To insert a row in Excel for Windows, select the row with Shift+Space, then press Ctrl+Shift+Plus. A new, empty row appears above the one you selected.
If you press Ctrl+Shift+Plus with just a cell selected instead of the whole row, Excel opens the Insert dialog and asks what to shift. Choose Entire row and press Enter. Selecting the row first skips that question.
The two steps, in detail
- Shift+Space selects the entire row of the active cell. Microsoft lists it as "Select an entire row in a worksheet."
- Ctrl+Shift+Plus is Excel's insert command. With a whole row selected it inserts a row; with cells selected it opens the Insert dialog.
On a full keyboard, Ctrl and the + key on the numeric keypad does the same job without Shift, because the keypad plus is already a plus sign.
Insert several rows at once
Excel inserts as many rows as you have selected:
- Click a cell in the row where the new rows should go.
- Press Shift+Space to select the row.
- Hold Shift and press Down to extend the selection, for example to three rows.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Plus. Three empty rows appear above the selection.
To repeat the last insert somewhere else, move to the new spot and press F4, which repeats the last action.
The ribbon route
Microsoft's documented menu path is Home > Insert > Insert Sheet Rows, which inserts a row above the active cell without selecting the row first. From the keyboard: press and release Alt, then follow the key tips to Home, Insert and Insert Sheet Rows. In the English version of Excel these are H, I and R; in other languages the letters follow the menu names.
You can also right-click the row number and choose Insert.
Deleting a row
The opposite works the same way: Shift+Space to select the row, then Ctrl+Minus to delete it. With only cells selected, Ctrl+Minus opens the Delete dialog instead.
Why the shortcut does nothing
- Laptop keyboards. On most laptops the plus sign shares a key with =, so "plus" needs Shift. That is why the shortcut is written Ctrl+Shift+Plus: on these keyboards it is really Ctrl, Shift and the = key.
- A different keyboard layout. On some layouts the plus sign sits on another key or needs AltGr. If the shortcut never fires, the ribbon route (Alt, H, I, R in English Excel) works on any layout.
- The sheet is protected. Excel will not insert rows into a protected sheet. Unprotect it under Review > Unprotect Sheet.
- The last rows of the sheet are not empty. Excel cannot push data past the last row of the worksheet, so it refuses to insert. Clear anything far down the sheet, such as stray formatting or values.
- You are editing a cell. While the cursor is inside a cell, the shortcuts type or do nothing. Press Esc or Enter first.
- A table. Inside a formatted Excel table the rows belong to the table, and the insert adds a table row. That is usually what you want, but the formatting follows the table.
One flick instead of two shortcuts
RadialDeck is the radial menu for Windows that we make. When Excel is in front, the same hotkey that opens your usual ring opens an Excel ring, and the gallery has ready-made slices for this:
- Insert row: selects the row and inserts a new one above it, in one go.
- Delete row: selects the row and deletes it.
- Row: selects the entire row.
So inserting a row becomes: hold the hotkey, flick toward Insert row, let go. Because each slice keeps the same direction, after a few days your hand finds it without looking. To insert several rows in a row, hold Shift while you click the slice: the ring runs it and stays open for the next click.
The Excel ring has more of the actions people keep shortcuts for, such as paste values, freeze panes, toggle filter, AutoSum, autofit column width and remove duplicates. The Excel page lists every one.
Quick reference
- Insert a row: Shift+Space, then Ctrl+Shift+Plus
- Insert several: select several rows first, then Ctrl+Shift+Plus
- Delete a row: Shift+Space, then Ctrl+Minus
- Repeat: F4
- Ribbon (English Excel): Alt H I R
RadialDeck is free for two rings, and Pro adds a ring per program, such as the Excel ring, with a 14-day trial. It is in the Microsoft Store.
Try it in RadialDeck
Free for two rings, with a 14-day trial of everything in Pro. Windows 10 and 11, from the Microsoft Store.
or download the installer (.exe)