Selecting Rows and Columns

Before you can work with rows and columns, you need to know how to select them. Selecting entire rows or columns is different from selecting individual cells, and it is the first step for most operations covered in this lesson.

Selecting a Single Row

To select an entire row, click on the row number on the left side of the worksheet. The entire row will be highlighted, indicating it is selected.

1. Move your mouse to the row numbers on the left edge (1, 2, 3...)
2. Click on the row number you want to select
3. The entire row highlights in blue/green, showing it is selected

Selecting a Single Column

To select an entire column, click on the column letter at the top of the worksheet. The entire column will be highlighted.

1. Move your mouse to the column letters at the top (A, B, C...)
2. Click on the column letter you want to select
3. The entire column highlights, showing it is selected

Selecting Multiple Rows or Columns

Selection Type	How to Do It
Adjacent rows	Click first row number, drag to last row, or click first then Shift+click last
Adjacent columns	Click first column letter, drag to last column, or click first then Shift+click last
Non-adjacent rows	Click first row number, then Ctrl+click additional row numbers
Non-adjacent columns	Click first column letter, then Ctrl+click additional column letters
All cells (entire sheet)	Click the Select All button (intersection of row and column headers) or Ctrl+A

Inserting Rows

Inserting rows is one of the most common operations in Excel. When you insert a row, Excel creates a new blank row and shifts all existing rows below it down by one position.

Method 1: Right-Click Menu

1. Click the row number where you want the new row to appear above
2. Right-click on the selected row number
3. Choose "Insert" from the context menu
4. A new blank row appears above the selected row

Method 2: Ribbon Command

1. Select the row where you want the new row above
2. Go to Home tab on the Ribbon
3. In the Cells group, click "Insert"
4. Choose "Insert Sheet Rows"

Method 3: Keyboard Shortcut

Inserting Multiple Rows

To insert multiple rows at once:

1. Select the same number of rows as you want to insert (e.g., select 3 rows to insert 3 new rows)
2. Right-click and choose Insert, or use the keyboard shortcut
3. New rows appear above your selection

Inserting Columns

Inserting columns works similarly to inserting rows. When you insert a column, Excel creates a new blank column and shifts all existing columns to the right.

Method 1: Right-Click Menu

1. Click the column letter where you want the new column to appear to the left
2. Right-click on the selected column letter
3. Choose "Insert" from the context menu
4. A new blank column appears to the left of the selected column

Method 2: Ribbon Command

1. Select the column where you want the new column to the left
2. Go to Home tab on the Ribbon
3. In the Cells group, click "Insert"
4. Choose "Insert Sheet Columns"

Inserting Multiple Columns

Select the same number of columns as you want to insert, then right-click and choose Insert. For example, to insert 4 new columns, first select 4 existing columns.

Deleting Rows and Columns

Deleting rows or columns removes them entirely from the worksheet, including all their contents. Remaining rows shift up, and remaining columns shift left to fill the gap.

Deleting Rows

1. Select the row(s) you want to delete by clicking the row number(s)
2. Right-click on the selection
3. Choose "Delete" from the context menu
4. The row(s) are removed and rows below shift up

Deleting Columns

1. Select the column(s) you want to delete by clicking the column letter(s)
2. Right-click on the selection
3. Choose "Delete" from the context menu
4. The column(s) are removed and columns to the right shift left

Keyboard Shortcut for Deleting

Delete vs. Clear

Action	What Happens	When to Use
Delete	Removes entire row/column; others shift to fill gap	When you want to remove the structure entirely
Clear Contents	Removes data only; row/column structure remains	When you want to keep the row/column but empty it

Resizing Column Width

Column width determines how much horizontal space a column occupies. Adjusting column width ensures your data displays properly without being cut off or wasting space.

