How to Insert and Delete Rows and Columns in Excel on Mac with the Keyboard

Inserting a row is one of those things you do fifty times a day without thinking — until you move to a Mac. There's no Insert key, the numeric keypad is gone, Ctrl+Space may switch your keyboard language instead of selecting a column, and the Windows Alt, H, I, R sequence types special characters. The shortcuts do exist on a Mac. They just need the right selection first.

Quick answer: In Excel for Mac, select the row with Shift+Space, then press Control+Shift+= to insert a row above it. To delete a row, select it and press ⌘- (Command+Hyphen). For columns, select with Control+Space and use the same insert or delete shortcut. If you've only selected a cell rather than a whole row, Excel opens a small dialog where you choose Entire row or Entire column.

The shortcuts at a glance

Two things in that table catch Windows users out:

• Insert uses Control, not Command. ⌘= without Shift recalculates the workbook (like F9), so if nothing seems to happen, check which modifier you pressed.

• F4 doesn't repeat on a Mac. In Excel for Mac, F4 toggles $ in formula references. Use ⌘Y to repeat your last insert or delete.

Why the shortcut sometimes opens a dialog

Excel decides what to insert based on what's selected:

• Whole row or column selected → Excel inserts straight away, no questions asked.

• Just a cell or range selected → Excel opens the Insert dialog and asks whether to Shift cells right, Shift cells down, insert an Entire row or an Entire column.

Delete works the same way, with Shift cells left, Shift cells up, Entire row and Entire column.

So the fastest habit is always select first, then insert: Shift+Space, then ⌃⇧=. That's two shortcuts and no dialog.

Method 1: Insert or delete rows with the keyboard

Insert one row

1. Click any cell in the row below where you want the new row. Excel inserts above the selection.

2. Press Shift+Space to select the whole row.

3. Press Control+Shift+=.

Insert several rows at once

1. Select a cell in the first row, then press Shift+Space.

2. Hold Shift and press ↓ to extend the selection. Select three rows if you want three new rows.

3. Press Control+Shift+=.

Excel inserts as many rows as you selected. It's much faster than inserting one at a time and pressing ⌘Y repeatedly.

Delete rows

1. Select the row or rows with Shift+Space (and Shift+↓ for more).

2. Press ⌘-.

On a Mac keyboard, the Delete key works like Backspace on Windows: it clears the contents of the selected cells but leaves the row in place. Use ⌘- to remove the row itself.

Method 2: Insert or delete columns with the keyboard

1. Click a cell in the column to the right of where you want the new column. Columns are inserted to the left.

2. Press Control+Space to select the column.

3. Press Control+Shift+= to insert, or ⌘- to delete.

If Control+Space switches your keyboard language

macOS uses Control+Space to switch between input sources, such as English and another keyboard layout. If you have more than one input source, macOS grabs the shortcut before Excel sees it. You have two options:

• Turn off the macOS shortcut: System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Input Sources, then untick Select the previous input source.

• Or skip the shortcut: press Control+Shift+= with just a cell selected and choose Entire column in the dialog.

Method 3: Right-click or the Ribbon

If you prefer the mouse:

1. Click the row number (or column letter) to select it. Drag across several headers to select more than one.

2. Right-click (or Control-click) the selection.

3. Choose Insert or Delete.

On the Ribbon, use Home → Insert → Insert Sheet Rows or Insert Sheet Columns, and Home → Delete → Delete Sheet Rows or Delete Sheet Columns.

Method 4: Use the Windows sequences you already know

If your fingers still go to Alt, H, I, R, you can keep that habit with the Mac Excel Shortcuts app. It recognises the Windows Ribbon sequences in Excel for Mac:

Recent Microsoft 365 builds (16.89 and later) also include optional Ribbon KeyTips under Excel → Settings → Accessibility. They help with some Ribbon commands, but many Windows Alt sequences still don't work with them.

