Right-click the column letter and select Delete

The fastest way to delete a column in Excel is to click the column letter at the top (A, B, C, and so on) to select the entire column, then right-click and choose Delete. The column disappears, and all columns to the right shift left to fill the space.

If you need to delete multiple columns at once, click the first column letter, then hold Shift and click the last column letter you want to remove. Right-click and select Delete, and all of them vanish together.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the column letter to select the entire column, right-click, and choose Delete to remove it in one step.
  • Deleting a column shifts all columns to the right one position left, so any formulas that reference those columns will update automatically.
  • You can undo a deletion by pressing Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) when ready after, which restores the column and all its data.
  • If you want to keep the data but hide the column instead, right-click the column letter and choose Hide — this leaves the column in place but invisible.

What happens to formulas when you delete a column

When you delete a column, Excel automatically updates any formula that referenced data in that column. If a formula pointed to a cell in the deleted column, that cell reference becomes an error (shown as #REF!). If a formula added up a range that included the deleted column, the range shrinks to exclude it.

This is why it matters which column you delete. Deleting column B when your formula is =SUM(A1:C1) changes the formula to =SUM(A1:B1), removing column C from the sum. If you delete column A instead, the formula becomes =SUM(B1:C1), and the result changes because you removed different data.

Using the Edit menu instead of right-click

If right-clicking does not work on your device or you prefer menus, you can delete a column through the top menu. Select the column by clicking its letter, then go to Edit (or Home on newer versions of Excel) and look for Delete or Delete Sheet Columns. The column removes the same way.

On Excel Online (the free version you use in a web browser), the menu path is slightly different — select the column, then click the + icon with a dropdown arrow and choose Delete Columns. The result is identical.

Hiding a column instead of deleting it

Sometimes you want a column out of sight without losing the data. Right-click the column letter and select Hide. The column stays in your spreadsheet and still counts in formulas, but you cannot see it on screen. This is useful when you have helper columns (columns that do calculations you need but do not want to display) or when you want to focus on specific data without removing anything.

To unhide a column, click the column letter before the hidden one and the column letter after it, right-click, and select Unhide. The hidden column reappears between them.

Deleting multiple columns at once

Select the first column you want to delete by clicking its letter. Then hold Shift and click the last column letter in the range. All columns between them (and including both) turn highlighted. Right-click anywhere in the highlighted area and select Delete. All of them remove at once, and the remaining columns shift left.

If the columns are not next to each other, you can select them one at a time while holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac), then right-click and delete. However, this is slower than selecting a continuous range, and it is straightforward to accidentally click the wrong column and lose your selection.

Undoing a deletion you did not mean to make

If you delete a column by mistake, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) when ready. Excel restores the column and all its data. You can undo multiple steps this way — keep pressing Ctrl+Z to go back further.

The undo history is not infinite. If you close the spreadsheet without saving, you lose the ability to undo. If you have already saved the file after the deletion, undoing will not work because the save locked in the change. In that case, you would need to reopen the previous version of the file if your system stores backups, or manually re-enter the data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a column without losing the data?

Yes — use Hide instead of Delete. Right-click the column letter and select Hide. The column stays in your spreadsheet and still works in formulas, but you cannot see it. To bring it back, select the columns on either side of it, right-click, and choose Unhide.

What if I delete the wrong column?

Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) right away to undo. This restores the column and all its data. If you have already saved the file, undo may not work — in that case, check whether your system has a backup or previous version of the file you can open instead.

Do formulas update when I delete a column?

Yes, but the result may change. If a formula referenced the deleted column, that reference becomes an error (#REF!). If a formula summed a range that included the deleted column, the range shrinks. Always check your formulas after deleting a column to make sure they still calculate what you intended.

Can I delete a column on Excel Online?

Yes. Click the column letter to select it, then click the + icon with a dropdown arrow at the top and choose Delete Columns. The column removes the same way as in the desktop version of Excel.