Select a row

To select a row easily:

1. Place the mouse cursor on one of the row numbers.
2. Click when the cursor changes to a horizontal arrow pointing to the right.

You can also select a row using the keyboard shortcut Shift + Spacebar. The selected row is the one containing the active cell (B3 in our example).

Select a column

To select a column:

1. Position the mouse cursor on one of the letters in the column headers.
2. Click when the cursor changes to an arrow pointing downwards.

You can select a column with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Spacebar. The selected column will be the one containing the active cell.

Here’s a tip to remember that Ctrl + Space selects the column: Ctrl and Column both start with a C (easy 😉).

Inserting a column or a row

The best-known technique for inserting a row is to:

1. Right-click in the column header.
2. Select the Insert option.

There’s also a second, more practical method: click and drag.

1. Select a column.
2. Place the cursor on the square.
3. Press the Shift key (the cursor changes).
4. Click and drag.

This also works for rows.

Consequences for formula references

Note that inserting a row or column will not disrupt any formulas you already have.

• Here, the initial formula is =B2*C2.
• After adding column C, the formula becomes =B2*D2.

Excel automatically adjusted the column C reference to ensure the formula consistently points to the appropriate cells.

Deleting columns

Deleting a column is as simple as adding one:

1. Select the column to delete.
2. Right-click on the header.
3. Select the Delete option.

Or you can use the shortcut Ctrl + –.

1. Select the column you want to delete.
2. Press the combination Ctrl + – (minus or dash).

Deleting a column used in a formula

WARNING: if you delete a column that is used in a formula, the impact on your calculations can be devastating 😱😱😱.

In this situation:

1. Deleting column C has no impact on the formula, since it doesn’t use this column in its calculation (=B2*D2).
2. In the second case, column C is used in the formula (=B2*C2):
   • Deleting column C results in a #REF! error, because the cells that referenced this column no longer have a valid reference.
   • The only way to restore your previous formulas is to press Ctrl + Z to undo the last action.

You now know how to select, insert and delete rows and columns safely in Excel, and how your formulas react so you avoid the classic #REF! error.

Continue learning

Keep building your Excel skills with the rest of this tutorial series:

• Tutorial – Excel keywords
• Tutorial – Adjusting the Size of rows and columns
• Tutorial – How to make calculations in Excel
• Tutorial – All Excel tricks to Copy-Paste
• Tutorial – Moving cells or columns with the mouse
• Tutorial – The Numbers Format
• Tutorial – Excel Alignment text tips
• Learn the secrets of Sorting Data with Excel
• Excel Tutorial – Filtering your data
• Manipulate Text in Excel without formula
• Excel Tutorial – Creating a dropdown menu
• Learn how to use the SUM function in Excel
• Tutorial for the Excel Functions AVERAGE, MIN, and MAX
• Learn how to use the Dollars in an Excel formula