Adding Columns in Excel

Excel Adding Columns (Table of Content)

How to Insert Columns in Excel?
Shortcut and Alternate Options to Insert Columns
Hide and Unhide Rowes and Columns
Moving Rows or Columns in Excel
Inserting & Deleting Rows in Excel

Sometimes, you can have your data in a format, with all the rows and columns structured. However, let’s suppose you realize that you forgot to add/insert a column or delete a column. You may also want to hide some rows & columns and, if necessary, be able to unhide them. Moving rows or columns is another task you may want to perform sometime. Excel provides you the option to do all these tasks in your data table. These features become very relevant time & again.

So, the question is, how do we perform these tasks?

How to Add and Insert Columns in Excel?

Follow the below steps to add/insert columns in excel.

Suppose, you have the first name & last name data in columns A & B respectively. Suppose you want to insert a middle name. I will show steps for both inserting & deleting below as they are almost similar.

Follow the below steps to get it done:

Firstly, attaching the screenshot for your reference:

Suppose you want to insert a column before Column B. To do this, on the “Home” tab on the Excel ribbon, in the ‘Cells’ group, you need to click on Insert. A dropdown will appear as soon as you click on that. From that select “Insert Sheet Columns”.

Please keep in mind that, before you click on the “Insert Sheet Columns”, you should be in the cell of a column before which you want to insert a column.

For example, here, we should be in a cell in column B, when we click on “Insert Sheet Columns” as we want to insert a column before column B. You can see below a column is added.

Now suppose, you are interested in deleting a column (Column B here). To do this, on the “Home” tab on the Excel ribbon, in the ‘Cells’ group, you need to click on ‘Delete’. A dropdown will appear as soon as you click on that. From that select “Delete Sheet Columns”.

Note: You should be in one of the cells of the column to be deleted or should have selected the entire column before performing the mentioned step.

ShortCut & Alternate Options to Add/Insert Columns in Excel

Now, a general note, about using some shortcuts, here, if you closely see, once you click on “Insert” and the list appears, you will see “Insert Sheet Columns” has its C underlined, that means ‘C’ can be used a keyboard shortcut for it.

So, an alternate option to insert a column will be, clicking on “Insert” and then just press ‘C’ from the keyboard. This should also do it. For inserting rows, it will be clicking on “Insert” and then just press ‘R’ from the keyboard.

Similarly, an alternate option to delete a column will be, clicking on “Delete” and then just press ‘C’ from a keyboard. This should also do it. For deleting rows, it will be clicking on “Delete” and then just press ‘R’ from a keyboard.

An alternate solution for “Inserting Excel Columns” is that you be present in any of the cells of the column before which you want to insert. Then right-click and click on “Insert”.

A dialogue box will appear. Then select “Entire Column” from that dialogue box, if you want to insert a column or select “Entire Row” if you want to insert a row.

Popular Course in this category

All in One Excel VBA Bundle (35 Courses with Projects) 4.9 (1,353 ratings) 35+ Courses | 120+ Hours | Full Lifetime Access | Certificate of Completion

View Course

You can see that a column is inserted before the Last Name column.

For deleting a row or column this way, the approach will be, you be present in any of the cells of the row which you want to delete. Then right-click and click on “Delete”.

A dialog box will appear. Then select “Entire Column” from that dialog box, if you want to delete a column or select “Entire Row” if you want to delete a row.

A column is deleted.

For this option, the shortcut as we mentioned previously will be pressing ‘c’ from the keyboard and then press enter (after right-clicking from a cell present in a column before which we want to insert and then clicking on insert).

Furthermore, another option is to select the entire column before which you want to insert the excel column. Then right-click and select “Insert”.

For this option, see that “Insert” has ‘I’ underlined in it. So, the shortcut for it will be to select the relevant column, right-click on it and just press “I”. That should do for inserting an excel column.

Similarly, you can do this for inserting rows, by selecting the entire row before which you want to insert. Then right-click and click “Insert”.

For deleting rows & columns, you need to follow a similar step as above, except clicking on ‘Insert’ after doing right-click, click on ‘Delete’.

For this option, see that “Delete” has ‘D’ underlined in it. So, the shortcut for it will be to select the relevant column, right-click on it and just press “D”. That should do for Deleting an excel column. Similarly, for rows, select the relevant row, right-click on it and just press “D”.

Hide and Unhide Rows & Columns

Select the relevant rows or columns, right-click & then click “Hide”.

For Example, Select the columns which you want to hide, then right-click and select the “Hide” option.

Select the rows which you want to hide, then right-click and select the “Hide” option.

Another option is as shown below, select the relevant rows or columns and follow the screenshot.

Go to Format tab, under the “Hide & Unhide” option, select “Hide columns”.

For unhiding, you need to follow similar steps, except you need to select the rows or columns before & after the rows or columns which you need to unhide. (eg. Here, for unhiding columns B & C, we have selected A & D).