Right-click, Insert, pick an option, OK: four steps for something you do dozens of times a day. Two keystrokes do the same job, and it's the kind of speed colleagues notice.
Step by step
- Click a cell in the row where you want the new row.
- Press Shift+Spacebar to select the whole row.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Plus to insert a blank row above it.
- To delete a row instead, select it and press Ctrl+Minus.
Tips & troubleshooting
- Use Ctrl+Spacebar first to insert or delete whole columns the same way.
- Select several rows before inserting to add that many new rows at once.
- If you only select a cell, Excel asks whether to shift cells, or insert a whole row or column.
Other ways to insert and delete
- Number pad: Ctrl and the Plus key on the number pad inserts without needing Shift.
- Ribbon keys: Alt, H, I, R inserts sheet rows and Alt, H, I, C inserts sheet columns, with no need to select the whole row first.
- Right-click a row number and choose Insert or Delete.
- Repeat: after inserting one row, press F4 to insert another.
Insert rows you have copied
To move or duplicate rows without overwriting anything, copy or cut the rows, select the row where they should go, and press Ctrl+Shift+Plus. Excel inserts the copied rows and pushes everything else down, instead of pasting over what is there.
What happens to formulas and formatting
A new row takes its formatting from the row above. The small Insert Options button that appears lets you switch to the format below or clear it.
Formulas that refer to a range grow when you insert a row inside that range. A row added immediately below the last row of a SUM range is not always included, so check your totals after adding to the bottom of a list. Excel tables remove the worry: press Tab in the last cell of a table to add a row, and every formula, chart and total that uses the table extends automatically.
When Excel refuses
- A message says objects or data can't be pushed off the sheet. Something sits in the very last row or column, often stray formatting. Press Ctrl+End to find it, delete the unused rows and save.
- Insert is greyed out. The sheet is protected, or several sheets are grouped. Unprotect it on the Review tab or ungroup the sheets.
- The list is filtered. Inserting and deleting whole rows in a filtered list affects hidden rows in unexpected ways, so clear the filter first.