How to Insert a Blank Row in Excel

To insert a blank row in Excel, right-click the row number below where you want the new row and select Insert. Excel adds an empty row above it and moves everything else down. You can also select the row and press Ctrl + Shift + + (plus sign).

Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016 on Windows, Excel for Mac, and Excel for the web. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 10, 2026.

Method 1: Right-click the row number

1. Right-click the row number on the left side of the sheet. The new row goes above this row.
2. Select Insert.

If you right-click a cell instead of the row number, Excel shows an Insert box. Choose Entire row and select OK.

Method 2: Keyboard shortcut

1. Click any cell in the row below where you want the blank row.
2. Press Shift + Space to select the whole row.
3. Press Ctrl + Shift + +. On a keyboard with a number pad, Ctrl + + on the number pad does the same.

Press F4 right afterward to repeat the insert as many times as you need.

Method 3: The ribbon

Select a cell, then go to Home > Insert (in the Cells group) > Insert Sheet Rows.

Insert several blank rows at once

1. Select as many rows as you want to add. For example, to add three rows, drag across three row numbers.
2. Right-click the selection and select Insert.

Excel adds the same number of blank rows above the ones you selected.

Choose the formatting for the new row

After you insert a row, a small paintbrush button called Insert Options appears next to it. Select it to choose:

• Format Same As Above (the default)
• Format Same As Below
• Clear Formatting, for a completely plain row

Insert copied rows instead of blank ones

If you want to add rows that already contain data, copy them first. Then right-click the row number where they should go and select Insert Copied Cells. Excel moves the existing rows down instead of overwriting them.

Insert a blank row in an Excel table

• Right-click a cell in the table and select Insert > Table Rows Above.
• To add a row at the bottom, click the last cell of the table and press Tab.
• Inserting rows inside a table only shifts the table, not the rest of the sheet. Formulas, formatting, and data validation carry into the new row automatically.

Insert a blank row after every row

Excel has no single command for this, but a helper column does it in under a minute.

1. Insert an empty column next to your data.
2. Type 1 and 2 in the first two cells of that column, select both, and double-click the fill handle to number every row.
3. Copy the numbers and paste them directly below the last number, so the list repeats once.
4. Select all your data including the helper column, go to Data > Sort, and sort by the helper column from smallest to largest.
5. Delete the helper column.

Each number now appears twice, once with data and once blank, so every data row is followed by an empty row.

If you can’t insert a row

• “To prevent possible loss of data, Excel cannot shift nonblank cells off of the worksheet”: Something is in the very last row of the sheet. Press Ctrl + End to find the last used cell, delete any stray content or formatting below your data, save, and try again.
• Insert is greyed out: The sheet may be protected. Go to Review > Unprotect Sheet.
• The row went in the wrong place: Excel always inserts above the selected row. Press Ctrl + Z and select the row below your target instead.
• Formulas didn’t update: Formulas that refer to a range usually expand automatically. If a total doesn’t include the new row, check that the row is inside the range the formula uses.

Frequently asked questions

How do I insert a row below instead of above?

Select the row underneath the one where you want space, then insert. Excel has no “insert below” command.

Does inserting a row work the same on a Mac and in Excel for the web?

Yes. Right-click the row number and select Insert, or use Home > Insert > Insert Sheet Rows. Some keyboard shortcuts are different on a Mac, so the right-click menu is the easiest option there.

How many rows can a sheet have?

Each worksheet has 1,048,576 rows. You can’t add more, which is why Excel refuses to insert rows when the last one is in use.

How do I delete a blank row?

Right-click the row number and select Delete, or select the row and press Ctrl + – (minus).

How do I insert a blank column?

The same way. Right-click a column letter and select Insert. The new column goes to the left.

Related: how to count the number of rows in Excel, how to unhide all rows in Excel, and how to make all the rows the same height in Excel.