To move a column in Excel, select it, press Cut (CTRL+X) on the Home tab, right-click the column to the right of where you want it, and choose Insert Cut Cells. You can also hold SHIFT and drag the column by its border to a new position. Dragging without SHIFT replaces the column you drop on.
Reordering columns is one of those jobs that feels like it should be a single click, and it nearly is. There are two routes in Excel, and which one you pick depends on whether you'd rather use the ribbon or the mouse. Both are covered on Microsoft's own page about moving or copying cells, rows and columns, and I've laid them out below in the order I'd reach for them.
The quick route: cut, then insert the cut cells
- Select the column you want to move by clicking its letter at the top.
- On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, select Cut, or press CTRL+X.
- Right-click the column to the right of the spot where you want the moved column to land.
- Choose Insert Cut Cells. The column slips in and the others shuffle across to make room.
That's the whole job. The reason it works is the last step: Insert Cut Cells tells Excel to make a gap and place the column there, rather than pasting over whatever was in that spot. If you choose an ordinary paste instead, you'd overwrite the destination, which is exactly what you don't want on a sheet full of figures.
One thing worth knowing before you start is that Excel moves everything in the column. Formulas, comments, formats and any hidden cells all travel with it, so you don't need to tidy up afterwards.
The mouse route: hold Shift and drag the border
If your columns are next to each other on screen, dragging is faster. Select the column, then hold SHIFT while you drag it by the border of the selection to the new position. The SHIFT key is what makes Excel insert the column rather than replace the one you drop on.
Here's the difference side by side, because it's the thing people get wrong most often.
| How you move it | What happens at the destination | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cut, then Insert Cut Cells | Excel inserts the column and pushes the rest across | Any move, including long distances |
| Drag with SHIFT held | Excel inserts the column at the new spot | Short moves where both places are on screen |
| Drag without SHIFT | Excel replaces the destination column, and warns you first | Only when you mean to overwrite |
Where it can go wrong, and what to check
The big limit is that you can't move or copy nonadjacent rows and columns with the mouse. If you've picked columns B and D with CTRL held, dragging won't work on them. Move them one at a time instead, using the cut and insert route above.
The second trap is the replace warning. Without SHIFT, dragging a column onto another one makes Excel replace it, though Excel does warn you before it goes ahead. If that warning pops up and you didn't expect it, cancel, press Undo and try again with SHIFT held.
If a move leaves a column on the wrong side, it usually means you right-clicked the wrong neighbour. Remember that Insert Cut Cells puts the moved column to the left of the one you right-clicked, so you pick the column to the right of where you want it to end up.
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Moving a column to another sheet or workbook
Sometimes the column belongs somewhere else entirely. Cut it as before, then switch to the other worksheet tab or to the other workbook, and select the upper-left cell of the area you want to paste into. From there, the same Insert Cut Cells command finishes the job.
If you're tidying a sheet after the move, you may also want to autofit the column widths so nothing is cut off, or unhide any columns that were hiding the gap you were trying to fill. And if the reason you're moving columns is to line two lists up, there's a separate walkthrough on how to compare two columns in Excel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move more than one column at once?
Yes, as long as the columns are next to each other. Select them together, cut, then use Insert Cut Cells on the column to the right of the new spot. Columns that aren't adjacent can't be moved with the mouse, so move those one at a time.
Why did Excel ask if I want to replace the destination?
That's the warning you get when you drag a column without holding SHIFT, because the drop would replace the column underneath. Cancel it and drag again with SHIFT held, or use the cut and insert route.
Do formulas break when I move a column?
Excel moves everything in the column, including formulas, comments and formats, so the contents stay together. If a formula elsewhere looks odd afterwards, check it against Microsoft's page rather than assuming it updated.
Is there a keyboard-only way to do it?
CTRL+X cuts the column, which covers the first half. For the second half you right-click and choose Insert Cut Cells, so the cut and insert route is the closest to keyboard-led.
What if the column I want to move holds hidden cells?
Hidden cells move with the rest of the column, so they stay hidden in the new position. You don't have to unhide anything first.
