Insert Column in Excel (Shortcut)

Inserting a column is a common task for anyone working with data in Excel. And there are multiple ways you can add a column in Excel.

In this tutorial, I will give you the shortcut to inserting columns in Excel.

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Shortcut to Insert Column in Excel

Below is the shortcut to add a column in Excel:

ALT + I + C (recommended)

Control + Shift + Plus

How to Use the Keyboard Shortcut to Insert Column in Excel

Below are the steps to use the above keyboard shortcut to add columns in Excel:

Select a cell in the column to the left of which you want to insert a new column
Use the keyboard shortcut ALT + I + C (press these keys one after the other)

When you use the keyboard shortcut, a new blank column will be inserted to the left of the column in which you selected the cell.

Note: The other shortcut I mentioned (Control + Shift + Plus) Would open the insert dialog box, where you would have to make a selection and then click on the OK button to insert a column. this is why I prefer using ALT + I + C shortcut to insert new columns, as it does it instantly

Pro Tip: If you want to insert two or three, or more columns in your dataset, select that many cells in a row and then use the above shortcut. it will insert the same number of columns as many columns you have selected

Important Things to Know About Add Columns in Excel:

The new column would always be added to the left of the cell that is selected. This is the default setting and cannot be changed.
You can also select cells in non-contiguous columns and then use the above shortcut would insert a column to the left of every selected cell. For example, if you select the cells B2 and D2 and use the above shortcut to insert a new column, a column will be added to the left of column B and the left of column D.