Inserting rows inside an Excel Table

Excel Tables (created with ⌘T or Insert → Table) behave slightly differently, and usually more helpfully:

• Tab in the last cell of a table adds a new row at the bottom automatically.

• Right-click inside the table and choose Insert → Table Rows Above. Table Rows Below only appears when you're in the last row.

• Shift+Space inside a table selects the table row first. Press it again to select the entire sheet row.

Inserting table rows only shifts cells inside the table, so data sitting beside the table isn't disturbed. Formulas in calculated columns fill into the new row automatically.

Insert copied rows in one step

To duplicate a row and drop it into place without overwriting anything:

1. Select the row and press ⌘C.

2. Select the row below where the copy should go.

3. Right-click and choose Insert Copied Cells.

Pressing Control+Shift+= after copying does the same job. Microsoft community threads report it working only once per copy, so press ⌘C again before each insert.

Deleting blank rows safely

A common tutorial suggests Go To Special → Blanks, then deleting the rows. Be careful: if any cell in an important row is empty, that row is selected too and gets deleted.

A safer method:

1. Turn on filters with ⇧⌘F.

2. Filter a column that should never be empty (an ID or date column) to show only (Blanks).

3. Select the visible rows by their row numbers and press ⌘-.

4. Clear the filter.

Rows hidden by a filter are not deleted when you delete the visible rows. Rows you've hidden manually can be, so unhide those first if you're unsure.

Common problems and fixes

"Microsoft Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet"

Excel can't push existing content past the last row (1,048,576) or the last column (XFD). This usually means formatting or a stray value has been applied to an entire column or row. Fix it by selecting everything below your real data (click the first empty row, then ⌘⇧↓), pressing ⌘- to delete those rows, and saving the file. Then do the same for columns to the right.

Insert is greyed out

The usual causes:

• The sheet is protected. Use Review → Unprotect Sheet, or allow "Insert rows" when you protect it.

• You're in the middle of editing a cell. Press Return or Esc first.

• A table spans every column of the sheet, so there's no room to insert columns.

• You're working in a shared or co-authored file that restricts structural changes.

The shortcut does nothing on a MacBook

Make sure you're pressing Control, not Command, for insert. On a MacBook keyboard, + is Shift+=, so the full shortcut is three keys: ⌃⇧=. If it still fails, check System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts for a macOS shortcut using the same combination.

"I want to insert a row below, not above"

Sheet rows always insert above the selection. Select the row below the one you're on. If you're in an Excel Table, use Table Rows Below, or press Tab in the last cell to add a row at the end.

Windows equivalent

FAQs

What is the shortcut to insert a row in Excel on a Mac?

Select the row with Shift+Space, then press Control+Shift+=. The new row appears above the selection.

What is the shortcut to delete a row in Excel on a Mac?

Select the row and press ⌘- (Command+Hyphen). Control+Hyphen also works.

Does Command+Shift+= insert rows on a Mac?

Some websites list it, but Microsoft's official Mac shortcut list gives Control+Shift+=. If ⌘⇧= doesn't work in your version, use Control.

How do I insert multiple rows in Excel for Mac?

Select as many rows as you want to insert (for example three rows with Shift+Space and Shift+↓), then press Control+Shift+=.

Why does the Delete key not delete the row?

On a Mac, Delete clears cell contents. To remove the row itself, select it and press ⌘-.

How do I repeat "insert row" quickly?

Press ⌘Y after the first insert. Each press inserts another row at the current selection.

Related guides

• How to Use Fill Handle in Excel on Mac Using Keyboard?

• How to Filter Data in Excel on Mac Using Only the Keyboard

• Why Doesn't F4 Work in Excel on Mac?

• What Shortcuts Does the Mac Excel Shortcuts app Cover?

Sources

• Microsoft: Keyboard shortcuts in Excel (macOS)

• Microsoft: Insert one or more rows, columns, or cells in Excel for Mac

• Microsoft: Resize a table by adding or removing rows and columns

• Microsoft: Cannot shift nonblank cells off the worksheet