COLUMN OR THE ENTIRE TABLE

To select a cell:

2.  Left-click.

To select a row of a table:

2.  Left-click.

To select a column

2.  Left-click.

To select the entire table:

1.  Position your mouse pointer over  the 4-headed arrow icon situated at the top-left of the table.

2.  Left-click.

5. INSERTING AN EXTRA ROW OR COLUMN

To insert an extra row:

1.  Position the cursor in a cell.

2.  Select the Layout tab, under the Table Tools banner.

3.  Click Insert Above or Insert Below in the Rows and Columns group

Here is a quick way to insert new rows:

1.  Position the cursor to the left of the table, but in close proximity.

2.  A plus symbol will appear above or below the mouse pointer indicating where the new row will be added.

3.  Nudge the mouse pointer up or down to move the plus sign above or below.

4.  Left-click to insert the new row,

To insert an extra column:

1.  Position the cursor in a cell.

2.  Select the Layout tab, under the Table Tools banner.

3.  Click Insert Left or Insert Right in the Rows and Columns group

Here is a quick way to insert a new column:

1.  Position the cursor above a column, but in close proximity to the table.

2.  A plus symbol will appear to the left or right of the mouse pointer indicating where the new column will be added.

3.  Nudge the mouse pointer left or right to move the plus sign to the left or the right of the column.

4.  Left-click to insert the new column,

6. DELETING A ROW OR COLUMN

To delete the current row or column:

1.  Position the cursor in any cell of the row you want to delete.

2.  Select the Layout tab, under the Table Tools banner.

3.  Click the Delete icon in the Rows and Columns group.

4.  Choose Delete Row or Delete Column from the drop-down menu.

7. Quickly fORMATTING tables in Word

Word provides you with a number of pre-set table designs. This means that it formats the headings and the data, applies a variety of borders and colours the cells in a way that makes it look like a professionally produced table. As a beginner this simple technique will give you a good-looking table.

1.  Position the cursor in any cell in the table.

2.  Select the Design tab under the Table Tools banner.

In the Table Style Options group of the Design tab, tick the components that you have in your table. For example, if your table has column headings, tick Header Row. In doing this, the various parts of your table are formatted accordingly

8. SETTING THE BORDERS AND SHADING

To set the borders for tables in Word:

1.  Select the portion of the table that you wish to set the borders for. This may be the entire table, a row or rows, a column or columns or a selection of cells.

2.  Select the Design tab under the Table Tools banner.

3.  Select the Borders icon. A drop-down list appears. This list shows every combination of border that can be turned on or off. The icons with a shaded background are currently switched on. The rest are switched off.

4.  Click any icon to switch the border on or off. The border style that is applied is the default style (½ pt solid black line ) or the last style that was used.

5.  To apply customised borders, with different colours, styles and widths, click the Borders & Shading option at the bottom of the list to display the Borders and Shading dialog box.

Your selection will always have an outer border, and if you selected more than one cell, you will have some inside borders as well. The easiest way to use the dialog box is to start on the bottom-middle and work your way up and right.

1.  Select the colour and width (thickness)  that you would like for your border.

2.  Choose a style (e.g. dotted, dashed, double, solid etc.)

3.  Paint your borders. There are two ways to do this.

On the left-hand side of the dialog box, there are some pre-defined border combinations which you can use to save yourself some time. Depending on your selection of cells, the pre-defined options may differ. Here’s a run-down:

To shade the cells of tables in Word:

1.  Select the portion of the table that you wish to shade. This may be the entire table, a row or rows, a column or columns or a selection of cells.

2.  Select the Design tab under the Table Tools banner.

3.  Click the Shading icon.
The colours that you see displayed match the current them of the document. Themes were discussed earlier in the course.

4.  Click a colour in the palette.

While you can pick any colour, it is recommended to stick with the light colour shades, otherwise your tables will appear very loud and ugly, like they’re shouting in your face. Subtle is the order of the day. The exception to this is column headings or other cells that you wish to differentiate. Under these circumstances, you can use a dark colour, but use a light font with it.

If you cannot find the exact colour you need,

9. REPEATING table HEADINGS ON EVERY PAGE WHEN PRINTING

1.  Ensure that the table is a single table, with no manual page breaks in the middle, and one header at the top. The table header may occupy more than one row, it doesn’t affect the way this feature works.

2.  Position the cursor somewhere in the top row of the table.

3.  Select the Layout tab under the Table Tools banner.

4.  Click the Repeat Header Rows icon ion the Data group.

Now, it doesn’t matter how many rows tables in Word contain, if the table ever spills across into another page, the header row (which normally displays the column headings) will always appear at the top of the table.

