The quickest way to change cell height
To change the height of a single row, position your cursor on the border between two row numbers on the left side of the spreadsheet. The cursor will turn into a resize arrow. Click and drag upward to make the row shorter or downward to make it taller. Release the mouse when the row reaches the height you want.
If you want to set an exact height instead of dragging by eye, right-click on the row number, select Row Height from the menu, and type a number. Excel measures row height in points (a point is 1/72 of an inch). Most default rows are 15 points tall. Type a larger number to make the row taller — for example, 30 points will roughly double the height.
To change multiple rows at once, click on the first row number, hold Shift, and click on the last row number you want to change. Then drag the border between any of those row numbers, or right-click and enter a height. All selected rows will resize together.
Key Takeaways
- Drag the border between row numbers to resize by eye, or right-click a row number and select Row Height to enter an exact measurement in points.
- Select multiple rows by clicking the first row number, holding Shift, and clicking the last row number, then resize them all at once.
- Double-click the border between row numbers to auto-fit the height to whatever content is in that row.
- Column width works the same way — drag the border between column letters or right-click the column letter to set an exact width in characters.
Auto-fit row height to your content
If you have text that wraps across multiple lines within a cell, you can make Excel figure out the right height automatically. Double-click the border between the row numbers where your tall cell is located. Excel will measure the content and adjust the row height to fit everything without cutting anything off.
This is faster than guessing, especially if you have several rows with different amounts of wrapped text. You can also select multiple rows and double-click the border to auto-fit all of them at once — Excel will adjust each row individually based on what it contains.
Changing column width works the same way
Column width uses the same three methods as row height. Drag the border between column letters at the top of the spreadsheet, right-click a column letter and select Column Width, or double-click the border to auto-fit.
Column width is measured in characters rather than points — the number represents how many characters of the default font will fit across the column. A width of 10 means roughly 10 characters. If you want text to fit on one line without wrapping, dragging or auto-fitting is usually faster than calculating the exact width you need.
When to use exact measurements instead of dragging
Dragging works fine for a single spreadsheet you are building for yourself. But if you are sharing a spreadsheet with others or printing it, exact measurements keep everything consistent. If you set Row Height to 20 points on your computer and someone else opens the file on theirs, the row will still be 20 points — it will not shift based on their screen size or font settings.
Exact measurements also matter if you are creating a template that other people will use repeatedly. Setting heights and widths by number means the layout stays the same no matter who fills in the data.
Making all rows or columns the same size
To resize every row in your spreadsheet at once, click the box in the top-left corner where the row numbers and column letters meet. This selects the entire sheet. Then right-click any row number and select Row Height, or drag any row border. Every row will change to that height.
The same method works for columns — select all, then right-click a column letter or drag a column border. This is useful if your spreadsheet has inconsistent heights from copying and pasting, and you want to reset everything to a standard size.
Hiding rows or columns instead of deleting them
Sometimes you want to temporarily hide a row or column without removing the data. Right-click the row number or column letter and select Hide. The row or column disappears from view, but the data stays in the file. If you change your mind, select the rows or columns on either side of the hidden one, right-click, and select Unhide.
This is different from changing height or width — hiding removes the row or column from the display entirely, while resizing just makes it smaller. Hiding is useful when you have helper columns or rows that you need for calculations but do not want to see in the final spreadsheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I drag the row border and nothing happens?
Make sure your cursor is exactly on the border between two row numbers. The cursor should change to a resize arrow (a double-headed arrow pointing up and down). If it does not change, move your cursor slightly until it does, then drag.
Can I set different heights for different rows without selecting them all?
Yes. Change one row at a time by dragging its border or right-clicking its number. Each row can have a different height. You only need to select multiple rows if you want them all to be the same height.
What is the difference between row height and line spacing?
Row height is the space from the top of one row to the top of the next. Line spacing is the space between lines of text within a single cell. Excel does not have a built-in line spacing control — if text wraps in a cell, increasing the row height gives you more space between the wrapped lines.
Will changing row height affect my printed spreadsheet?
Yes. The row heights you set in Excel will print the same way they appear on screen. If you want different heights for screen and print, you will need to change them before printing, then change them back.
How do I make a row just tall enough for the text without extra space?
Double-click the border between the row numbers. Excel will auto-fit the height to the content. If you want slightly more space, drag the border down a little after auto-fitting, or right-click and add a few points to the auto-fit height.