While working in spreadsheets, you often want to add new columns within the existing data set. In Google Sheets adding columns is a very easy and quick task consisting of max two or three steps.
In this tutorial, we will show you how to insert columns in Google Sheets.
Add a Column in Google Sheets Using Column Header Triangle Button
- First, go to the column header letter after or before which you want to insert a new column, then click on the triangle button in it, and your column will get selected and a drop-down opened.
- After that, click on the “Insert 1 column to the left” or “Insert 1 column to the right” option from the drop-down menu.
- At this moment, the new column will get inserted to the left or the right of the selected column based on the option you have chosen in the above step.
Add a Column in Google Sheets Using Insert Menu
- First, go to any cell of the column or select the entire column after or before which you want to insert a new column.
- After that, go to the “Insert” tab and then hover the mouse cursor on the “Columns” option.
- Now, choose “Insert 1 column to the left” to insert the column to the left side or “Insert 1 column to the right” to insert the column to the right side of the current column.
- At this point, the new column got inserted to the left side of the current column because, in the above step, we had chosen the “Insert 1 column to the left” option.
Add a Column in Google Sheets Using Right Click Option
- Click on the column header letter to select the entire column and then right click.
- After that, choose “Insert 1 column to the left” to insert the column to the left side or “Insert 1 column to the right” to insert the column to the right side of the current column.
- Or, go to any cell of the column after which you want to insert the column and then right click and choose the “Insert 1 column to the left” option.
Note: The other step just mentioned above, will not provide the option to insert the column to the right side so if want to insert the column to the right side, always select the entire column by clicking on the column header letter.
Add Multiple Columns Using Insert Menu
- First, select the multiple columns after or before which you want to add the new columns.
- After that go to the “Insert” tab and then hover the mouse cursor on the “Columns” option.
- Now, choose “Insert 2 columns to the left” to insert the column to the left side or “Insert 2 columns to the right” to insert the two new columns to the right side of the current column.
- Or, You can also select the adjacent cells of the adjacent columns to insert the new multiple columns.
- After that go to the “Insert” tab and then hover the mouse cursor on the “Columns” option.
- Now, choose “Insert 6 columns to the left” to insert the column to the left side or “Insert 6 columns to the right” to insert the six new columns to the right side of the current column.
Note: In the first scenario, it showed “Insert 2 columns” and in the second “Insert 6 columns” because in the first, we had selected 2 columns and in the second it was 6 columns. So, the number of new columns to be inserted will always depend on the columns count you select.
Add Multiple Columns Using Right Click
- Select the columns by clicking on the column header letters to select the entire columns and then right click. (Here we have selected 2 columns)
- After that, choose “Insert columns to the left” to insert the column to the left side or “Insert columns to the right” to insert the column to the right side of the current column.
- Or, select the adjacent cell of the columns after which you want to insert the column and then right click and choose the “Insert columns to the left” option.
Note: The other step just mentioned above, will not provide the option to insert the columns to the right side so if want to insert the column to the right side, always select the entire columns by clicking on the column header letters.
Shortcut to Add Columns in Google Sheets
Shortcut to Add Columns toward the Left
- First, select the entire columns from the column header letters or select only the cells of the columns before which you want to insert new columns.
- After that, Press and hold the “Alt + Shift” keys together.
- Now, press “I” then “C” and then “C” again to insert the new columns to the left.
Alt + Shift → I → C → C
Shortcut to Add Columns towards Right
- First, select the entire columns from the column header letters or select only the cells of the columns after which you want to insert new columns.
- After that, Press and hold the “Alt + Shift” keys together.
- Now, press “I” then “C” and then “O” to to insert the new columns to the right.
Alt + Shift → I → C → O
