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How to Insert Rows in Excel Using a Shortcut (Windows & Mac)

August 29, 2023 1.8K views

Excel has become one of the most used programs worldwide since it allows you to organize tasks. People who use Excel are surely looking for a guide to provide more information on certain techniques. It is fair that you learn everything about Excel, in this way your work will be in perfect condition.

Today you have the opportunity to learn and excel insert row shortcut and thus add rows directly. This technique is easy to apply when you want to add more rows. You have to be familiar with Excel, and this guide gives you real information on how to add rows much faster and without so many complications.

Method 1: How to Insert Row Using Shortcut in Excel (WPS Office & MS Office)

Inserting rows in Excel is a straightforward process. Following is the step-by-step guide to the function:

Step 1: Open your Excel spreadsheet on which you want to insert the row

Opening the file in Excel

Opening the file in Excel


Step 2: Select the entire row above which you want to insert the new row.

Selecting the entire row

Selecting the entire row


Step 3: For WPS Office: Press "Ctrl" + "+" on your keyboard & for MS Office (Excel): Press "Ctrl" + "Shift" + "+" on your keyboard

Step 4: A new row will be inserted above the currently selected row

Result of inserting row through shortcut

Result of inserting row through shortcut

Benefits of using this shortcut:

  • Speed and Efficiency: Using shortcuts allows you to perform the action quickly and efficiently

  • Faster Data Entry: If you frequently work with Excel or spreadsheets, using shortcuts speeds up the data entry process

  • Ease of Use: Once you get familiar with the shortcut, you can insert a row in the natural flow

Tips:

  1. To insert multiple rows at once, select the desired number of rows first and then use the insert row shortcut. Excel will insert the same number of rows as you have selected.

  2. If you accidentally insert rows, you can simply press the shortcut of UNDO ("Ctrl" + "Z") to revert the action

Method 2: How to Insert Row Using Shortcut in Google Sheet:

Google Sheets have become a common way of analyzing data and sharing data with your team easily and efficiently. To understand how to insert a row in Google Sheets through a shortcut, follow the below-mentioned steps:

Step 1: Open your Google Sheets spreadsheet in your web browser

Opening google sheets

Opening google sheets


Step 2: Select the entire row above which you want to insert the new row

Selecting the entire row in Google sheet

Selecting the entire row in Google sheet


Step 3: Use the following keyboard shortcut for Windows "Ctrl" + "Alt" + "Shift" + "+" & use this shortcut to insert a row in excel mac "Cmd" + "Option" + "Shift" + "+"

Step 4: A new row will be inserted above the currently selected row

Row inserted through shortcut

Row inserted through shortcut

Pros of inserting row shortcut Google Sheets:

  • Increased Productivity: The time saved by using shortcuts in Google Sheets significantly increases your overall productivity

  • Fewer Clicks: This shortcut involves only a combination of key presses, which reduces the overall number of clicks needed

Method 3: How to Delete Row Using Shortcut

Deleting extra rows in Excel through a shortcut is equally important to get rid of unwanted data. You can delete a row in Excel by following these steps:

Step 1: Open your Excel spreadsheet

Opening the file in Excel

Opening the file in Excel

Step 2: Select the entire row you wish to remove.

Selecting multiple rows to delete

Selecting multiple rows to delete


Step 3: Use the following keyboard shortcut: "Ctrl" + "-" on your keyboard

Step 4: The selected row will be deleted

Result of deleting row through shortcut

Result of deleting row through shortcut

Pros of deleting row through Shortcut:

  • Removing unwanted data quickly: you can remove unnecessary and redundant information from your worksheet quickly

  • Greater Control: Using shortcut provides you greater control over your data, ensuring that the right data is removed

FAQs

Q1: How to insert Column Using Shortcut in Excel:

You can easily insert a column in Excel using the same shortcut ("Ctrl" + "Shift" + "+") that was used to insert the row in Excel. The only difference is that instead of selecting the entire row, you have to select the entire column before applying the shortcut.

Q2: Are there other shortcuts in Excel?

There are many shortcut keys in Excel for different functions. Some of the most commonly used shortcuts in Excel are listed below table:

Action

Shortcut (Windows)

Shortcut (macOS)

New Workbook

Ctrl + N

Cmd + N

Close Workbook

Ctrl + W

Cmd + W

Print

Ctrl + P

Cmd + P

Undo

Ctrl + Z

Cmd + Z

Redo

Ctrl + Y

Cmd + Shift + Z

Select All

Ctrl + A

Cmd + A

Find

Ctrl + F

Cmd + F

Replace

Ctrl + H

Cmd + Option + F

Insert Row

Ctrl + Shift + "+"

Cmd + Option + "+"

Summary

In summary, the article explains various methods to insert rows in Excel using keyboard shortcuts. The article highlights the benefits of using shortcuts, such as speed, efficiency, and increased productivity. It emphasizes the importance of selecting the correct row before using the shortcuts and the ability to undo actions using "Ctrl" + "Z". The use of shortcuts is encouraged to streamline workflows and enhance productivity in Excel and Google Sheets, and WPS Office. WPS Office is a powerful and feature-rich office suite that can be easily accessed at https://www.wps.com/.



15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.