To select an entire column or row in a spreadsheet, click the column header or row header. For example, if you clicked the “H” column header (marked in red in the picture below) the “H” column is highlighted. If you clicked the “16” row header (also marked in red), the 16th row is highlighted.

Using keyboard shortcuts, To select an entire column press Ctrl+Space. To select an entire row, press Shift+Space.

Once a column or row is highlighted, you can apply any properties or changes that can be done to an individual cell. For example, once an entire column is highlighted you can click the center text icon to center all text in that column. You can also press the delete key on the keyboard to delete all highlighted content.

You can select multiple columns and rows by holding down the Ctrl on the keyboard and clicking each column or row header you want to highlight.

  • How to hide rows or columns in Excel.
  • How to freeze or unfreeze rows or columns in a spreadsheet.
  • How to add or remove a cell, column, or row in Excel.
  • How to select one or more cells in a spreadsheet program.
  • How to highlight or select text.
  • See our column and row definitions for further information and related links.
  • Microsoft Excel help and support.