How to Insert or Delete Rows, Columns, and Sheets in Excel

Excel is a powerful and versatile spreadsheet application that allows you to organize, analyze, and present data in various ways. One of the basic features of Excel is the ability to insert or delete rows, columns, and sheets in your workbook. This can help you to adjust the size and layout of your table, add or remove data, or create new worksheets for different purposes.

In this article, I will show you how to insert or delete rows, columns, and sheets in Excel using different methods. I will also explain some formatting options and tips that you can use to make your table look better and more professional.

Insert or Delete a Column

A column is a vertical group of cells that runs from the top to the bottom of the worksheet. To insert or delete a column in Excel, you can use one of the following methods:

Type or paste data in the next column: To add a new column to the right of the existing table, you can simply type or paste data in the cell next to the last column. Excel will automatically expand the table to include the new column. To delete a column, you can select it and press Delete on your keyboard.
Use the Insert or Delete buttons on the Home tab: To insert a new column to the left of the selected column, you can go to the Home tab on the ribbon and click Insert in the Cells group. To delete the selected column, you can click Delete in the same group. You can also click the arrow next to these buttons and choose Insert Sheet Columns or Delete Sheet Columns from the drop-down menu.
Right-click and select Insert or Delete: To insert a new column to the left of the selected column, you can right-click on any cell within the column and select Insert from the context menu. To delete the selected column, you can right-click on any cell within the column and select Delete from the context menu.
Use keyboard shortcuts: To insert a new column to the left of the selected column, you can press Ctrl + + (plus sign) on your keyboard. To delete the selected column, you can press Ctrl + - (minus sign) on your keyboard.

Insert or Delete a Row

A row is a horizontal group of cells that runs from left to right across the worksheet. To insert or delete a row in Excel, you can use one of the following methods:

Type or paste data in the next row: To add a new row below the existing table, you can simply type or paste data in the cell under the last row. Excel will automatically expand the table to include the new row. To delete a row, you can select it and press Delete on your keyboard.
Use the Insert or Delete buttons on the Home tab: To insert a new row above the selected row, you can go to the Home tab on the ribbon and click Insert in the Cells group. To delete the selected row, you can click Delete in the same group. You can also click the arrow next to these buttons and choose Insert Sheet Rows or Delete Sheet Rows from the drop-down menu.
Right-click and select Insert or Delete: To insert a new row above the selected row, you can right-click on any cell within the row and select Insert from the context menu. To delete the selected row, you can right-click on any cell within the row and select Delete from the context menu.
Use keyboard shortcuts: To insert a new row above the selected row, you can press Ctrl + + (plus sign) on your keyboard. To delete the selected row, you can press Ctrl + - (minus sign) on your keyboard.

Insert or Delete a Sheet

A sheet is a single page of a workbook that contains one or more tables of data. You can have multiple sheets in a workbook for different purposes, such as calculations, charts, reports, etc. To insert or delete a sheet in Excel, you can use one of the following methods:

Use the Sheet tabs at the bottom of the workbook: To add a new sheet to the right of the current sheet, you can click the plus sign (+) next to the sheet tabs at the bottom of the workbook. To delete a sheet, you can right-click on its tab and select Delete from the context menu.
Use the Insert or Delete buttons on the Home tab: To insert a new sheet before the current sheet, you can go to the Home tab on the ribbon and click Insert in the Cells group. You can also click the arrow next to this button and choose Insert Sheet from the drop-down menu. To delete the current sheet, you can click Delete in the same group. You can also click the arrow next to this button and choose Delete Sheet from the drop-down menu.
Use keyboard shortcuts: To insert a new sheet before the current sheet, you can press Shift + F11 on your keyboard. To delete the current sheet, you can press Alt + E + L on your keyboard.

Formatting Options

When you insert or delete rows, columns, or sheets in Excel, you may notice that some formatting options are available to help you adjust the appearance and behavior of your table. For example, when you insert a row or column that has formatting applied, that formatting will be transferred to the new row or column that you insert. If you don’t want the formatting to be applied, you can select the Insert Options button that appears next to the inserted row or column and choose from one of the options as follows:

Format Same as Above/Below: This option applies the same formatting as the row above or below the inserted row, or the column to the left or right of the inserted column.
Format Same as Left/Right: This option applies the same formatting as the column to the left or right of the inserted column, or the row above or below the inserted row.
Clear Formatting: This option removes any formatting from the inserted row or column.
No Formatting: This option inserts a blank row or column without any formatting.

If you don’t see the Insert Options button, you can go to File > Options > Advanced > in the Cut, copy and paste group, check the Show Insert Options buttons option.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks that you can use to make your work with rows, columns, and sheets in Excel easier and faster:

Select multiple rows, columns, or sheets: To select more than one row, column, or sheet at a time, you can hold down the Ctrl key and click on each one that you want to select. You can also hold down the Shift key and click on the first and last one that you want to select to select a range of rows, columns, or sheets.
Hide or unhide rows, columns, or sheets: To hide a row, column, or sheet from view, you can right-click on it and select Hide from the context menu. To unhide a hidden row, column, or sheet, you can right-click on the adjacent visible one and select Unhide from the context menu. You can also use the Format button on the Home tab and choose Hide & Unhide from the drop-down menu.
Freeze or unfreeze rows, columns, or sheets: To keep a row, column, or sheet visible while scrolling through the rest of the workbook, you can use the Freeze Panes feature on the View tab. You can choose to freeze the top row, the first column, or any cell that you select. To unfreeze any frozen rows, columns, or sheets, you can use the same feature and choose Unfreeze Panes from the drop-down menu.

I hope this article has helped you learn how to insert or delete rows, columns, and sheets in Excel. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!

How to Insert or Delete Rows, Columns, and Sheets in Excel