Pick the column or row, open Format on the Home tab, and choose Column Width or Row Height under Cell Size, then type your figure. Prefer the mouse? Drag a heading boundary instead, or choose AutoFit Column Width or AutoFit Row Height so Excel sizes it to the content.
Before you start
- Sizing applies to entire lines of the grid, so pick a full column or row, never one cell.
- Widths run from 0 (which hides the column) up to 255, and heights run from 0 (hidden) up to 409 points.
- Precision comes from entering a number, while speed comes from dragging or AutoFit.
- If text is showing as hashes or looks chopped off, a wider column is usually the fix.
The steps below come from Microsoft's guide on how to change the column width and row height.
Set an exact size with the ribbon
Two settings cover nearly every case, one for width and one for height. Here is the order of play for each.
- Width: click the letter, then Format, Column Width, enter a number, OK.
- For a row, click its number, open the same menu and choose Row Height.
- Look at the result. If the contents still don't fit, repeat with a bigger number.
Drag it by eye, or let AutoFit do it
When you don't care about an exact figure, the mouse is quicker. Drag the boundary on the right side of a column heading to change that column's width. Drag the boundary below a row heading to change that row's height.
AutoFit does the measuring for you. Pick the column, then Home > Cells > Format > AutoFit Column Width. For a row, the matching command is AutoFit Row Height. Either command sizes the line to whatever it contains.
To autofit every column on the sheet in one go, select Select All and double-click any boundary between two column headings. We've also got a full walkthrough on how to wrap text in Excel for when you'd rather keep the column narrow and let the words flow onto more lines.
What happens afterwards
The new size applies to the whole column or row you selected, so every cell in it changes together. Nothing inside the cells is altered. The data stays as it was, and only the room it has changes, so there's no risk to your figures from a resize.
A width of 0 hides the column rather than deleting it, and a height of 0 does the same for a row.
A worked example: a squashed product list
Imagine a list where the product names are cut off and the notes column is far wider than it needs to be. Select the names column and choose AutoFit Column Width, so the whole of each name shows. Then select the notes column, open Column Width and type a smaller number to claw the space back.
If a few rows look cramped because of long entries, select those rows and choose AutoFit Row Height. If you want every row identical, select them together and type one Row Height figure. Either way you're working with whole columns and rows, which keeps the sheet looking even.
The catch: one setting per row or column
A single cell can't be sized on its own. Individual rows and columns can have only one setting, so if you widen a column for one long entry, the cells above and below widen too.
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The limits are firm as well. A width tops out at 255 characters and a height at 409 points, so no number you type will go beyond that.
If you're tidying a sheet for presentation, you might also want to change the date format in Excel once the columns are wide enough to show every digit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I resize just one cell?
Not on its own. Because each line carries one setting, changing the room for a single cell means changing everything above, below or beside it too.
What's the biggest a column can be?
Widths run up to 255, and heights top out at 409 points. Nothing you type will push past those ceilings.
How do I make a column fit its text without guessing?
Choose AutoFit and let Excel measure the longest entry. There's a column version and a row version, both found in the Format menu on the Home tab.
Is there a way to autofit everything at once?
Use Select All, then double-click a boundary between column headings.
Why would I type a value instead of dragging?
An exact figure is repeatable, which helps when several sheets need to look identical. Dragging is quicker when a rough fit is good enough.
What does a size of 0 do?
It hides rather than deletes. Everything in that column or row is still in the workbook, just out of sight.
