Neatly arranging your data in Excel is required in every field of work, and when the data set is massive, it becomes even more crucial to arrange it properly. Grouping rows and columns in Excel allows you to collapse and expand groups of data, which allows you to manage your data neatly and view it in a more focused manner. In this article, we will learn how to group columns or rows in Excel.
How to Group Columns or Rows in Excel
Grouping Columns or Rows in Excel requires you to arrange the data logically, where grouping enhances the overall arrangement and presentation of the data. After the data is arranged in a logical manner suitable for grouping column-wise or row-wise, follow these steps to group your data in Excel:
- Start by selecting the data you wish to group.
- Now, press the shortcut, Shift+Alt+Right on your keyboard, this will open the Group dialog box.
- You can select how you wish to group your data, i.e., Row wise or Column wise.
- Select it, and press OK to group the data.
- Alternatively, you can select the data and go to the Data > Outline > Group.
Use the Shift+Alt+Left keyboard shortcut to ungroup the data or go to Data > Outline > Ungroup.
How to Expand and Collapse Grouped Rows and Columns in Excel
Now that you know how to group rows and columns in Excel, it is essential to understand how to view grouped data properly in Excel:
- You will see a minus or plus icon in the leftmost bar when the data is grouped row-wise.
- You can use the plus button to expand and view the grouped data.
- You can also use the minus button to collapse the grouped data.
- To expand or collapse the column-wise grouped data, do the same steps in the top bar between the data and the toolbar in Excel.
Alternatively, you can use the Auto Outline feature, which automatically analyzes the data in your spreadsheet and groups it accordingly. However, the feature is still not polished, and it may not be able to create an outline at all or not do it right.
In this article, we learned how to group columns and rows in Excel. We hope you found the article helpful.