To insert a row in Google Sheets, right-click the row number next to where you want the new row and choose Insert 1 row above or Insert 1 row below. To add several at once, select that many rows first and the menu offers to insert the same number.
You've built a neat list of clients or orders, and now you need to squeeze a new line into the middle of it. Typing over the row below isn't the answer. Google Sheets lets you insert a fresh, empty row exactly where you want it, and the rows underneath simply shuffle down.
Insert one row in four clicks
- Open your spreadsheet on a computer.
- Click the grey row number on the left to select the row next to where the new one should go.
- Right-click the selected row.
- Choose Insert 1 row above or Insert 1 row below.
The new row appears straight away and everything beneath it moves down by one. Nothing is deleted or overwritten, which is the whole point.
Insert several rows at once
Google's trick here is that Sheets inserts as many rows as you've selected. Highlight 5 rows, right-click, and the menu offers Insert 5 rows above or below. To select rows that sit next to each other, click the first row number and drag down. To pick rows that aren't next to each other, hold Ctrl on Windows or Command on a Mac while you click.
| What you want | How to do it |
|---|---|
| One row above | Right-click a row number, Insert 1 row above |
| One row below | Right-click a row number, Insert 1 row below |
| Several rows | Select that many rows, right-click, Insert [number] rows |
| A big batch at the end | Scroll to the bottom and use the more rows box |
| Move a row | Select it, click Edit, Move row up or down, or drag it |
| Remove a row | Right-click the row number, Delete row |
Adding lots of rows at the bottom
If you've run out of space at the end of a sheet, there's a quicker route than right-clicking over and over. Scroll to the very bottom and you'll see a box next to the words 'more rows at the bottom'. Type how many rows you need and click Add. Google's help page describes this as the way to add 100 or more rows in one go.
The catch: inserting in the middle of a filtered or sorted list
Here's where people come unstuck. If your sheet has a filter switched on, some rows are hidden, so the row you right-click may not sit next to the one you think it does. Clear the filter first, insert your row, then filter again. It takes seconds and avoids a new line landing in the middle of old data.
Formulas can also catch you out. Google notes that sorting a filtered range doesn't rewrite formulas, so a cell reference such as =B2 stays as =B2 even when the data moves around it. If you've got lookups pointing at specific rows, check them after you insert and sort.
Inserting a row on your phone
Google's help page has separate instructions for the Sheets app on Android phones and tablets and on iPhone and iPad, because the menus sit in different places on a touch screen. The idea is the same: select the row first, then look for the insert option. Honestly, it's fiddly on a small screen, so if you're adding more than one or two rows I'd wait until you're back at a computer, where right-clicking is far quicker and you can see more of the sheet at once.
Keep your sheet tidy as it grows
- Leave the header alone. Insert new rows below your header row, never above it, or your column titles end up in the middle of the data.
- Copy formatting. A new row usually picks up the style of the row next to it. If it doesn't, use the paint format tool to copy the look from a neighbouring row.
- Extend formulas. If each row has a calculation, copy the formula into the new row so it doesn't sit there empty.
- Delete with care. Right-click the row number and choose Delete row. Deleting the contents with the Delete key only clears the cells and leaves an empty row behind.
Rows versus cells
If you only want to push a few cells down rather than a whole row, select those cells, right-click and choose Insert cells. It's useful for small fixes, but for lists of records, whole rows keep everything lined up, so that's what I'd use most of the time.
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The short version from me
Right-click the row number, insert above or below, and select several rows first if you need more than one. Turn off filters before you insert, and check any formulas that point at fixed rows. When you need to take rows out again, here's how to delete rows in Google Sheets, and for the sideways version of this job, adding a column in Google Sheets works the same way.
Frequently asked questions
How do I insert a row in Google Sheets?
Right-click the row number next to where you want the new row and choose Insert 1 row above or Insert 1 row below.
How do I insert multiple rows in Google Sheets?
Select as many rows as you want to add, right-click and choose Insert [number] rows above or below. Sheets inserts the same number you selected.
How do I add 100 rows in Google Sheets?
Scroll to the bottom of the sheet, type the number in the box next to more rows at the bottom, and click Add.
Is there a way to move a row in Google Sheets?
Yes. Select the row, click Edit and choose Move row up or Move row down, or drag the row to its new place.
Why did my new row land in the wrong place?
A filter was probably hiding rows. Remove the filter, insert the row, then turn the filter back on.
