Inserting Cells

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 21, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


As you are editing your worksheet, it not untypical that you will need to move things around. One of the most common way of doing this is to insert cells, which will result in the movement of existing cells. You can insert a cell (or cells) in your worksheet by following these steps:
  1. Select the cell or cells that indicate where you want your new cells inserted. Make sure that the number of cells you select represents the same number you want to insert. Thus, if you want to insert four cells, you would select four cells at the point where the insertion is to take place.
  2. Choose Cells from the Insert menu. Excel displays the Insert dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Insert dialog box.

  4. Select how you want the current cells in the worksheet affected.
  5. Click on OK. Your cells are inserted.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2656) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Using the EOMONTH Function

If you need to determine the date of the last day in a month, it's hard to beat the flexibility of the EOMONTH function. ...

Discover More

Specifying a Date Range in a SUMIFS Formula

The SUMIFS function allows you to specify criteria by which values can be included in a sum. Putting together the ...

Discover More

Removing Cells Containing Specific Terms

Macros are great for processing large amounts of data quickly. This tip examines several ways you can remove specific ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Status Bar Summing No Longer Available

When you select a range of cells, Excel normally displays the sum of those selected cells on the status bar. If the sum ...

Discover More

Arranging Workbook Windows

If you find yourself working with a number of different workbooks at the same time, you may want to arrange your desktop ...

Discover More

Disabling the Insert Key

Tap the Insert key and you can start overwriting information already in a cell. If you don't want to do this, one way to ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six more than 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.