How to Select Row in Excel (9 Simple Ways)

Microsoft Excel is vastly used to organise data and represent them in a better way. While working with it, we often face the necessity of selecting a row. In this article, I will try to explain how to select row in Excel in 9 simple yet effective ways. I hope you are gonna like them all.

How to Select Row in Excel


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How to Select Row in Excel: 9 Simple Ways

There are multiple options for selecting a row or rows in Excel. Based on your necessity and preference, you can apply any of them.

1. Clicking on Row Number

The simplest way of selecting a row in Excel is just by clicking on the row number that you want to select.

How to Select Row in Excel


2. Using Shift and Space Keys

We can also use a combination of keys to select a row.

  • First of all, select a random cell in the row that you want to select.
  • Next, press the Shift + Space keys.

Using Shift and Space Key

  • The entire row will be selected.

Selection of Entire Row


3. Using NameBox to Select Multiple Adjacent Rows

If you want to select a group of adjacent rows, then you can use NameBox to do so.

  • Go to NameBox first.
  • Write the range of row numbers and press Enter.

Inserting Row Numbers in NameBox

  • The rows in the defined range will be selected.

Using NameBox to Select Multiple Adjacent Rows

Read More: How to Select All Rows in Excel


4. Dragging Cursor Along Row Numbers to Select Multiple Adjacent Rows

In order to select multiple adjacent rows, just click on a row number and drag along the row numbers till you want to select.

Dragging Cursor Along Row Numbers to Select Row in Excel


5.  Using Ctrl Key to Select Non-Adjacent Rows

If you want to select the adjacent or non-adjacent rows, hold the Ctrl key and click on the row numbers that are adjacent or not but you want to select.

Click on row number keeping Ctrl key pressed to Select Row in Excel


6. Selecting Rows with Arrow Keys

After selecting a single row, we can select all the rows from the upper portion or the lower portion with the shortcut keys.

i. Selecting Rows Below a Selected Row

To select all the rows below a selected row, just follow the following steps.

  • Select an entire row as a reference and press the Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow keys.

Selecting All Rows Below a Selected Row

  • All the rows after the reference row will be selected.

Output of Selecting All Rows Below a Selected Row

Read More: How to Select Every Other Row in Excel


ii. Selecting Rows Above a Selected Row

To select all the rows above a selected row, just follow the following steps.

  • Select an entire row as a reference and press Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow.

Selecting All Rows Above a Selected Row

  • All the rows above the reference row will be selected.

Output of Selecting All Rows Above a Selected Row


7. Selecting Rows Based on Certain Column Value

Based on a certain criterion, we can select multiple rows.

  • First of all, select the entire range of data and go to the Data tab.
  • Then, click on Filter from the ribbon.

Filtering Selected Data

  • Now, click on the extension key of the filter from the header that contains a certain value.
  • Check the box of that preferred value and click on OK.

Defining Filtering Criteria

  • The rows matching the criterion will be filtered. Now, select all those rows by dragging the cursor.

Selecting Rows Based on Certain Column Value


8. Selecting All Rows of a Worksheet with a Single Click

With a simple single click, we can select all the rows of the worksheet. Just click on the triangular-shaped space at the top-left corner of the worksheet and all the rows will be selected.

Selecting All Rows of a Worksheet with a Single Click


9. Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Select All Rows of a Worksheet

Just put your cursor on any cell of the worksheet and press Ctrl + A. All the rows of the worksheet will be selected.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Select Row in Excel


Things to Remember

  • Using the Ctrl key method, you can select multiple rows both adjacent and non-adjacent.
  • To use the Ctrl + A shortcut keys to select all the rows, you must have the cursor on any of the cells of that worksheet.
  • In the NameBox method, you just have to define the range with row numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to select an entire column with shortcut keys?
There are many simple ways to select an entire column in Excel. To select an entire column with shortcut keys, just press Ctrl + Space.

2. How to select multiple worksheets?
Hold the Ctrl key and click on worksheet tabs to select multiple worksheets.

3. How to format cells of an entire row in Excel?
To format cells of an entire row in Excel, select the row first. Then, go to the Home tab and format cells from the available options in the ribbon.


Conclusion

In this article, I have tried to explain how to select row in Excel in 9 simple ways. I hope this article will be helpful for you. For any further questions, please comment below. You can also visit our site for more Excel-related articles


How to Select Row in Excel: Knowledge Hub


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Naimul Hasan Arif
Naimul Hasan Arif

Naimul Hasan Arif, a BUET graduate in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, has been contributing to the ExcelDemy project for nearly two years. Currently serving as an Excel and VBA Content Developer, Arif has written more than 120 articles and has also provided user support through comments His expertise lies in Microsoft Office Suite, VBA and he thrives on learning new aspects of data analysis. Arif's dedication to the ExcelDemy project is reflected in his consistent contributions and... Read Full Bio

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