To add a column in Excel, right-click the letter at the top of the column to the right of where you want the new one and choose Insert. You can also click any cell in that column and go to Home, Insert, Insert Sheet Columns. The new column appears to the left and everything else shifts right.
You've built a client list with names, emails and the date they signed up, and now you want a column for which service they signed up for. Adding it in the middle, rather than tacking it on at the far end, keeps the sheet readable. Excel always inserts the new column to the left of the one you pick, which is the only rule you need to remember.
Inserting one column with a right-click
- Find the column that should sit just to the right of your new one. If you want a new column between B and C, that's column C.
- Right-click the letter C at the top of the sheet, so the whole column is selected.
- Choose Insert.
- A blank column appears where C was, and the old C moves to D. Type your header in the top cell.
That's Microsoft's quickest method. The ribbon route does the same job: click any cell in column C, then go to Home, Insert, Insert Sheet Columns.
Adding several columns at once
Need three new columns for phone, postcode and notes? Select three column letters first. Click the first letter, hold Shift and click the third, then right-click and choose Insert. Excel adds as many blank columns as you selected. Microsoft describes the same idea for Excel for the web: select the same number of columns as you want to add, to the right of where they should go, then choose Insert Columns.
| Method | Steps | Works in |
|---|---|---|
| Right-click the column letter | Right-click, Insert | Excel desktop |
| Ribbon | Home, Insert, Insert Sheet Columns | Excel desktop |
| Keyboard | Ctrl+Space to select, then Ctrl+Shift+Plus | Excel desktop |
| Browser | Right-click the column, Insert Columns | Excel for the web |
The keyboard way, if you hate the mouse
Click a cell in the column, press Ctrl+Spacebar to select the whole column, then press Ctrl+Shift+Plus. With a whole column selected, Excel inserts a new column straight away. If you only have a single cell selected, you'll get the Insert dialog instead, where you can choose Entire column. Ctrl+Z takes it back if you add one in the wrong place.
The formatting surprise in a new column
Here's the catch most people don't expect. Microsoft says that when the column next to your insert point has formatting, the new column picks up that formatting. So if column C is bold, yellow and set to a date format, your new column arrives bold, yellow and expecting dates. Type an email address in and it may look odd.
Right after inserting, an Insert Options button appears. Click it and choose whether to format the new column like the one on the left, the one on the right, or clear the formatting. If that button never shows up, Microsoft says to turn it on under File, Options, Advanced, in the Cut, copy and paste group, by ticking Show Insert Options buttons.
Adding a column inside an Excel table
If your list is a true Excel table (the kind with banded rows and filter arrows, made with Ctrl+T), adding a column is even easier: type a header in the first empty cell to the right of the table and press Enter. The table grows to include it, with matching formatting. To insert a column in the middle of a table, right-click a cell in the column and use the Insert menu; you'll see options for table columns to the left.
Tables also copy formulas down a new column automatically. Type a formula in the first row and Excel fills the rest, which is handy if your new column is, say, the number of items per order divided by boxes. My guide to dividing in Excel covers that kind of formula.
Why Excel won't let you insert a column
Every sheet has a fixed width. Microsoft gives the limit as 16,384 columns, so if there's anything in the very last column, Excel has nowhere to push it and refuses to insert. This usually happens when someone has accidentally formatted or typed in an entire row all the way across. Press Ctrl+End to see where Excel thinks your data ends, delete any stray content far to the right, save, and try again.
Merged cells across the insert point and protected sheets can also block it. If the Insert option is greyed out, check the Review tab for a protected sheet first.
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Deleting a column you added by mistake
Right-click the column letter and choose Delete, or use Home, Delete, Delete Sheet Columns. Microsoft notes that Ctrl+Z restores a column straight after you delete it, so don't panic if you remove the wrong one. Columns to the right slide back to the left.
Adding columns works much the same in other tools. Adding rows works in a very similar way, and my guide to inserting a row in Excel covers the shortcuts for that too.
My take
Right-click the column to the right of where you want space, choose Insert, and check the formatting it inherited. That's all there is to it day to day. If Excel refuses, look for stray data in the far right of the sheet before you assume something's broken.
Frequently asked questions
Does Excel insert a column to the left or right?
To the left. The new column goes in front of the column you selected, and the rest shift right.
How do I add multiple columns in Excel?
Select the same number of column letters as you want to add, right-click and choose Insert.
What is the shortcut to insert a column in Excel?
Press Ctrl+Spacebar to select the column, then Ctrl+Shift+Plus.
Why can't I insert a column in Excel?
Usually there's data in the last column of the sheet, or the sheet is protected. Clear the stray data or unprotect the sheet.
Why does my new column have the wrong formatting?
It copies the formatting of the neighbouring column. Use the Insert Options button to change or clear it.
