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Home › Videos › How to insert and delete cells in Excel

How to insert and delete cells in Excel

Transcript 

In addition to inserting and deleting rows and columns, you can also insert and delete individual cells. When you insert cells, you have the option to shift the cells down or to the right. When you delete cells, you have the option to shift cells up or to the left.

Let's take a look.

To insert a cell horizontally, select the cell to the right of where you want the new cell. Then, click the Insert menu on the ribbon and choose "Insert Cells". When the dialog box appears, select "Shift cells right" and click OK.

An empty cell appears and cells are shifted to the right.

You can also use the right-click menu to insert cells.

To delete a cell horizontally, first select the cell you want to delete. Then choose "Delete Cells" from the Delete menu on the ribbon. When the Delete dialog box appears, choose "Shift cells left" and click OK.

The right-click menu will give you the same options.

The process for inserting and deleting cells vertically is very similar.

To insert a cell vertically, select the cell below where you want the new cell to be. Then, click the Insert menu on the ribbon and choose "Insert Cells". When the Delete dialog box appears, select "Shift cells down" and click OK.

As an alternative, you can use the right-click menu.

To delete a cell vertically, first select the cell you'd like to delete. Then choose "Delete Cells" from the Delete menu on the ribbon. When the Delete dialog box appears, choose "Shift cells up" and click OK.

The right-mouse menu offers the same capability.

If you're working with a table of data, be careful when inserting and deleting individual cells; the shifts that occur can break the layout.

In this situation, inserting or deleting rows and columns will work better. 

Master Excel with practice. Download this worksheet (and dozens more) in our Core Excel course. Learn by doing.

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Dave Bruns

Hi - I'm Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.

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