What Are Columns In Google Sheets?
Columns in Google Sheets are one of the components in Google Sheets, that are the vertical divisions with the column headers names that starts from A-Z to AA-ZZ and upto AAA to ZZZ, with a count of 18,278 columns.
Users can Add/Insert, Remove/Delete, Hide/Unhide, Freeze/Unfreeze or Move/Lock the Google Sheets Columns and can alsoincrease/decrease the column-width, according to the entered data.
For example, we have the student scores given below against their names. We have the data without their IDs. Let us use the Google Sheets Columns to insert a column to enter the IDs.
Select Column B and insert one Column to the right, i.e. between Columns B and C, as shown below.
The resulting dataset is shown above. We have a new column inserted after Column B and i takes the name as Column C. And the previous Column C becomes Column D. Now, we have a Column to add the student ID.
Key Takeaways
- Columns in Google Sheets is a feature that helps us to insert, delete, move, hide, unhide, freeze, group, etc, a single or multiple columns.
- Delete a column is the same as remove a single or multiple columns. And Add a column is same as inserting a single or multiple columns.
- By default, we do not have the Unhide option. However, once we hide any columns, immediately the “Unhide columns” option appears in between the “Hide” and the “Resize” options, that we get when we right-click on the Column headers.
- An alternate way to unhide columns, we can click the arrows between Columns D and G headers, as shown.
How To Add/Insert A Column In Google Sheets?
A few ways to Add/Insert Column in Google Sheets are,
- Using the Column Header Menu.
- Using the Insert option.
Method #1 – Using the Column Header Menu –
Step 1: Select the Column header, here Column C, where we want to Add a Column.
Step 2: Right-click and select “Insert 1 column left” or “Insert 1 column right”, as required, to Add a Column, as shown below.
Method #2 – Using the “Insert” option –
Step 1: Select the Column header, here Column C, where we want to Add a Column.
Step 2: Select the “Insert” tab – click the “Columns” right-arrow – select “Insert 1 column left” or “Insert 1 column right”, as required, as shown below.
Using the above-mentioned methods we will perform some work-arounds, such as adding multiple columns, move, delete, freeze and hide a column and group columns, on the following employee details dataset that consists of the employee names, their IDs, departments and January to June salaries.
How To Add/Insert Multiple Columns In Google Sheets?
Remember that we have the option to insert one column on the left or right when we click on a Column header, as we learnt earlier. Therefore, to insert multiple columns, we must select that many columns and insert. We will understand that better with the example.
The steps to Add/Insert Multiple Columns in Google Sheets are as follows,
Step 1: Select Columns A and B à right-click to see the available options, as shown below.
Step 2: Select the “Insert 2 columns left” option to get the following modified dataset. The rest of the dataset moved to the corresponding columns.
How To Move A Column In Google Sheets?
Let us move the employee names column C to Column A for the dataset to start with names. We must understand that moving a column in simple terms is cut and paste.
The steps Move Column in Google Sheets are as follows:
Step 1: First, insert a new column, as shown below.
Step 2: Now, the existing column C with names has moved and is the new column D. Next, select Column D – right-click and select the “Cut” option, as shown below.
Step 3: Now, on Column A, right-click and select the “Paste” option.
Now the dataset is as shown below.
Step 4: Right-click on Column D and select the “Delete” option.
The final dataset with the moved Column C employee names data will look, as shown below.
How To Delete A Column In Google Sheets?
The steps to Delete a Column In Google Sheets are as follows,
Step 1: Select Columns F – right-click to see the available options, as shown below.
Step 2: Select the “Delete column” option to get the following modified dataset. The rest of the dataset moves to the corresponding columns.
We can see that previously the Column F consisted of March salary details, now that it is deleted, Column F is occupied by April salary.
How To Freeze A Column In Google Sheets?
The steps to Freeze A Column In Google Sheets are as follows,
Step 1: Choose a column to freeze or lock, here, column C – select the “View” tab – click the “Freeze” option right-arrow to view the available options, as shown below.
Step 2: Since we want to freeze only one column, select the “Up to column C” option, to get the following modified dataset.
[Note: We must not select the “1 column” option because, regardless of the columns selected whenever we select the option to freeze columns, the column will get freezed from the first column, i.e., column A.]
The advantage of Freeze columns is that we can view the data at the end of the dataset as near to the Frozen column, here June salary next to the column C, as shown below.
How To Group Columns In Google Sheets?
The steps to Group Columns in Google Sheets are as follows,
Step 1: Select the columns to group, here, columns D to I, all the salary columns à right-click to see the available options, as shown below.
Step 2: At the end of the right-click options, click the “View more column actions” option right-arrow à select the “Group column D – I” option, as shown below.
We will get the grouped symbol on top of the columns D to I, as shown below.
When we click the “-” or the hyphen, we get the following grouped dataset, where the “–” changes into a “+” indicating that the columns are grouped.
How To Hide A Column in Google Sheets?
The procedure to Hide a Column in Google Sheets is,
Select the columns to hide, here columns E and F – right-click on the selection and choose the “Hide columns E-F” option, as shown below.
The modified dataset with right and arrows appearing on the Column Header between Columns D and G.
Important Things To Note
- When we cut a column, ensure to insert a new column before pasting the cut cells. Or else it will get pasted on the existing data. Meaning, it will overwrite the data.
- If the columns are hidden, when we copy data and paste it, the hidden columns, by default, will get copy-pasted.
- If we select one column, then, we get option to insert only one column. To insert multiple columns, select that many columns and then we can see the option to insert that many columns to the left or to the right.
- The same holds good while deleting the columns. Multiple columns give us multiple columns delete option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A few reasons the Insert Columns in Google Sheets may not work are,
• To add multiple columns, we have just selected one column. And so, we have adding one column to left or right option, available.
• We are trying to Unhide Columns, when we have not hidden any data yet.
• We have modified the dataset. And so, the Column names have changed.
A few points to remember when moving columns in Google Sheets are,
• Ensure to use the “Cut” option and not the “Copy” option, when we want to move a Column.
• Before pasting, insert or add a new column. Or else, the existing column data will be overwritten.
• Unlike Excel, we do not have the insert cells option in the google sheets. Therefore, use the “Paste” option.
Let us consider the result dataset of the Hide a column section. The unhide option appears, only if there are hidden columns. We can see in the image in Step 1, after Hide option, we have Resize option.
The procedure to Unhide a column in Google Sheets is,
To Unhide the columns, select columns D and G – right-click on the selection and choose the “Unhide columns” option, that appears between the Hide and Resize options, as shown below.
The Shortcuts to Insert columns In Google Sheets are as follows:
To insert a Column to the left – Select the Column header and press the keys “Alt+i+c”.
To insert a Column to the right – Select the Column header and press the keys “Alt+i+o”.
Download Template
This article must help understand Columns in Google Sheets with its formulas and examples. You can download the template here to use it instantly.
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