How to Move Columns in Excel for Clean Data Layouts

How do I move columns in Excel? This is a question that’s crossed the mind of anyone juggling spreadsheets.

Excel is a powerful tool used by over 750 million people globally. From small businesses to global enterprises, it’s essential for organizing data. However, many users need to learn how to move columns in Excel efficiently, a simple skill that can save hours.

Imagine you’re preparing a report with columns scattered everywhere. Instead of copying, pasting, and risking mistakes, there’s a faster way. Moving columns in Excel is simple once you know the steps. It transforms chaos into order with a few clicks and drags.

Why does this matter? Time is precious. Studies show we spend an average of 3 hours a week fixing spreadsheet errors. Learning shortcuts, like moving columns efficiently, boosts productivity and frees time for what matters most.

Whether you’re managing a team budget, analyzing sales data, or tracking inventory, Excel is your go-to tool. Knowing how to move columns in Excel improves your workflow. It simplifies tasks, keeps data accurate, and reduces stress.

Ready to upgrade your Excel game? Let’s dive into practical tips and techniques.

Table of Contents:

1. How to Move Columns in Excel?
2. Why Do These Methods Matter?
3. Top 5 Charts in Excel
4. How to Analyze Moved Columns in Excel?
5. What are the Best Practices for Reorder Columns in Excel?
6. Wrap Up

First…

How to Move Columns in Excel?

Are you cleaning up a spreadsheet, reorganizing data, or simply trying to make your file more manageable? Knowing how to move columns effectively can save you a lot of time.

How? Here are a few methods that will make rearranging your columns a breeze.

• Moving a Column with Cut and Paste

Cut and paste is one of the quickest ways to move a column in Excel, and here’s how you can do it:

Cut and move the column

Start by selecting the entire column you want to move (click on the column header). Then, go to the Home tab and click Cut (the scissors icon), or press `Ctrl + X` on your keyboard. You’ll see the column highlighted with a dashed border, indicating it’s ready to move.

Next, go to the new location where you want the column to appear and right-click.

Choose “Insert Cut Cells”, and the column will instantly shift to the new position.

Copy and move the column

First, select the cell or column you want to copy. This is the part where you decide what data you want to move.

Instead of dragging it, choose “Copy” from the menu. You’ll find this option in the right-click menu or under the “Home” tab at the top of your screen. It’s a simple action, but it gets the job done.

Next, select where you want to place the copied data. Right-click in the destination area, and this time, pick “Insert Copied Cells” from the menu. This will move your data and shift the existing cells down, creating space for your copy.

Your data will appear as follows:

Copy between spreadsheets

You can also move or copy columns between different workbooks. Simply copy the column as described, then go to the new workbook. Click on the cell where you want to paste, and hit Ctrl + V to paste the column into the new spreadsheet.

Moving a Column by Dragging It

If you’re looking for the simplest and most visual method, dragging and dropping is a great option. Here’s how it works:

Cut and move

• Click on the column header to select the column you want to move. Hover your mouse over the border of the column until the cursor changes to a four-sided arrow.
• Then, drag the column to a new location. If there’s data in the new spot, you’ll see a warning asking if you want to replace it—click OK to confirm.

Copy and move

• Hold down the Ctrl key while dragging the column. This will create a duplicate of the original column in the new location. The data in the new column location will be overwritten; keep that in mind.

Copy and move the column

• Hove your mouse to the edge of the column you want to move (e.g., Column H).
• Wait for the pointer to change to a four-way arrow.
• Hold the Shift key and drag and drop the column to its new spot. Excel will make space for it, removing the old location.
• Example: Move Column H between Columns K and L. The order will update, and Column K will shift to J.
• To move multiple columns, hold Shift and drag the edge of the last column.

Why Do These Methods Matter?

They give you flexibility when reorganizing your data, in case you’re working with a small table or a massive dataset. You use cut-and-paste for precision, drag-and-drop for ease, or copy-and-insert to keep everything intact. Mastering these simple techniques can help you become an Excel pro instantly.

Top 5 Charts in Excel

Here are the top 5 advanced charts created in Excel using ChartExpo.

Control Chart

Box and Whisker Column Chart

Gauge Chart

Sankey Chart

Progress Circle Chart

How to Analyze Moved Columns in Excel?

Data analysis can feel like trying to make sense of a jumbled puzzle. You’ve got numbers, percentages, and ratios flying at you from all directions. But making sense of it? That’s a whole other challenge.

Excel does the math, but to make those numbers clear and visually compelling, you need to add a chart in Excel that effectively communicates your insights.

Enter ChartExpo. This tool transforms your data from dull spreadsheets into insightful, easy-to-read visuals. With ChartExpo, you can effortlessly perform trend analysis in Excel and view your ratios and trends the way they’re meant to be seen—without the hassle.

Let’s learn how to install ChartExpo in Excel.

