How to Select Multiple Cells in Excel & Google Sheets

Is selecting multiple cells in Excel and Google Sheets giving you a headache? Don’t worry! This tutorial will walk you through the process step by step, making it a breeze.

Selecting multiple cells at once can save you precious time when working with data in Excel. Whether you’re sorting, clearing data, working with named ranges, resizing cells, copy-pasting, applying conditional formatting, or setting a print area, these methods will come in handy.

Select Adjacent Cells

Let’s say you want to select cells A1:C6. It’s as easy as pie! Start by placing your cursor on the first cell of the range (A1) and drag it until you reach the last cell (C6). Voila! You’ve selected all the cells between A1 and C6.

Select Non-Adjacent Cells

Now, what if you want to select multiple non-adjacent cells? No worries! Simply click on the first cell you want to select, then press and hold the CTRL key while clicking on each additional cell. Release the CTRL key when you’re done. Easy peasy!

Select Non-Adjacent Ranges

Let’s say you want to select the A1:A6 and C1:C6 ranges. Start by selecting the first cell (A1) and dragging your cursor down to the last cell of that range (A6). Then, hold the CTRL key and place your cursor on the second range you want to select. Left-click with your mouse and drag to make the selection (C1:C6).

Select Multiple Rows or Columns

When it comes to selecting multiple adjacent rows or columns, it’s a piece of cake! Simply select the first row or column by clicking on its number or alphabet, and then drag your cursor until you reach the last row or column you want to select.

Select Non-Adjacent Rows or Columns

Now, let’s say you want to select Rows 1, 3, and 5. It’s a breeze! Start by selecting the first row (Row 1), hold the CTRL key, and click on the numbers of the other rows you want to select (Rows 3 and 5). The process is the same for non-adjacent columns.

Select All Cells in a Table

To select all cells in a table, place your cursor on the first cell of the table (A1), left-click with your mouse, and drag to make the selection (A1:C6). Easy peasy!

You can also click on any cell in the table and hold CTRL + A to select all cells in the table.

Select All Cells in the Workbook

To select all cells in the workbook, click on any cell and press CTRL + A > A. Another way to achieve the same result is by clicking on the inverted triangle in the top-left corner.

Select Cells With Name Box

If you want to select cells that are far off in the worksheet or want to save time and avoid mistakes, you can use the name box. The name box is the field on the left of the formula bar. Enter the cell or range reference you want to select (e.g., A1, B5, and C6, separated by a comma) and press ENTER.

Selecting Multiple Cells in Google Sheets

The process for selecting multiple cells, rows, and columns is the same in Google Sheets as it is in Excel. Simply follow the steps outlined above, and you’ll be good to go.

Please note that in Google Sheets, you can only select one cell at a time by typing a single cell address in the name box. However, you can type in a valid range (e.g., A2:C2) to select multiple cells at once.