When it comes to data entry, finance (whether home or business) and accountancy, there are few programmes which can hold a candle to Microsoft Excel. As an Excel user, one of the first things we recommend you get to grips with is how to shift your data around – specifically, how to shift cells down.
To learn the various methods of shifting cells down in Excel, follow our tutorials below. For all other information and if you have any other queries, see our FAQs at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
How to shift cells down in Excel (Insert Sheet Rows method)
- Open up Microsoft Excel on your computer, and load a test spreadsheet (input some random data across the sheet to get a feel for moving it around)
- Now, locate the cells you need to shift down, and right click on the row they’re on
- From the pop-up options, click ‘Insert’
- Note: Alternatively you can click on the row and then when on the Home tab of the toolbar, click ‘Insert’ and then ‘Insert Sheet Rows’
- Note: Alternatively you can click on the row and then when on the Home tab of the toolbar, click ‘Insert’ and then ‘Insert Sheet Rows’
- Your cells will be shifted down one full row, inserting a new row where they previously were (and thus giving you more space to work with)
How to shift cells down in Excel (Cut and Paste method)
- Open up Microsoft Excel on your computer, and load a test spreadsheet (input some random data across the sheet to get a feel for moving it around)
- Now, locate the cells you need to shift down and highlight them by clicking and dragging to cover the full selection
- Next, press CTRL + X on your keyboard
- Note: Alternatively, right-click in the highlighted selection and select ‘Cut’
- Note: Alternatively, right-click in the highlighted selection and select ‘Cut’
- Then, click an empty cell wherever you want the cut selection of cells to be pasted, and paste them by pressing CTRL + V on your keyboard
- Note: Alternatively, right-click in an empty cell and select ‘Paste’
- Note: Alternatively, right-click in an empty cell and select ‘Paste’
- Your cells will be pasted with the first cell pasted into the empty cell you selected.
How to shift cells down in Excel (Drag and Drop method)
- Open up Microsoft Excel on your computer, and load a test spreadsheet (input some random data across the sheet to get a feel for moving it around)
- Now, locate the cells you need to shift down and highlight them by clicking and dragging to cover the full selection
- Next, hover your cursor over the border of the selection until it changes to the omni-directional/compass arrow, click and hold
- Drag your cursor over to the group of empty cells you wish to move the selection to, and once happy, release the click of the mouse
- Your selected cells will be moved to the new area of the worksheet.
And there you have it! As simply as that, you can master the art of shifting cells down in Excel. For additional information, such as tips on the most efficient method, see our FAQs below.
Frequently asked questions
Why would I want to shift cells down in Excel?
Microsoft Excel is one of the world’s leading programmes when it comes to data entry, finance, accountancy and more. It’s an easy-to-use spreadsheet programme with which users can manipulate data through various calculations and equations built into the software – you can do so over one or multiple sheets as well, making it the perfect programme for home accountancy as well as office management.
One of the absolutely key things you’ll need to know when using Excel is how to shift cells around. There are going to come times when the format and structure of the sheet you established earlier on are no longer viable, and you need to rearrange it. Alternatively, you may just have realized that you were inputting data into the wrong row, and need to move it down.
Whatever your reasoning – or even if you’re here purely out of curiosity – it is always worth learning how to shift cells down in Excel. To do so, simply follow our step-by-step instructions above.
What is the most efficient method of shifting cells down in Excel?
This really depends on the method you use and the stability of the worksheet. If you’ve got lots of complex, cell-dependent calculations going on in the background, you’ve got to be careful about moving cells around. Similarly, depending on the busyness of your worksheet, you may prefer one method over the other.
Generally speaking, however, if you’re looking to shift cells down to create more space above them, then you can’t go wrong with the ‘Insert Sheet Rows’ method.
If your data’s in entirely the wrong place, then we suggest the cut and paste method.
When it comes to the drag and drop method, this can be really handy, but also comes with some innate problems. When you start dragging and dropping cells, you may find that your worksheet starts jumping around to accommodate the rearranged cells, which can cause problems. Furthermore, you might accidentally let go of the wrong area and totally displace important data.
We recommend you try all three out on a test document and decide for yourself.
