Using the Ribbon Commands
As with most software programs, there is more than one way to complete the task of inserting and deleting cells in Excel. The Insert and Delete commands can be found in two places: you can find them under the Home menu in the ribbon or with a right-click of your mouse. Let's take a look at an example using the ribbon commands.
Imagine you have a teenager in high school. This is Amanda's freshman year, and she has decided she wants to play hockey. The coach sent you an email detailing the costs for Amanda to play. You decided to put together a spreadsheet with equipment, ice-time and fees showing the cost associated with each item. You have highlighted your costs in red, the school's in black. At the bottom, you have a total for the entire list.
Spreadsheet for example
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Now you want to add a cell above the total and add a sub-total for the items in red, or the cost to you as the parent. Let's review the steps:
- First, click on the cell below where you want to add a cell (in our example, this is B14, or the total).
- Then, go to the Home menu in the ribbon.
- And look in the Cells grouping of commands.
- Click on the More icon to the Insert command (it's the upside-down triangle).
- And then select Insert Cells from the drop-down menu, and you'll see the Insert Cells dialogue box open. You have two options:
- You can select Shift Cells Right to shift cells in the same row, but to the right.
- Or, you can select Shift Cells Down to shift selected cells and all cells in the column below it downward.
Let's choose to Shift Cells Down. This will add the cell for the sub-total directly above the total for all costs.
To remove a cell or range of cells, you would use the Delete command in the ribbon and the steps would be similar. From the Home menu in the ribbon, open the Delete cells dialogue box and choose one of the following:
- Shift Cells Left to shift cells in the same row to the left.
- Or, Shift Cells Up to shift selected cells and all cells in the column above it upward.
Using the Right-Click
Inserting and deleting a cell or range of cells can also be accomplished by using the right-click method. Not everyone is as comfortable working with their mouse, but I find these steps quicker. If you right-click where you want the cell or cells to be inserted, a drop-down menu with several menu options will appear. Notice you have both Insert and Delete among the options. These work the same as the ribbon commands.
Let's go back to our example spreadsheet with the list of hockey equipment and costs. Assume we need another sub-total, but this time for the school's cost. We will then have three totals: all costs, parents' cost and the school's cost. Here are the steps to using a right-click with your mouse:
- Select the location where the new cell should be inserted (now, you can choose to insert one cell or select a range and add multiple cells at the same time).
- Then, right-click and choose Insert (notice that the Insert dialogue opens). Again, you have two options:
- You can select Shift Cells Right to shift cells in the same row to the right.
- Or, select Shift Cells Down to shift selected cells and all cells in the column below it downward.
Whether you use the ribbon commands or the right-click method, the options are the same. It depends on your preference and comfort level.
Lesson Summary
This lesson explained two ways to use the Insert and Delete commands in Excel. To add or remove a cell, you can go to the Home menu, look in the Cells grouping of commands and click on Insert to add or Delete to remove. You can also use the right-click method. Right-click where you want to add or remove a cell, and the drop-down menu includes the Insert and Delete commands. Mouse or ribbon commands, it's up to you!
Learning Outcome
Highlight the steps necessary for inserting and deleting in Excel using either the Cells grouping of commands or the right-click method after watching this video lesson.
