Move Columns in Excel
Spreadsheets have a variety of uses, and figuring out how to set one up to work most easily for a specific task can take a few tries. Understand how to move columns in Excel so you can rearrange them more easily.
Contents
Steps
Rearrange Excel Columns Using the Menus
- Select the column (or columns, if they're adjacent) that you wish to move. You can select the column by clicking on the column header which is the letter visible by the ruler.
- Cut the information in the column. You can "cut" the data by clicking the scissor button on the toolbar, or by using the keyboard command. You should see a dotted line surrounding what you had selected previously.
- The keyboard shortcut command on a Windows computer is ctrl-x, "ctrl" being the Control key.
- The keyboard command on a Mac computer is cmd-x, "cmd" being the Command key. Depending on your computer model, your Command key might have an apple or cloverleaf symbol on it instead of saying "cmd."
- Select the column to the right of where you want the cut column to go.
- Use Excel's "Insert Copied Cells" function. Excel will automatically move the column to the left of the column currently selected. (The function may call itself "Insert Cut Cells," depending on your particular setup.) Go to the "Home" tab and look in the "Cells" group. Click on "Insert" to find the "Insert Copied Cells" function.
- Verify that the column pasted where you want it.
Rearrange Excel Columns Using Right-Click
- Right-click on the letter header of the column to be moved. The entire column should be automatically highlighted.
- If you don't have a right-click mouse, try pressing the control key ("ctrl") while left-clicking.
- Select "Cut" from the drop-down list that appears.
- Right-click on the column header for the column to the right of where you want to move the cut column.
- Select "Insert Cut Cells" from the drop-down list that appears.
- Verify that the column pasted properly.
Tips
- If you make a mistake and accidentally paste a column on top of another, use the "Undo" function (control-z or command-z, depending on your system). Then you can try again to move the Excel column.
- If you use the "Cut" function and change your mind about using it, cancel the cut (and get rid of that dotted line) by hitting the Escape key ("esc") or saving the workbook.
- If you're not comfortable with using "Undo" if you accidentally hit the wrong thing, you can insert a blank column where you want to move the column, copy and paste the data from the old column, then delete the now redundant old column.
