If you are someone who often comes across the problem of data handling in Excel, you will be looking for solutions to how to efficiently overcome those problems. One such problem users often face is how to shift rows down in Excel.
If you are also looking for an answer to this problem, read this guide below to find some simple ways to shift rows down in Excel.
Part 1 What is the shift rows down in Excel?
"Shift rows down" in Excel refers to the action of moving one or more rows of data downward within a worksheet. This operation is typically used to create space for new data or to reorganize existing data while maintaining the overall structure and order of the spreadsheet.
This can be useful for reordering data or inserting new rows in between existing ones. But there is one thing you will have to remember, and that is, if you have data dependent on the position of these rows or if you're shifting rows containing formulas, you may need to adjust references or formulas accordingly to ensure your data remains accurate after the shift.
Part 2：How to Shift Rows Down in Excel?
There are multiple methods to shift rows down in Excel. The first is to use the insert and delete method, and the second one is to use the Shift key to move rows down or up in an Excel sheet. Below here, we will take a look at both methods and how they can be used to shift rows down in Microsoft Excel:
The Insert and Delete Method:
As obvious by the name, this method is used to move rows down in Excel by using prompts like insert and delete. To learn more about this method, follow the steps mentioned:
Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel on your PC and create a new file with data or open an already made file that contains rows of data so you can use these rows to practice along.
To open a file, go to the File option in MS Excel and click open. You can also open a file from the recent section and work on it.
Step 2: Once you have opened the file, select any row. You can do this by going to the serial number column on the extreme left and clicking on a row you want to select. In this case, we will select the third row.
Step 3: After you have selected a row, right-click it, and a menu with options will appear on the screen. On this menu, you will find Insert. Click it, and a row will be automatically added above to the row you had selected.
That’s it. You have now moved a row down by inserting a blank row above it. You can then use this blank to write any other data.
You can see the row added above that selected row. You can move it back if you want or edit the new row with new values.
The Shift Key Method:
The Shift key method is another effective method used to move rows up or down in the Excel sheet. Follow the steps mentioned below to use the Shift key and move rows as you want.
Step 1: Just like the first method, select any row you want to move down or up by clicking the row number on the extreme left.
Step 2: Press the Shift key and move your mouse cursor to the corner of the row where it will take a shape that represents that you can now move the row above or below.
Keep holding the Shift key and drag the row above to make another row go down in its place. Drop it where you want it to be and the row will be up or down based on your drag motion.
Step 3: You can now see that the row you dragged is in a position where you wanted it to be. That is, above or below some row.
This is a pretty simple way to adjust and move rows below or above any other row. You can use this method instead of insertion to move a row wherever you want it to be on the workbook.
Part 3: A Free Alternative Choice to Microsoft Excel - WPS Office
So far, you have seen that we used Microsoft Excel to move rows down. Excel provides an intuitive and easy-to-use interface to handle data and work with it as you want. However, Microsoft Excel isn’t free for every user.
That’s why we recommend you use a better alternative, i.e., WPS Office. For those of you who don’t know, WPS Office is a complete Suite of Office productivity applications that can be used in the workspace as well as individual environments to edit and save documents, including Word, Spreadsheets, and Presentations.
The best part about this software is that it is fully compatible with both Windows and Mac OS and can be used on any device.
Due to these reasons and many more, it offers multiple benefits to offer its users. We have mentioned some of them below for your reference:
Pros of WPS Office:
Free Download and Use: It is completely free to download and use and can be used to open and edit Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files. The PDF toolkit offered by WPS Office is the biggest advantage that cannot be found in Microsoft Office.
Easy and Intuitive Interface: Just like top-quality Office suites, WPS also offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that can be used by even the most non-technical personnel in your workplace.
Wide Variety of Templates: WPS Office has a wide variety of templates to offer its users. You can find these templates both on the browser and inside the WPS Office applications. These templates come in every format, including Word, Spreadsheet, and Presentations.
Lightweight Suite: As you know, Microsoft Office occupies a lot of space on your PC. WPS Office, on the other hand, is the most lightweight Office Suite that can be easily installed even on a low disk space.
Supports Online Documents: You can use WPS Office to open online documents from directories like OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox.
Safe and Secure to Use: The best part about WPS Office is that it is safe to use. With regular updates on security and privacy, it proves to be one of the most secure Office Suite out there.
With these many benefits, WPS continues to be the best Office Suite out there that can help users open, edit, and share documents.
How to download the WPS Office?
Downloading WPS Office is pretty simple and easy to use. All you have to do is follow the steps mentioned below to successfully download and install it on your PC or any other device.
Step 1: Open the WPS official website on your browser by following the link wps.com.
Step 2: On the homepage of this website, you will see a couple of downloading options. One of them will be on the header, and the other will be below the header on the slider. Click on any of these Download options to download WPS Office for Windows on your PC.
Step 3: If you want to download it for other devices, you can do this by scrolling down the website and opting for any of the options available there. Here, you have the option to download WPS Office for Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and Linux.
Click on any option to start the download process. In this example, we will download WPS Office for Windows.
Step 4: By clicking this option, you will see the download will start right away and you can monitor the progress from the download panel.
Step 5: The process isn’t completed yet because WPS will have to download some other files during the installation process.
Right-click the installation file in the download folder, and you will be given a menu. Click the Run as administrator option and the file installation will start.
Step 6: A pop-up will appear on the screen where you will have to check the box that says agreeing to the licensing and privacy policy.
Step 7: After this window, the downloading of additional files will start, in which WPS Office will download some additional files and will then finalize the installation process.
FAQs
1. How do I move multiple rows in Excel?
Click the row number for the top row in the collection that you want to move. Scroll down to the bottom row. Hold down the Shift key, and then click on the bottom row number to highlight all of the rows in between. Click and drag the row number of one of the highlighted cells to move them all to a new location.
2. How do I select multiple rows without dragging?
You can also select cells in a row or column by selecting the first cell and then pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key (RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW for rows, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW for columns).
Note: If the row or column contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW key selects the row or column to the last used cell. Hover the mouse pointer over the edge of the selection until it changes from a regular cross to a four-sided arrow. Press and hold the Shift key, and then drag the column to a new location.
That's it! You have now dragged the row to the desired location.
How to Shift Rows in Excel and WPS Office
Till now, we have seen how to shift rows down in Excel using two of the easiest methods. Using these methods in Microsoft Excel is quite easy and can be easily done. However, the only drawback to using Microsoft Excel is that you will have to pay a monthly subscription fee.
On the other hand, WPS Office has no such additional fee and can be used for free. Its all applications including Word, Spreadsheet, and PowerPoint can be used on any device and operating systems without even paying a penny.
