How to Add a Column in Excel

Meta Description: How to add a column in an Excel sheet is a task that may sound technical but it can be easily performed by three methods. Check out for more details.

Preface:

It is human to forget to enter data in the sheet or maybe a new data entry needs to be done to the Excel sheet you have finished working on. Will you have to do it all over again? No, you can add columns to your left or insert a new column to the left of column D or any specific place you want in your sheet.

How to add columns to the Excel sheet without starting all over again? This article will discuss three different yet easy ways to enter columns into your Excel sheet.

Notice:

The methods that are discussed in this article are applicable to MS Excel as well as WPS Office Excel sheets. Both forums are user-friendly and can be handled without much technical knowledge.

WPS Office software has advanced features and tools that help perform tasks efficiently and quickly. WPS Office is even better and simpler than MS Excel, if you have been using MS Excel for a long time now, you can smoothly switch to WPS Office without breaking a sweat.

• User-friendly Button: WPS Office has simpler features like buttons. You can add a column by shortcut to the required space just by clicking the button.
• Price: You can have a free trial version of WPS Office and see for yourself if the software is good for your usage.
• Features: WPS Office has a free version although you can buy the premium version for additional facilities and advanced features in the software. WPS Office is compatible with various systems including macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, and supports 46 languages and 47 file formats.
• Compatibility: WPS is compatible with Windows as well as iOS. So, compatibility with any system and usage on any interface will not be an issue.
• User-friendly Interface: The interface developed for the WPS Office is clear and does not require any technical training for you to be able to work on it.

1. How to Download WPS Office

Using Excel for managing financials and data sets provides you with efficiency, where you can work faster and enhance your productivity. So, whether you want to perform tabular analytics on large data sets, create pivot tables, or add a column in excel - you need to have the best-in-class excel provider that offers you with more features than others.

If you are looking to download WPS Office, here is a guide for you to find the free version, and on the free version, you can also upgrade to the premium version by purchasing the WPS Office Software.

Step 1: Go to your search engine and type WPS Office Software

[alt=” type WPS office software on the search bar]

Step 2: Click on the option shown and go to the web page of WPS Office

[alt=” go to the web page]

Step 3: Download the free version to start using the WPS Office Software on your laptop.

[alt=” open WPS Office on your laptop’]

1. How to Open Excel Files on WPS Office

WPS Office is almost like MS office. You can work on Excel sheets on WPS as you work on MS Excel.

On the ribbon, you will see options for Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, PDF, etc.

Step 1: Click on Spreadsheet

[alt=” click on the spreadsheet’]

Step 2: You can open a blank sheet and work on it by clicking on “Blank.”

[alt=” open a blank sheet’]

Step 3: If you want to open an existing MS Excel file on the WPS office, click on the file symbol on the top toolbar next to Menu.

[alt=” choose the already existing Excel sheet by clicking on the file symbol’]

You can choose any existing Excel file from the list and start working on or editing it on the WPS spreadsheet.

Method 1: Adding Columns or Columns on Excel by Using Shortcuts

Whether you are using Windows or iOS, you can use a few keys on the keyboard to add columns to the Excel sheet.

Step 1: Select the Column you want to add a new column to the left or right of.

[alt=” choose the column’]

Step 2: Now press the keys “ctrl” + “shift” + “+” a new column will appear on the left of the column that you chose.

[alt=” press control, shift and + together to add a column to the left of your chosen column’]

You can also do the same thing by only selecting one cell instead of selecting an entire column.

Step 1: Open your spreadsheet and select the cell you want to add a column to the left of

[alt=” choose the cell you want to add a column to]

Step 2: Press “alt” + “I” + “C”

[alt=” choose from the drop open menu’]

When you press the hotkeys, a drop-open menu will appear, choose from there where you want to add the columns, etc.

Method 2: Adding a Column or Columns on Excel by Right Click

WPS Office is easy to use and you can create or add columns by the right click on any desired place on the spreadsheet on it.