Method 1: Drag to Resize

1. Position your mouse on the right border of the column header (between two column letters)
2. The cursor changes to a double-headed arrow
3. Click and drag left to narrow or right to widen
4. Release when you reach the desired width

Method 2: Double-Click to Auto-Fit

Auto-fit automatically adjusts the column width to fit the widest content in that column:

1. Position your mouse on the right border of the column header
2. Double-click when you see the double-headed arrow cursor
3. The column automatically resizes to fit the longest content

Method 3: Set Exact Width

1. Select the column(s) you want to resize
2. Right-click on the column header
3. Choose "Column Width"
4. Enter a specific number (default unit is characters)
5. Click OK

Resizing Multiple Columns to Same Width

1. Select all columns you want to make the same width
2. Drag the border of any selected column to the desired width
3. All selected columns resize to the same width

Resizing Row Height

Row height determines the vertical space a row occupies. Excel usually auto-adjusts row height based on font size, but you may need manual adjustments for specific layouts.

Method 1: Drag to Resize

1. Position your mouse on the bottom border of the row header (between two row numbers)
2. The cursor changes to a double-headed arrow
3. Click and drag up to shorten or down to increase height
4. Release when you reach the desired height

Method 2: Double-Click to Auto-Fit

1. Position your mouse on the bottom border of the row header
2. Double-click when you see the double-headed arrow cursor
3. The row automatically resizes to fit the tallest content

Method 3: Set Exact Height

1. Select the row(s) you want to resize
2. Right-click on the row header
3. Choose "Row Height"
4. Enter a specific number (unit is points, 1 point = 1/72 inch)
5. Click OK

Hiding and Unhiding Rows and Columns

Sometimes you want to temporarily hide certain rows or columns without deleting them. Hidden rows and columns still exist and their data is still included in formulas, but they are not visible on screen or in print.

Hiding Rows

1. Select the row(s) you want to hide
2. Right-click on the row header
3. Choose "Hide"
4. The rows disappear — notice the row numbers skip

Hiding Columns

1. Select the column(s) you want to hide
2. Right-click on the column header
3. Choose "Hide"
4. The columns disappear — notice the column letters skip

Unhiding Rows

1. Select the rows on either side of the hidden rows (e.g., select rows 4 and 6 if row 5 is hidden)
2. Right-click on the selection
3. Choose "Unhide"
4. The hidden rows reappear

Unhiding Columns

1. Select the columns on either side of the hidden columns
2. Right-click on the selection
3. Choose "Unhide"
4. The hidden columns reappear

Moving and Copying Rows and Columns

You can move or copy entire rows and columns to reorganize your spreadsheet. Moving relocates the data, while copying creates a duplicate.

Moving Rows or Columns (Cut and Insert)

1. Select the entire row or column by clicking its header
2. Press Ctrl + X (or right-click > Cut) — a marching dotted border appears
3. Click the row/column header where you want to move it
4. Right-click and choose "Insert Cut Cells"
5. The row/column moves to the new location

Copying Rows or Columns

1. Select the entire row or column by clicking its header
2. Press Ctrl + C (or right-click > Copy)
3. Click the row/column header where you want the copy
4. Right-click and choose "Insert Copied Cells"
5. A copy appears at the new location

Drag to Move

For quick moves without the clipboard:

1. Select the row or column
2. Position your mouse on the border of the selection (not the fill handle)
3. When the cursor shows four arrows, click and drag to the new location
4. Hold Shift while dragging to insert instead of overwrite

Freezing Panes

When working with large spreadsheets, you often need to keep headers visible while scrolling through data. Freezing panes locks specific rows or columns in place so they always stay visible.

Freeze Top Row

This keeps the first row visible when scrolling down — perfect for column headers:

1. Go to the View tab on the Ribbon
2. Click "Freeze Panes" in the Window group
3. Choose "Freeze Top Row"
4. A thin line appears below row 1, and this row now stays visible as you scroll

Freeze First Column

This keeps the first column visible when scrolling right — perfect for row labels:

1. Go to the View tab
2. Click "Freeze Panes"
3. Choose "Freeze First Column"
4. Column A now stays visible as you scroll horizontally

Freeze Multiple Rows and Columns

To freeze multiple rows, columns, or both:

1. Click the cell that is below the rows AND to the right of the columns you want frozen
2. Go to View > Freeze Panes
3. Choose "Freeze Panes" (the first option)
4. Everything above and to the left of your selected cell is now frozen

Unfreezing Panes

1. Go to View > Freeze Panes
2. Choose "Unfreeze Panes"
3. All frozen areas return to normal

Practice Exercise: Row and Column Management

Apply your new skills with this hands-on practice exercise covering all the major operations from this lesson.