I have been trying to adapt as many Excel keyboard shortcuts as I can (not just for productivity, but for ergonomic reasons). Today we will learn how to quickly insert a new Row or Column using Keyboard Shortcuts in Excel.

Excel_QuicklyInsert_Row_Column_Keyboard_Shortcut

Method #1

Insert Row:

  1. Select a Cell or Row
  2. Press [ Alt ] [ i ] [ r ] ‘keys in sequence’

Insert Column:

  1. Select a Cell or Column
  2. Press [ Alt ] [ i ] [ c ] ‘keys in sequence’

This is pretty simple and easy to insert a Column or Row quickly into your spreadsheet, in case you want to insert multiple Columns and Rows select required number of Rows or Columns as Step 1 then press [ Alt ] [ i ] [ r ] or [ Alt ] [ i ] [ c ]. However, if you want to delete a Row or Column Method #2 below will help you do that with two more key strokes.

Also Read: 24 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts to Help You Work Faster, Better

Method #2

There is a two-step process that is very convenient for inserting or deleting a Row or Column:

Insert Row:

  1. Select a Row: [ Shift ] + [ SpaceBar ]
  2. Press [ Ctrl ] + [ Shift ] + [ = ] ‘this is equivalent of [ Ctrl ] + [ + ]

Delete Row

  1. Select a Row: [ Shift ] + [ SpaceBar ]
  2. Press [ Ctrl ] + [ Shift ] + [ – ] ‘this is equivalent of [ Ctrl ] + [ _ ]

Insert Column

  1. Select a Column: [ Ctrl ] + [ SpaceBar ]
  2. Press [ Ctrl ] + [ Shift ] + [ = ] ‘this is equivalent of [ Ctrl ] + [ + ]

Delete Row

  1. Select a Row: [ Ctrl ] + [ SpaceBar ]
  2. Press [ Ctrl ] + [ Shift ] + [ – ] ‘this is equivalent of [ Ctrl ] + [ _ ]

It’s easy to memorize these because Ctrl is pretty much the most powerful key there is and “+” and “-” make sense for adding and deleting. A trick for remembering which shortcut to use for selecting the Row or Column is the mnemonic that both “Ctrl” and “Column” start with “C”. Remembering the SpaceBar is easy because the SpaceBar is a long key, so it can easily represent a Row or Column.

To insert more than one Row or Column at a time, use the ArRow Keys as you hold Shift before going to step 2. You can also just hold down Ctrl+Shift as you repeating hit the “+” key, or hold down Ctrl as you repeatedly hit the “-” key.

Do you know a better way to do it? Please share it with us in comments section.

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