10. All the key points again

A table is a collection of information or data, usually represented by horizontal rows and vertical columns. Each column and each row can have a header. Some tables have only column headings or only row headings. The box at the junction of each column and row is a cell that contains data such as text, numeric information, or images. Some cells can be merged or split (see more about formatting tables). E.g.:

Microsoft Word has many features that make working with tables simple and convenient.

Create a table

There are several ways how to insert or create a table:

To create a blank table in a Word document, do the following:

   1.   Place your cursor where you want to insert the table.

   2.   On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click the Table button:

   3.   Do one of the following:

Create a blank table of up to 10 columns and 8 rows

• To create a table of up to 10 columns and 8 rows, move the cursor right (to select columns) and down (to select rows) the grid to select as many cells as you need. E.g., the table of 5 columns and 3 rows (selected cells will turn orange):

  

  Click on a cell in the grid with the expected number of rows and columns (or press Enter) to insert an empty table to fit the width of the text (paragraph).

  The table has the specified number of single-line text rows in the current paragraph and equal-width columns. E.g., the table of 3 rows and 5 columns:

  

Create a blank table with more than 10 columns or more than 8 rows

• To create a table with more than 10 columns or more than 8 rows, do one of the following:
  • Create a table with exactly 10 columns or 8 rows, then add as many columns or rows as you need (see below how to customize table).
  • Click the Insert Table… option:

    

    In the Insert Table dialog box:

    

    • In the Table size group, specify the number of columns and rows,
    • In the AutoFit behavior group, specify the width of the table and its columns:
      • Select the Fixed column width option to customize width in the appropriate field: select Auto (used by default) or specify width. E.g., 0.75″:

      

      • Select the AutoFit contents option to adjust cell sizes to the document content. E.g.:

      

      • Select the AutoFit to window option to adjust the table’s width to the document content width. E.g.:

      

    • Select the Remember dimension for new tables check box if you want to create tables with the same options later. Word will remember your customization.

Create a blank table manually

• To manually create an empty table, click the Draw Table option:

  

  After clicking that option, the cursor changes to the pencil that allows drawing cells directly in the Word document to create a table:

  

  Click anywhere in a document but the table itself by the pencil to stop drawing a table.

  Notes:

  1. To draw additional lines, select a table, then on the Table Layout tab, in the Draw group, click the Draw Table button:

     

  2. If you draw a line in the wrong position, click the Eraser button in the Draw group of the Table Layout tab:

     

  3. We recommend displaying the rulers or gridlines to help you place the lines correctly.

Create a table using predefined templates

To create a table using predefined Word templates of tables and calendars, do the following:

   1.   Place your cursor where you want to insert the table.

   2.   On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click the Table dropdown list, then select Quick Tables list:

   3.   From the Quick Tables gallery, select the template you prefer.

For example:

Create a table from the existing data

To create a table from the existing data in a document data (either as regular text or as a tabbed list), do the following:

   1.   Select the document data you want to shape into a new table.

   2.   On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click the Table dropdown list, then select Convert Text to Table…:

   3.   In the Convert Text to Table dialog box:

• In the Table size group, specify the number of columns,
• In the AutoFit behavior group, specify whether the width of the columns should be fixed (see details above),
• In the Separate text at group, select the character that separates text into columns in the selected text: paragraph marks, commas, tabs, or some other character.

E.g.:

Insert a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

Note: It is possible to insert a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet in a document. To do so, on the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click the Table dropdown list, then select Excel Spreadsheet:

Word opens the Excel spreadsheet where you can enter the data. You can use Excel features such as functions and formulas to create or manipulate the data. Note that it is not a Word table.

Add rows and columns

To add a row and a column to a table, do the following:

   1.   Position the cursor:

• to a cell in a row above or below which you need to insert a row,
• to a cell in a column left or right which you need to insert a column.

   2.   Do one of the following:

• Click the Insert dropdown list in the Mini toolbar:

  

• On the Table Layout tab, in the Rows & Columns group:

  

  • Click the Insert Above button to insert a row above the row with the cursor,
  • Click the Insert Below button to insert a row below the row with the cursor,
  • Click the Insert Left button to insert a column left to the column with the cursor,
  • Click the Insert Right button to insert a column right to the column with the cursor.
• Right-click and select the Insert list:

  

Notes:

1. To insert rows or columns, move the mouse over the table or left of the table until you see the Insertion indicator, then click the icon:

     and  
   

2. You can choose the option Insert -> Insert Cells… from the popup menu; Word opens the Insert Cells dialog box:

   

   After selecting the option and clicking the OK button, Word adds an entire row or column, not a cell. Word just moves cells according to the selection.

