Press Shift + Space to select the entire row of the active cell. If your selection already spans several rows, the same keys select all of those rows.
To take in more rows, keep holding Shift and press Down Arrow or Up Arrow. For rows that aren’t next to each other, hold Ctrl and click their row numbers.
With the row selected, Ctrl + – deletes it and Ctrl + Shift + = (Ctrl + plus) inserts a new row above it, with no dialog box because a full row is selected. For a column, use Ctrl + Space instead.
Inside an Excel Table, Shift + Space selects only the table row. Press it a second time to extend the selection to the whole worksheet row.
If Shift + Space types a space instead, you are still editing the cell: press Esc first. Some Chinese, Japanese and Korean input methods use the same keys themselves, so if nothing happens, switch the IME off or click the row number.
Latest Video Tutorial – 10 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts (Probably YOU are NOT Using)
An Excel spreadsheet is a combination of multiple rows and columns that have cells.
While working in Excel, you often need to select a row for various reasons, like deleting a specific row, formatting a specific row or inserting a new row above the selected row.
So, it’s important for every Excel user to know the shortcut to select row(s), and in this tutorial, I have explained it to you.
Keyboard Shortcut to Select Row in Excel
Shift + Space
Steps to Select the Row(s) Using Keyboard Shortcut
- First, go to any cell of the row that you want to select.
- After that, just press “Shift + Spacebar”, and the entire row will be selected and highlighted.
- Now, if you want to delete the selected row(s), press the “Ctrl + -” (Minus Sign) keys, or if you want to add a new row above the selected row, press the “Ctrl + +” (Plus Sign) keys (Ctrl + Shift + = on most keyboards). Or apply any formatting you want to that row only.
- To select multiple adjacent rows, keep the row selected and press the “Shift + Down Arrow” or “Shift + Up Arrow” keys to add the rows below or above.
Points to Remember
- To select multiple non-adjacent rows, hold the Ctrl key and click the row numbers with the mouse, or use the filter option to show only the rows you need.
- If you have multiple data sets in the current sheet, it’s better to convert them into tables, because in a table, “Shift + Spacebar” selects only the row within the table, and without a table, it selects the entire row of the worksheet. In a table, press Shift + Spacebar twice to select the entire worksheet row.
Related Selection Shortcuts
- Ctrl + Spacebar: selects the entire column of the active cell.
- Ctrl + A: selects the current data region, and pressing it again selects the whole worksheet.
- Shift + Spacebar on a Mac: works the same way in Excel for Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Shift + Spacebar not select the row?
You may be editing a cell (the shortcut then types a space), or your keyboard language setting uses Shift + Spacebar to switch input modes. Press Esc to leave the cell, or check your keyboard settings.
How do I select rows down to the last row with data?
Select the first row with Shift + Spacebar, then press Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow to extend the selection to the last row of the data.
How do I select a row with VBA?
Use Rows(5).Select for row 5, or ActiveCell.EntireRow.Select for the row of the active cell.