Did you forget to add certain records in the middle of your spreadsheet?
No Worries! Google Sheets offers powerful tools to organize and analyze massive datasets. You can easily insert rows and columns to allocate space for your missed records. It can be done through the main menu or the sidebar after selecting a particular record above or below which you want to insert the rows.
Adding multiple rows to your datasheet to get your entries in the right place is a breeze.
In this article, we will be discussing how to insert multiple rows in Google Sheets using various methods and keyboard shortcuts.
Now, without any further ado, let’s begin.
Download the Example Google Sheet
Below is the example Google Sheet we have used in this article to demonstrate the process of adding multiple rows.
You can download the dataset and follow me along through the article.
Note that practice is the key to success here. If you have your own Google Sheet ready with the required dataset, you can skip downloading the above spreadsheet.
How to Insert a Row in Google Sheets
Let us first learn to insert a single row at a time in Google Sheets so that it will be easier for you to do the same for multiple rows.
The steps are simple and anyone from beginners to advanced users can follow them.
Consider the following table where we have employee details including their name, age, salary, and location.
As you have noticed, the table is sorted by the Annual Salary column, with the highest salary being at the top.
Our task is to insert an entry (one more employee who has an annual salary equal to $100,00). This additional entry will go at the 5th position in the table.
Here are the steps,
- Open the Google Sheet and go to the table where you wish to insert the row
- Click on the row number on the far left to select the entire row
(Note that we have chosen the 6th row as the new employee details are supposed to be inserted at the 5th position) - Hover to the main menu
- Click on the “Insert” tab
- Select “Rows” option from the popup
- Now, you need to choose the “Insert 1 row above” option
A new blank row will instantly appear above the 6th row, as shown in the following GIF.
How to Insert Multiple Rows in Google Sheets (2 Ways)
Here, let’s learn the steps to insert multiple rows at once in Google Sheets. The steps are almost identical and require the same amount of effort.
Inserting rows in Google Sheets is a basic and essential task for maintaining the dataset in a structured format. This can be achieved through two methods,
- Using the Main Menu
- From the Sidebar
Let us use the same dataset we used in the previous example of inserting a single row.
This time, we will be adding three rows above the 6th row.
METHOD #1 – Using the Main Menu
In this method, we will use the “Insert” tab from the main menu to add rows.
Let’s get started,
- Open the spreadsheet
- Select the entire row by clicking the number that appears on the extreme left of the screen
(Here, we have selected the 6th row) - Press and hold the “Shift” key
- Next, press the “Down Arrow” button twice to select the additional rows
(You to ensure the number of rows you choose will be the exact number of new rows you want to insert) - Go to the main menu
- Click on the “Insert” tab
- Choose the “Rows” option from the list
- You will see two options as follows
- Click on the “Insert 3 rows above”
(Since we have selected 3 rows, we are seeing the option of inserting 3 rows above or below the chosen rows)
That’s done! Google Sheets will instantly insert three rows above the selected row.
METHOD #2 – From the Sidebar
This is another quick method to add rows to your spreadsheet.
Instead of inserting the rows from the main menu, you just need to right-click and choose the insert rows option.
Here’s how you can do it,
- Open the spreadsheet
- Select the entire row above or below which you wish to insert new rows
- Now, use your keyboard to select multiple rows. Press and hold the “Shift” key and press the “Down Arrow” button multiple times
(I have pressed the down arrow twice to select three rows) - Now, right-click on the highlighted cells to see the following options
- Click on the “Insert 3 rows above” option
It’s easy and can be done within a few minutes. Refer to the following GIF.
How to add extra Rows to Google Spreadsheet
When you open a new spreadsheet, Google Sheets includes 1,000 rows by default.
You can easily add an additional number of rows as per your requirement. Google Sheets allows you to add up to 5,000,000 rows to a single sheet.
Here are the steps,
- Open your Google Sheet
- Scroll to the end of your sheet until you see the following options
(You can also use a keyboard shortcut to jump to the end of the sheet: “Ctrl + Down Arrow” [for Windows] and “Command + Down Arrow” [for Mac]) - Enter the number of rows you want to add to your current sheet in the empty box as shown below
- Click on the “Add” button
The number we had entered was 300. So, when we scroll down, the total number after adding rows is equal to 1,300. Refer to the following screenshot.
Is there any keyboard shortcut to add rows in Google Sheets?
If you are looking for the fastest way of adding rows, then the good news for you is there is a keyboard shortcut.
Here it is,
- For Windows – “Ctrl” + “Alt” + “=”
- For Mac – “⌘” + “Option” + “=”
Now, let us look at the steps to use this shortcut to insert rows on a Windows PC.
Consider, for example, we need to add a row at the 5th position in the following table.
Let’s begin,
- Click on the 6th row as shown below
- Select the entire row using the keyboard shortcut “Shift” + “Space”
(Further, you can select multiple rows using the keyboard shortcut “Shift” + “Down Arrow”) - Next, press “Ctrl” + “Alt” + “=”
How to Delete Multiple Rows in Google Sheets
As mastering the skill of inserting rows increases productivity and saves a lot of time, learning how to delete multiple rows at once helps in efficient data management.
The process of deleting the rows, whether it’s single or multiple, remains the same.
You can do that from the main menu or using the right-click method.
Consider the following table where our task is to delete the rows from 3rd to 5th.
Here are the steps,
- Select the first row which you wish to delete
(You need to click the row number that appears on the far left side of the screen, as shown in the following image) - Now, use the keyboard shortcut “Shift” + “Down Arrow” to select the successive rows
- Right-click on the highlighted cells to see the options as shown below
- Choose the “Delete rows X-Y” option
(for example: Delete rows 3-5)
Refer to the following GIF for the complete process.
How to Delete Rows Using Keyboard Shortcuts
If you don’t wish to jump here and there to find the options to delete rows, then use the following keyboard shortcut.
- For Windows – “Ctrl” + “Alt” + “–”
- For Mac – “⌘” + “Option” + “–”
It quickly gets the job done as compared to the previous method.
Consider the previous table.
Now, we need to delete the rows from the 3rd to the 5th. As I am using the Windows PC, I will use the first keyboard shortcut listed above.
Let’s do it,
- Select the first row
- To select multiple rows, press “Shift” and then the “Down Arrow”
(Make sure you choose the correct number of rows that need to be deleted) - Press “Ctrl” + “Alt” + “–”
The process is pretty simple, and it should hardly take a few seconds if you are quick enough with your keyboard.
FAQs
Q. How do I quickly add rows in Google Sheets?
Google Sheets has many features that can help you organize your data in a structured format. To quickly add rows to your current spreadsheet,
- Open your target Google Sheet
- Select a row
(You can select the column or a particular cell as well) - Right-click on it
- Select “Insert one row above”, as shown below
For the detailed steps, including keyboard shortcuts to improve your productivity while inserting multiple rows, refer to the above sections of this article.
Q. How do I copy and insert rows in Google Sheets?
Google Sheets offers an intuitive way of quickly copying an entire row and inserting it at any location in the table range.
Here’s how you can do it,
- Select the rows you want to copy
- Press “Ctrl” + “C”
- Select the row below where you want the insert the copied row
(Make sure to click on the row number that appears on the far left side of the screen to select the entire row) - Right-click and choose “Insert X rows above” or “Insert X rows below” as per your preference
- Now, select the newly inserted row by clicking the row number on the far left side
- Press “Ctrl” + “V” on your keyboard to paste the copied row
So, both inserting a new row or shifting an existing row in the current table take a few seconds.
Don’t forget to explore our blog for more tips and tricks to use Google Sheets like a pro.