Delete a table element

To delete a table element, do the following:

   1.   Select the cell, multiple cells, the entire column or multiple columns, the entire row, or multiple rows.

   2.   Do one of the following:

• Click the Delete dropdown list in the Mini toolbar:

  

• On the Table Layout tab, in the Rows & Columns group, click the Delete dropdown list, then select one of the options:

  

   3.   Select one of the proposed options:

Note: You can select the element you want to delete, right-click on the selection and select the appropriate item in the popup menu. For example, if the entire table is selected or the column is selected:

  and  

Convert a table into text

To convert a table into text in Word, follow the next steps:

   1.   Click anywhere in the table.

   2.   On the Layout tab, in the Format group, click the Convert to Text button:

   3.   In the Convert Table to Text dialog box, select the charter to separate cells data in the text:

   4.   Click OK.

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Introduction

Inserting and modifying tables

In Word, tables are useful for organizing and presenting data. You can create a blank table, convert text to a table, and apply a variety of styles and formats to existing tables.

Optional: You can download this example for extra practice.

To insert a blank table:

1. Place your insertion point in the document where you want the table to appear.
2. Select the Insert tab.
3. Click the Table command.
4. Hover your mouse over the diagram squares to select the number of columns and rows in the table.

   Inserting a new table

5. Click your mouse, and the table appears in the document.
6. You can now place the insertion point anywhere in the table to add text.

To convert existing text to a table:

1. Select the text you want to convert.
2. Select the Insert tab.
3. Click the Table command.
4. Select Convert Text to Table from the menu. A dialog box will appear.

   Converting text to a table

5. Choose one of the options in the Separate text at: section. This is how Word knows what text to put in each column.

   Separating text at Tabs

6. Click OK. The text appears in a table.

   The converted table

To add a row above an existing row:

1. Place the insertion point in a row below the location where you want to add a row.

   Placing the insertion point

2. Right-click the mouse. A menu appears.
3. Select InsertInsert Rows Above.

   Adding a row

4. A new row appears above the insertion point.

   The new row

You can also add rows below the insertion point. Follow the same steps, but select Insert Rows Below from the menu.

To add a column:

1. Place the insertion point in a column adjacent to the location where you want the new column to appear.
2. Right-click the mouse. A menu will appear.

   Adding a column

3. Select InsertInsert Columns to the Left or Insert Columns to the Right. A new column appears.

   The new column

To delete a row or column:

1. Select the row or column.
2. Right-click your mouse. A menu will appear.
3. Select Delete Cells.

   Selecting Delete Cells

4. Select Delete entire row or Delete entire column, then click OK.

   Deleting a column

To apply a table style:

1. Click anywhere on the table. The Design tab will appear on the Ribbon.
2. Select the Design tab and locate the Table Styles.
3. Click the More drop-down arrow to see all of the table styles.

   Viewing the Table Styles

4. Hover the mouse over the various styles to see a live preview.
5. Select the desired style. The table style will appear in the document.

   After adding a Table Style

To change table style options:

Once you’ve chosen a table style, you can turn various options on or off to change the appearance of the table. There are six options: Header Row, Total Row, Banded Rows, First Column, Last Column, and Banded Columns.

1. Click anywhere on the table. The Design tab will appear.
2. From the Design tab, check or uncheck the desired options in the Table Style Options group.

   Table Style Options

Depending on which table style you’re using, certain table style options may have a somewhat different effect. You may need to experiment to get the exact look you want.

To add borders to a table:

1. Select the cells you want to add a border to.

   Highlighted cells

2. From the Design tab, select the desired Line Style, Line Weight, and Pen Color.

   Line Style, Line Weight, and Pen Color commands

3. Click the Borders drop-down arrow.
4. From the drop-down menu, select the desired border type.

   Selecting a border type

5. The border will be added to the selected cells.

   The finished border

Modifying a table using the Layout tab

When you select a table in Word 2010, Design and Layout tabs appear under Table Tools on the Ribbon. Using commands on the Layout tab, you can make a variety of modifications to the table.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different ways you can modify a table with the Layout tab.

Challenge!

1. Open an existing Word document. If you want, you can use this example.
2. Convert some text into a table. If you are using the example, convert the text below By Client.
3. Apply a table style, and experiment with the table style options. If you are using the example, see if you can make the table match the By Salesperson table above it.
4. Delete a row from the table.
5. Insert a blank table with five rows and four columns.
6. Add borders to the blank table.

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