Add and remove columns and rows in Google Sheets

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Now you can add and remove colunas and rows in Google Sheets. All this to an existing spreadsheet on the fly. Also to help organize you much better. Whether you want one or ten, below or to the left. We will show you how to remove or add rows and columns in your document in a simple way.

How to add columns or rows in Google Sheets

Step 1

First, you must start your favorite browser and go to the Google Sheets homepage. Then, open a spreadsheet in which you want to insert some rows or columns.

Step 2

Next, click on the cell where you are going to insert a column or row next to it. Then, choose the “Insert” option in the toolbar.

Step 3

In the Insert menu, you will see some options to insert rows and columns in your spreadsheet. Similarly, you can insert rows above or below and columns to the left or right of the cell you have selected.

Step 4

If you want to insert more than one row or column at a time, you must highlight as many cells as you want to add. To give you an example, highlight two vertical cells to insert two rows. Now highlight two horizontal cells to insert columns.

Step 5

You can also insert columns and rows in Google Sheets from the right mouse button menu. Highlight the cell in which you want to insert them. Right-click on the selection and then choose the option “Insert rows” or “Insert columns”.

Step 6

When the right-click method is used, the rows will be inserted above and the columns will be inserted to the left of the selection. This is done by default.

Google Sheets even has some keyboard shortcuts that allow you to add rows or columns without taking your hands off it. You just have to select the cell, just as you did before. And then press one of the keyboard shortcuts to insert a row or column.

Add and remove columns and rows in Google Sheets

You can use default keyboard shortcuts

Fortunately and because Google likes to complicate things, there are some browser-specific shortcuts. If you use Google Chrome on Windows, Linux or Chrome OS, use the shortcut for Chrome. If you are using a different browser, follow the other commands specific to the browser you are using.

  1.  Chrome: Alt I, then R. Other non-browsers: Alt Shift I, then R: this to insert rows above.
  2.  Chrome: Alt I, then W. Other browsers: Alt Shift I, then W: insert the rows below.
  3.  Chrome: Alt I, then C. Other browsers: Alt Shift I, then C: this option inserts columns to the left.
  4.  Chorme: Alt I, then O. Other browsers: Alt Shift I, then O: insert columns to the right.

Now, if you use macOS, follow these shortcuts to add rows or columns to your spreadsheet:

  1.  Ctrl Option I, then R: insert rows above.
  2.  Ctrl Option I, then W: insert rows below.
  3.  Ctrl Option I, then C: you can insert columns to the left.
  4.  Ctrl Option I, then O: you can insert columns to the right.
  5. And so on, Sheets inserts the rows and columns in your spreadsheet.

How to remove rows or columns

When you have a Sheets document open, highlight a cell in the row or column you want to delete. Now, right-click and then select the “Delete row” or “Delete column” option.

Similarly, if you want to delete more than one row or column at a time, highlight as many cells as you want to delete. Then, right click on the selection to remove them.

When removing rows and columns, you can use these shortcuts if you prefer to keep your fingers on the keyboard all the time. You must highlight the cells in the row or column you want to delete and then press the keyboard shortcut for the command you want to execute.

Again, because Google wants to make it difficult, here are the browser-specific keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Linux and Chrome OS:

  •  Chrome: Alt E, then D. Other browsers: Alt Shift E, then D: this to delete rows.
  •  Chrome: Alt E, then E. Other browsers: Alt Shift E, then E: Remove the columns.

If you use macOS, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts to remove rows or columns:

  •  Ctrl Option E, then D: Delete the rows.
  •  Ctrl Option E, then E: Remove the columns.

Whether you use the Insert menu, right-click on the context menu. Also, you can press the keyboard shortcut. It’s that adding or removing rows and columns from your spreadsheet is an effortless process, which you can complete with a couple of clicks or keystrokes.