How to move columns and rows in Microsoft Excel

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If you want to move a column or row to a different location in the spreadsheet, you have multiple options for doing so in Microsoft Excel. We’ll show you what these options are.

To use any of the following methods, first, open the spreadsheet with Microsoft Excel on your Windows PC or Mac.

How to move a column in Excel

To move a column in an Excel spreadsheet, use either Drag and drop or cut and paste method.

Related: How do you simulate drag and drop without holding the mouse button down?

Move a column by dragging and dropping

With Excel’s drag and drop method, you can move your columns just by dragging and dropping them.

To use this method, first, find the column you want to move in the spreadsheet. At the top of this column, click the column letter until the entire column is selected.

Select a column in Excel.

Use the mouse or trackpad to bring the cursor to the column boundary. This turns your cursor into an icon with four arrows.

Move the cursor to the column boundary in Excel.

While your cursor is an icon with four arrows, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard. Then drag the column to its new location in the spreadsheet. Excel will place your column to the left of the column where you are dropping it.

Drag a column in Excel.

And that’s it. Your selected column is now available in its new location.

Moving column in Excel.

Move a column with cut and paste

Another way to move a column in a spreadsheet is to cut and paste the column.

To use this method, find the column you want to move in the spreadsheet. Right-click on the letter at the top of this column and select Cut from the menu.

Right-click on the column letter and select "Cuts" in Excel.

You will see a moving dotted line around the selected column. This confirms your shaft has been successfully cut.

Animated dotted line around a column in Excel.

Find the column where you want to place the selected column. Excel will place your shear column to the left of this new column. Right-click on this new column’s letter and select “Insert Broken Cells” from the menu.

Right-click on the destination column letter and select "Insert clipped cells" in Excel.

The original column will appear to the left of the selected column.

Column moved with cut and paste in Excel.

And this is how you move around the columns in your Excel spreadsheets!

If you have data in one column that you want Split it into several columns, and fixing it is easy!

Related: How to make a long column into multiple columns in Excel

How to move a row in Excel

As with columns, you have two ways to move rows in spreadsheets. Use either drag and drop or cut and paste to move around the selected rows.

Move a row by dragging and dropping

To move a row to a new location quickly, use this drag-and-drop method.

First, find the row to move in the spreadsheet. Then click this row number at the far left of the spreadsheet.

Click the row number in Excel.

Hover the cursor over the boundary of the selected row, and the cursor will turn into a four-arrow icon.

Position the cursor around the row border in Excel.

While your cursor is still a four-arrow icon, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard. Then drag the row to its new location.

Drag a row in Excel.

Your class is now positioned in its new location.

A row that moves with drag and drop in Excel.

Move class with cut and paste

If you don’t prefer drag and drop, use the cut and paste method to move your rows.

First, in the spreadsheet, find the row to move. Then right-click on that row number and select “Cut” from the menu.

Right-click on the row number and select "Cuts" in Excel.

Now find the row on which you want to place the cutting row. Right-click on this new row number and select Insert Cut Cells from the menu.

Right-click on the target row number and select "Insert clipped cells" in Excel.

Your class is now in its new location.

A row has been moved with cut and pasted in Excel.

And you are all set.

There are times when you want to move your data into your spreadsheets. With Excel’s quick and easy transfer options, you can quickly rearrange data in different spreadsheets. very useful!


And if you need to Converting a row to a column, Excel makes it equally easy to do.

Related: How to convert a row to a column in Excel the easy way



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