AutoFit in Excel

What Is AutoFit In Excel?

The AutoFit in Excel is a feature that resizes the cell’s size according to the size of the values in the cells. The AutoFit feature adjusts the row’s height and the column’s width. This function helps the alignment of the data automatically with just a click. For instance, the below table lists quotations quoted by personalities in column A. We should use the following steps to understand how AutoFit in excel works.

Place the mouse pointer at the end of column A’s header. A double-headed arrow appears between two adjacent column headers. Double-click on the double-headed arrow.

Now, Column A is resized.

• Likewise, we can AutoFit column width in Excel.

Top 5 Methods For AutoFit In Excel

There are five ways to enable AutoFit in excel. Let us understand each of the methods with an example.

1. AutoFit Using Double Click On The Mouse

The below table shows a long text string in cell A1. We need to follow the steps to understand how we can AutoFit data using the double click on the mouse method.

The steps to format the width of the column with AutoFit using Double Click on the Mouse feature in Excel are as follows:

Step 1: Add the table to the Excel sheet. Then, place the mouse pointer at the end of column A’s header.

We will be able to see a double-headed arrow between two adjacent column headers.

Step 2: Double-click on the double-headed arrow.

Cell A1 resizes itself based on the length of the text string.

• Likewise, we can format the cells with AutoFit using Double Click on the Mouse method.

2. AutoFit Using The Select And Drop Option

Let us consider the following table with a long text string in cell A1. We need to follow the steps to understand how we can AutoFit data using the Select and Drop option.

The steps to format cells with AutoFit using the Select and Drop option in excel are as follows:

Step 1: Click on the double-headed arrow that can be seen in the middle of two adjacent column headers.

Step 2: Select and drag the double-headed arrow to the right throughout the text string length.

We can see that cell A1 is formatted.

• Therefore, we can AutoFit column width in excel using the Select and Drop method.

Likewise, we can format the height of the rows with this method.

AutoFit Rows Using The Select And Drop Option

Let us consider the same example with a long text string in cell A1. We need to follow the below steps to format the height of the row using the Select and Drop method.

The steps used to format the rows with AutoFit using the Select and Drop option are as follows:

Step 1: We need to select the cells that must be formatted. In this example, let us select cell A1.

• Click on the Home tab.
• Select the Wrap Text option from the Alignment group.

We can see the text in cell A1 is wrapped.

Step 2: Place the mouse pointer between rows 1 and 2.

A double-headed arrow can be seen.

Step 3: Select and drag the arrow downwards.

We can see that cell A1 is formatted.

• Thus, we can AutoFit row height in excel using the Select and Drop method.

Please Note: The Select and Drop method is also called the Select and Drag method as we can drag the double-headed arrow to the desired length.

3. AutoFit Using A Menu With Few Tabs

The below table shows the price of various fruits. We need to follow the steps to AutoFit data using a Menu with Few Tabs method.

In the table,

• Column A displays the name of the fruits.
• Column B shows the price.

The steps to format data with AutoFit using a Menu with Few Tabs method in excel are as follows:

Step 1: Select the range and choose the Home tab; click on the Format button from the Cells group.

Step 2: Choose the AutoFit Column Width option from the drop-down list.

After we click on the AutoFit Column Width option, the selected cell range gets formatted with respect to the length of the text string.

• Hence, we can format the cells with AutoFit Using A Menu With Few Tabs method.

4. AutoFit Using AutoFit Row Height Button

The following table lists the residential address of people. We need to use the steps to AutoFit data using AutoFit Row Height Button.

In the table,

• Columns A and B display the first and last names of people.
• Columns C, D, and E indicate the street, city, and state of residence.
• Column F shows the postal codes.

Here, column C is not formatted. So, we need to format cells in column C. The steps to format data using AutoFit Row Height Button in excel are as follows:

Step 1: With the data in the Excel sheet, we need to select the cells that must be formatted.

In this example, let us select cell C2.

Step 2: Click on the Home tab and select the Format button from the Cells group.

Step 3: Choose the AutoFit Row Height option from the drop-down list.

We have formatted the selected cell using the AutoFit Row Height option.

• Therefore, we can format the cells in excel using AutoFit Row Height Button method.

5. AutoFit Using The Wrap Text Button

The below table shows the personal details of employees. We need to follow the steps to AutoFit data using the Wrap Text Button in Excel.

In the table,

• Column A displays the names of employees.
• Column B indicates the name of the cities.

The steps to format data using Wrap Text Button in excel are as follows:

Step 1: We should select the cells that we want to format. In this example, let us select cell A1.

• Go to the Home tab.
• Select the Wrap Text option from the Alignment group.

Step 2: When we click on the Wrap Text option, the selected cell gets formatted.

• To summarize, we can AutoFit row height in Excel using the Wrap Text Button

Important Things To Note

• Each column in Excel can have a maximum of 255 characters. But still, it can differ based on the font size used.
• The maximum height of a row in Excel is 409 points.
• If a cell’s height and width are zero, it becomes invisible (hidden).
• The AutoFit option in Excel does not format the selected cells when merged with adjacent rows or columns.
• When we use AutoFit option to format rows, the lengthy text strings appear in multiple lines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Download Template

This article must be helpful to understand AutoFit in Excel, with its examples. You can download the template here to use it instantly.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to AutoFit in Excel. Here we learn how to autofit rows and columns in excel using top 5 methods with examples & template. You can learn more from the following articles –

• Sparklines In Excel
• Cell References in Excel
• INDIRECT Excel Function