Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Moving Rows and Columns with the Mouse.

Moving Rows and Columns with the Mouse

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 29, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021

As long as you have the Allow Text to be Dragged and Dropped option turned on (in the Word Options dialog box, click on Advanced and then look in the Editing Options section), Word allows you to use the mouse for many routine editing tasks. One such task involves moving rows or columns within a table.

To move a row or column using the mouse, follow these steps:

Select the entire row or column that you want to move.
Click on the highlighted row or column and hold down the mouse button. Shortly the pointer should change to a "ghost" insertion point with a small box next to the pointer arrow.
Drag the row or column to the place where you want it to be. You should position the insertion point in the row or column before which your moved row or column will appear.
Release the mouse button. The row or column is moved.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9655) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Moving Rows and Columns with the Mouse.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Placing Textbox Text Into a Worksheet

Want to get rid of your text boxes and move their text into the worksheet? It's going to take a macro-based approach, ...

Discover More

Deleting Worksheet Code in a Macro

When creating an application in VBA for others to use, you might want a way for your VBA code to modify or delete other ...

Discover More

Printing Row Numbers

On-screen Excel displays row numbers that help you easily see what is in each row. If you want to print these row ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Merging Table Cells

Want to create cells that span multiple columns or multiple rows? You do this in Word by merging cells together. Here's ...

Discover More

Moving a Table Row

Want to move a row in a table very easily? You can do so by using the same editing techniques you are already using.

Discover More

Repeating Rows for a Table Footer

Word allows you to specify rows that should be repeated at the top of a table when that table extends beyond the bottom ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is seven more than 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.