1. Open your Excel application.
2. Open the worksheet and click the “Insert” menu.
3. You’ll see the “My Apps” option.
4. In the Office Add-ins window, click “Store” and search for ChartExpo on my Apps Store.
5. Click the “Add” button to install ChartExpo in your Excel.

ChartExpo charts are available both in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Please use the following CTAs to install the tool of your choice and create beautiful visualizations with a few clicks in your favorite tool.

Example

Let’s dive into analyzing and interpreting data using ChartExpo with the sample data below in Excel.

Metric	Percentage Completion
Number of Remote Employees	75
Productivity Improvement	80
Projects Delivered On Time	90
Employee Satisfaction	94
Training Hours Completed	80
Remote Tools Adoption Rate	95

• To get started with ChartExpo, install ChartExpo in Excel.
• Now Click on My Apps from the INSERT menu.

• Choose ChartExpo from My Apps, then click Insert.

• Once it loads, scroll through the charts list to locate and choose the “Progress Circle Chart”.

• You will see a Progress Circle Chart on the screen.

• Click the “Create Chart From Selection” button after selecting the data from the sheet, as shown.

• ChartExpo will generate the visualization below for you.

• If you want to add anything to the chart, click the Edit Chart button:
• Click the pencil icon next to the Chart Header to change the title.
• It will open the properties dialog. Under the Text section, you can add a heading in Line 1 and enable Show.
• Give the appropriate title of your chart and click the Apply button.

• You can add the (%) with all values and change the precision to 1:

• You can click on Settings and change the variation type:

• Click the “Save Changes” button to persist the changes made to the chart.

• Your final Progress Circle Chart will look like the one below.

Insights

• Employee satisfaction: 94%
• Project delivery on time: 90%
• Remote tools adoption:95%
• Productivity improvement: 80%
• Training completion: 80%

Streamline Charts by Effectively Moving Columns in Microsoft Excel:

1. Open your Excel Application.
2. Install ChartExpo Add-in for Excel from Microsoft AppSource to create interactive visualizations.
3. Select Progress Circle Chart from the list of charts.
4. Select your data.
5. Click on the “Create Chart from Selection” button.
6. Customize your chart properties to add header, axis, legends, and other required information.

The following video will help you create a Progress Circle Chart in Microsoft Excel.

What are the Best Practices for Reorder Columns in Excel?

Reordering columns in Excel seems simple, but it’s easy to make mistakes. Don’t worry; there are some of the best practices to help you avoid problems and stay efficient.

Here’s how to do it the right way:

• Plan before reordering: Take a moment to plan; think about how you want your data to look. Don’t just move columns randomly.
• Use Drag-and-Drop for simplicity: Drag-and-drop is quick and easy for small changes. Click the column header, drag it, and drop it where you want.
• Cut and paste for large data sets: Drag-and-drop can be messy when working with large data. Use cut-and-paste instead; it’s cleaner and ensures everything stays in place.
• Use Excel’s table feature: Reordering is easier if your data is in a table. Excel will adjust formulas and formatting automatically.
• Check for formula dependencies: Before moving columns, check for formulas. Reordering can break them if they rely on specific column positions.
• Preserve data integrity: Make sure you’re preserving data integrity by not overwriting any important information. Double-check your actions to avoid errors and maintain accuracy.
• Save your work: Save your file before making changes. If something goes wrong, you can easily undo it.

FAQs

How do I move columns in Excel without moving other columns?

To move a column in Excel without affecting others, follow these steps:

• Select the column you want to move.
• Right-click and choose “Cut” or press Ctrl+X.
• Right-click the destination column and select “Insert Cut Cells.”

How do you move columns in Excel with the keyboard?

• Select the column you want to move.
• Press Ctrl+X to cut.
• Select the destination column.
• Press Ctrl+Shift+ (plus sign) to insert the cut column.

What is the easiest way to switch columns in Excel?

The easiest way to switch columns in Excel is as follows:

• Select the first column you want to switch.
• Cut it (Ctrl+X).
• Select the second column.
• Right-click and choose Insert Cut Cells to swap their positions.

Wrap Up

Moving columns in Excel is a simple and useful task; it helps you organize data more effectively. You can complete the process quickly using drag-and-drop or the cut-and-paste method.

To move a column, first select the entire column. Next, use the drag-and-drop method to position it where needed or utilize the cut-and-paste function to move the column.

Excel also allows you to adjust the column width after moving. This ensures your data fits properly in the new column. You can also sort the data in the new column to organize it better.

Remember, you can always undo the action if you make a mistake. Excel’s undo feature allows you to quickly correct any errors.

Conclusively, moving columns can help improve the layout of your spreadsheet, making your data easier to read and understand. This is a simple yet powerful feature. It helps you manage your data more effectively.

Do not hesitate.

Start using the moving columns in Excel feature and rearrange your data needed in just a few clicks.