Insert New Cells in Excel

If you’re an Excel user, you might have noticed that your workbooks are always evolving. When you get new data, it’s natural that you might need to reorganize the data to make room.

When your workbook needs work, it helps to know how to add more workspace. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to insert new cells in Excel.

Insert A New Cell in Excel

To insert a new cell in Excel, start by clicking in the cell that needs to move. Keep in mind that this is the cell that will shift in the spreadsheet.

Now, right-click and choose Insert on the new menu. You’ll see another follow-up menu to choose how to add the new cells.

On the new menu, you can choose how to shift the existing cells in your workbook. For example, choosing Shift cells right is going to everything one cell to the right from the existing point to create new space for your cells.

There is an important difference in these options. Although choosing “shift cells right” and “entire column” might seem similar, they work fundamentally differently.

Shift cells right will only impact the current row, while adding entire column is going to move everything in the active column. The same is true for the “shift cells down” / “entire row” options.

Insert Multiple Cells in Excel

This same technique can be used to add multiple cells to your Excel workbook. After all, you might need several new cells to work with.

To add multiple cells, start by highlighting the cells that you wish to shift. Then, choose the same right-click > Insert menu option to select how to insert your new cells.

You’ll see the same pop-up menu that controls how to move cells. Choose your desired option to rearrange the existing cells, and press OK. You’ll add new cells in the selected area in your spreadsheet.