How to Add a Column in Excel

While working in Excel, adding, or removing the column(s) is a common task, and there are multiple ways to add or insert the columns in the Excel sheets.

One can choose any of the ways to add or insert the columns based on his/her preference.

Steps to Insert a Single Column

1. First, right-click on any cell in the column.
2. After that, you will get a pop-up with multiple options.
3. Now, click on the “Insert” option.
   
4. After that, right-click and you will get a pop-up with multiple options.
5. Now, select the “Entire column” option and click ok.
   
6. At this point, the column has been inserted to the left of your selected cell.
   

Tip: You can select the whole single or multiple columns by selecting the column header letters and right-clicking, then selecting “Insert” from the pop-up option. The number of inserted columns always depends on how many columns you have selected.

You can also insert the column from the “Home” Tab Ribbon.

1. First, make sure that you are on the “Home Tab” and then click on any cell in the column.
   
2. Here, you will find the “Insert” icon within the “cells” group on the Ribbon.
   
3. Now, click on the “Insert” icon and select “Insert Sheet Column” from the listed drop-down menu.
   
4. At this point, the column has been inserted to the left of your selected column cell.
   

Add Multiple Columns

• To add multiple columns, first, you need to select multiple cells instead of a single cell.
  
• After that, right-click and you will get a pop-up with multiple options.
• Now, click on the “Insert” option.
  
• Once you click on the “Insert” option, you will again get a pop-up option.
• Now, select the “Entire column” option and click ok.
  
• At this point, three columns have been inserted to the left of your selected cells as you had selected three cells.
  
• To add the multiple “non-adjacent” columns, First, you need to select the cells one by one by holding the CTRL key from the keyboard.
  
• Once you select the cells, release the CTRL key
• After that, right-click and click on the “Insert” option from the pop-up options.
  
• Now, select the “Entire column” option and click ok.
• At this point, “non-adjacent” columns have been inserted to the left of your selected cells.
  

Insert a Column in Excel Table

When you convert your data set into a table range, the insert column method losses some of its functionality.

For example, you cannot insert non-adjacent columns in one go as you do in a normal data set by selecting the non-adjacent columns to insert columns to the left of them.

In table range, if you want to insert multiple non-adjacent columns, you need to do it one by one.

• First, click on any cell in the column and right-click.
• Now, click on the “Insert” option from the pop-up and then select “Table Columns to the Left”.
  
• At this point, the column has been inserted to the left of your selected cell.
  
• To insert the adjacent multiple cells, First, you need to select the multiple adjacent columns.
• Now, click on the “Insert” option from the pop-up and then select “Table Columns to the Left”.
  
• At this point, two columns have been inserted to the left of your selected cells.
  

Add a Column using a Keyword Shortcut

• First, click on the cell to the left of which you want to insert the column.
  
• After that, press the CTRL + SHIFT+ +(plus) button from your keyboard and you will get a pop-up.
• Now, select the “Entire column” option and click ok.
  
• At this point, the column has been inserted to the left of your selected column cell.
  

My favorite shortcut method to insert the column(s) is by selecting the whole column with a shortcut key to the left of which you want to insert the column.

• For this, First, click on any cell within the column and press CTRL + SPACE key from the keyboard and you will find that your whole column is now selected.
  
• Now, release the CTRL+ SPACE key and press and hold both the SHIFT + CTRL key, and press + (Plus Sign) from the keyboard.
• At this point, the column has been inserted to the left of your selected cell.
  

Tip: You can press + (Plus Sign) multiple times to insert multiple columns while holding the SHIFT + Control.