How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel

When using Excel professionally or personally, there may come a time when you want to insert multiple rows into your spreadsheet. You may have omitted crucial information or might be trying to add extra space between your tables. But rather than adding rows one by one, you can insert multiple rows in Excel to make things easier and faster.

This article will explain how to insert multiple rows into Excel, with a few tricks and shortcuts along the way.

How to Insert Multiple Rows in Excel

By Right-Clicking

This is a quick and easy method to insert rows in Excel using the mouse. The context menu in Excel is a convenient way to perform many different tasks – and this is no exception.

1. Decide how many rows you wish to insert. Drag and select this same number of rows in your existing spreadsheet.
   
2. Right-click on these selected rows to bring up the Context menu.
3. Select Insert, then check the Entire Row option.
   
4. Press OK, and the multiple rows should be added above your selected cells.
   

After you have made the necessary changes to the spreadsheet, password-protect the Microsoft Excel file to prevent others from making changes to it. 

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

If you prefer to use the keyboard and keep your hand off the mouse as much as possible, you can use a handy Excel shortcut to insert rows.

1. Select the number of rows you want to insert on your existing spreadsheet. Select a cell and press the Shift + Down arrow key to do this with the keyboard.
2. Alternately, press Shift + Spacebar to select an entire row, then Shift + Down key to choose others below it.
3. Press Ctrl + Shift + Plus to bring up the Insert menu. If you select an entire row, this keyboard shortcut automatically adds new rows.
   
4. Check Entire Row and click OK.
   
5. Your new rows should be inserted above those selected.

Using the Fill Handle

The Fill Handle is typically used to duplicate or autofill cells in Excel. But you might not know that it can also be used to insert rows with a simple mouse drag. This method saves you from constantly having to select multiple rows.

1. Select an entire row by clicking its row header or using Shift + Spacebar.
2. Right next to the row header, you’ll see a small green square in the bottom-left corner of your highlighted row. This is the Fill Handle.
   
3. Shift + Click the Fill Handle. The cursor should change to two opposite, vertical arrows.
4. While holding down Shift and the mouse button, drag your mouse up/down to add any number of rows above/below the selected row.
   

This is a great way to quickly add multiple rows in Excel without selecting multiple rows beforehand.

Using the Command Ribbon

The Excel command ribbon puts many essential functions only a click away from your spreadsheet. The cells menu allows you not only to format and delete cells but also to insert some more.

1. Drag and select the desired number of rows from the existing rows on your spreadsheet that you want to add.
   
2. Click the Insert button in the command ribbon. Multiple rows will insert automatically if you have the entire row or multiple horizontally adjacent cells selected.
   
3. If you have only selected a few rows, click Insert Sheet Rows to add your desired number of rows.
   

If you have multiple non-adjacent rows that you want to insert, then Ctrl + Click your desired row headers to select multiple separate rows at once.

For keyboard pros, the command ribbon is also accessible via a shortcut. Here’s how to add rows without a single click:

1. Select your desired number of rows.
   
2. Press Alt + H + I + R to insert sheet rows.
   
3. Alternately, press ALT + H + I + I to access the Insert menu.
   
4. With either option, your rows should be inserted above your selected ones.

Copy and Paste Multiple Rows

If you want to move multiple rows from one area of your spreadsheet to another, this is an excellent option. Just be careful, as not selecting an entire row may lead to formatting errors on pasting.

Here’s how to copy and paste multiple rows in Excel:

1. Select the rows that you wish to move.
   
2. Copy them (Ctrl/Cmd + C) and select the cells where you want to insert them.
3. If you want to override the existing cells, paste (Ctrl/Cmd + V) the copied rows, and they’ll replace the old ones.

Inserting Rows Between Rows

Say you want to insert a new blank row under every existing row in your spreadsheet. This would be difficult and tedious to do one by one. You can use the Sort & Filter action in Excel to pull this off.

1. Insert a new column next to your existing rows. In this column, number your cells.
   
2. Then select all the numbered rows, filled and empty, and click Sort & Filter in the command ribbon.
3. Click Custom Sort to open the sorting tool.
   
4. Under the Column heading, select your new column with the numbers.
   
5. Select Smallest to Largest under the Order heading.
6. Click OK. The blank rows should now be sorted between your filled cells. You can now delete the numbered column as well.

Add More Rows in Your Spreadsheet

The basic formatting tasks of Excel may not necessarily be the most flashy or exciting, but learning to master them will save time in the long run. Fortunately, there’s a solution for every user when inserting rows. This way, you can complete your business or personal tasks quickly and efficiently.

If you are worried about data duplication in the spreadsheet, check out how to find duplicate rows in Excel.