• Add a column with the right click. This is the easiest possible way to add a column to the Excel sheet.

Step 1: Choose a column where you want to add a new column and right-click on that column. A drop-down menu will appear, go to “Insert.”

[alt=” right click on the chosen column and go to insert’]

Step 2: Now choose where you want to add the column or columns, to the right or the left, and the number of columns you want to add, and then click the tick

[alt=” choose the location, left or right, and the number of columns you want to add]

This is the easiest way to add single or multiple columns to the Excel sheet.

One way to add multiple columns is by adding the number of columns you want on the space given. Another way to add multiple columns are you select the number of columns that you need to add.

Step 1: For example, you select four columns as you want four more columns on the left or right of these columns

[alt=” select the number of columns that you want to add further’]

Step 2: Now make the right click and go to insert.

[alt=” right click and then choose insert column right or insert column left’]

After you right-click on the columns that you chose, you will see that in the drop-down menu, it gives you two options, to add the columns to the right or to the left. You can choose your preference or requirement and carry on with the work as you have multiple columns added to the spreadsheet within a couple of seconds.

Method 3: Adding Columns to the Excel by Ribbon Menu

Another easy way is present on the toolbar or the ribbon menu. You can select and click on the key and within a couple of seconds you will have an entirely new column on your spreadsheet.

Step 1: Open the Excel sheet and go to the extreme right of your ribbon and select a column where you want to add a new column or multiple columns

[alt=” choose the cell and go the extreme right on your ribbon’]

Step 2: Click on the “Rows and Columns”

[alt=” go to rows and columns on the ribbon’]

Step 3: In the drop-down menu, choose Insert and then add Home many columns do you want to add and where do you want to add the columns to the left or to the right of the chosen column

[alt=” click on insert on the drop-down menu and then add the specific details]

The columns will be added to your preference and requirement.

Method 4：How to Delete Columns in Excel

While you are working on an Excel sheet, the need to delete columns may also arise. You can delete columns easily.

Step 1: Choose the column you want to delete.

[alt=” choose the column that you want to delete]

Step 2: Right-click and choose to delete

[alt=” right click and choose to delete’]

Method 5：How to Adjust the Height and Width of the Column

It is a simple two-step process; you can adjust the height and width of the column by right click.

Step 1: Choose the column which you want to adjust.

[alt=” choose the column’]

Step 2: With the help of the cursor, you can increase or decrease the height and width of the column

[alt=” adjust with the help of cursor’]

Method 6：How to Add Up the Columns in Excel

This is an important task to add columns, especially for reports like financial reports etc. You can add up the columns by the following method.

Step 1: Select the Cells where you want to add the column.

[alt=” select the cell where you want to add up the columns’]

Step 2: Excel will present a Sum for you, and you have to enter the cell numbers for which you want to add up

[alt=” excel will provide the sum formula’]

Step 3: Add the cell numbers and you can add up the column.

[alt=” choose the cells you want to add up’]

Once you have chosen the cells, press enters and the sum will appear on the chosen cell.

FAQs

Q1: How to add rows in Excel?

A1: Adding rows in Excel is like the method of adding columns as discussed in the article. You can add rows by right-clicking on a certain row and adding on top or bottom of the row you selected.

Q2: How to add columns in the pivot table?

A2: You go to the table and select a column where you want to add the new column. Then you insert a new column from the ribbon method.

Final Word

Adding a column or multiple columns in an Excel sheet is an easy yet important task especially if you have forgotten some data entry or there are alterations in the original data. You can do it in a few seconds by right-clicking or by choosing the options on the ribbon menu or even simply using three keys simultaneously.

WPS Office provides easy and efficient ways to add columns to your Excel sheet. WPS Office has features and tools that make adding columns or rows quick and hassle-free for the user. You can get the free version of WPS Office online and for advanced tools and features you can get the premium version.