The fastest way to resize cells in Excel

You can change cell width by dragging the column border, and cell height by dragging the row border. Position your cursor on the line between two column letters at the top of the sheet until it turns into a resize arrow, then drag left or right. For row height, do the same thing on the line between two row numbers on the left side, then drag up or down.

If you want to set an exact measurement instead of dragging by eye, right-click the column letter or row number, select Column Width or Row Height, and type the number you want. Excel measures columns in character units (the width of one number in the default font) and rows in points (1/72 of an inch).

You can also select multiple columns or rows at once and resize them all together. Click the first column letter, hold Shift, and click the last column letter you want to change. Then drag the border of any selected column, and all of them will resize to match.

Key Takeaways

  • Drag the border between column letters to change width, or between row numbers to change height.
  • Right-click a column letter or row number and choose Column Width or Row Height to enter an exact measurement.
  • Double-click the border between columns to auto-fit the width to the content inside, or between rows to auto-fit height.
  • Select multiple columns or rows by clicking the first, holding Shift, and clicking the last, then resize them all at once.

Auto-fitting cells to fit your content

The quickest way to make a column wide enough for all the text inside is to double-click the border between two column letters. Excel will measure the longest entry in that column and expand the width automatically. This works the same way for row height — double-click the border between row numbers and the row will expand to fit the tallest content.

If you have a whole sheet of data and want to auto-fit every column at once, click the select-all button (the box in the top-left corner where the row numbers and column letters meet), then double-click any column border. All columns will resize to fit their content.

Setting exact column width and row height

Right-click the column letter you want to change and select Column Width from the menu. A small box will appear asking for a number. Type the width you want — Excel measures this in character units, so a width of 20 means the column is wide enough for about 20 characters in the default font.

For row height, right-click the row number and select Row Height. Enter the height in points. One point equals 1/72 of an inch, so a row height of 20 points is roughly a quarter-inch tall. If you are not sure what number to use, start with 15 or 20 and adjust from there.

You can also access these options through the Format menu. Click Format in the ribbon, then look for Column Width or Row Height in the dropdown.

Resizing multiple columns or rows at the same time

Select the columns or rows you want to change by clicking the first one, holding Shift, and clicking the last one. All the columns or rows in between will be highlighted. Now drag the border of any selected column or row, and they will all resize together to the same width or height.

If you want to set an exact size for multiple columns at once, select them the same way, then right-click and choose Column Width. Enter the width, and all selected columns will change to that measurement. The same process works for rows.

Making columns wider or narrower for readability

If your data is cut off or hard to read, widening the column is usually the fix. Drag the column border to the right to make it wider. If a column is taking up too much space and you want to see more columns at once, drag the border to the left to make it narrower. You can always widen it again if you realize you need more room.

For rows, the same principle applies — drag the border down to give more space between rows, or drag it up to pack them closer together. Taller rows are useful when you have wrapped text or multiple lines of data in a single cell.

Using the Format menu for column and row options

Click the Format menu in the ribbon at the top. You will see options for Column Width, Optimal Column Width, and Row Height. Optimal Column Width does the same thing as double-clicking the border — it auto-fits the column to the content. Column Width and Row Height let you enter an exact measurement.

The Format menu also has a Hide option if you want to temporarily hide a column or row without deleting it. You can unhide it later by selecting the columns or rows on either side of the hidden one, right-clicking, and choosing Unhide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the numbers mean when I set column width or row height?

Column width is measured in character units — roughly the width of one number in your default font. Row height is measured in points, where 72 points equals one inch. You do not need to memorize these; just try a number and adjust if it is not quite right.

Can I make all columns the same width at once?

Yes. Select all the columns you want to change by clicking the first column letter, holding Shift, and clicking the last. Then right-click and choose Column Width, enter the width you want, and all selected columns will resize to match.

What is the difference between dragging and double-clicking the column border?

Dragging lets you set the width by eye. Double-clicking auto-fits the column to the longest entry inside it. If you want an exact measurement, right-click the column letter and choose Column Width instead.

How do I undo a resize if I made a column too narrow?

Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo the last change. You can also drag the column border again to make it wider, or right-click and set an exact width.