5 Quick Ways to Adjust Cell Size in Microsoft Excel

Learn how to increase or decrease the size of Excel cells

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: May 27, 2026 Fact Checked

• Using the Format Menu
|
• Using the Mouse
|
• Merging Cells
|
• Using Copy and Paste
|
• Using AutoFit
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

Do you have data in your spreadsheet that doesn't fit neatly into the default cell size? This wikiHow will teach you how to adjust cell size in Microsoft Excel on Windows and Mac.

Make Excel Cells Bigger or Smaller

To set a cell to a specific size in Microsoft Excel, highlight it, click Format > Row Height or Column Width, and then set the number. You can also click and drag the boundaries of a row or column to resize it.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Using the Format Menu

1. 
   1
   Select the column or row you want to adjust. If you don't already have an Excel spreadsheet open, open one now.

   • To select a column, click the corresponding number on the left. To select a row, click the corresponding number at the top.
   • To select multiple rows or columns, press and hold Ctrl (PC) or ⌘ Cmd (macOS) as you click rows or columns. You can also click and drag to select rows or columns next to each other.
2. 
   2
   Click the Format button. You'll find this in the Cells section of the Home tab. A menu will open.
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3. 
   3
   Select Column Width or Row Height. This is underneath Cell Size.
4. 
   4
   Enter a value in the field and click OK. If you want to change a column, enter the value in the Column Width field. If you want to change a row, enter the value in the Row Height field.

   • The column or row will be resized.
   • You can also change the size of a row or column by highlighting it, right-clicking the heading (Cmd-clicking on Mac), and selecting Row Height or Column Width in the contextual menu.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Using the Mouse

1. 
   1
   Locate the column or row you want to resize. To adjust the cell size with the mouse, use the boundary on the right of the column or below the row.

   • If you want to resize more than one column or row, select them first.
   • To select multiple rows or columns, press and hold Ctrl (PC) or ⌘ Cmd (macOS) as you click rows or columns. You can also click and drag to select rows or columns next to each other.
2. 
   2
   Click and drag the row and column boundaries to resize them. To resize the cells in a row, drag the boundary below the row heading. To resize the cells in a column, drag the boundary to the right of the column heading.

   • As you drag the boundary down (rows) or right (columns), the cell size will increase, and as you drag the boundary up (rows) or to the left (columns), the cell size will decrease.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Merging Cells

1. 
   1
   Select the cells you want to merge. You can make custom-sized cells that aren't constrained by columns or rows.

   • To select multiple cells, press and hold Ctrl (PC) or ⌘ Cmd (macOS) as you click cells. You can also click and drag to select cells next to each other.
   • If you change the size of a column or row that's part of a merged cell, the merged cell will get larger or smaller as well.
2. 
   2
   Click Merge & Center. You can find this in the Alignment section of the Home tab.
3. 
   3
   Click Merge. Your cells will be merged.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Using Copy and Paste

1. 
   1
   Select the column or row you want to adjust. If you don't already have an Excel spreadsheet open, open one now.

   • To select a column, click the corresponding number on the left. To select a row, click the corresponding number at the top.
   • To select multiple rows or columns, press and hold Ctrl (PC) or ⌘ Cmd (macOS) as you click rows or columns. You can also click and drag to select rows or columns next to each other.
2. 
   2
   Press Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+C (Mac). This will copy the column/row to your clipboard.
3. 
   3
   Right-click the column or row you want to resize. On Mac, you can use cmd-click. A menu will open.
4. 
   4
   Select Paste Special, and then Keep Source Columns Width. You can also press W on your keyboard to select it.

   • Even if you're copying a row, you'll still select Keep Source Columns Width as there is no row-equivalent button.
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Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Using AutoFit

1. 
   1
   Select the column or row you want to adjust. If you don't already have an Excel spreadsheet open, open one now.

   • To select a column, click the corresponding number on the left. To select a row, click the corresponding number at the top.
   • To select multiple rows or columns, press and hold Ctrl (PC) or ⌘ Cmd (macOS) as you click rows or columns. You can also click and drag to select rows or columns next to each other.
2. 
   2
   Click Format. You can find this in the Cells section of the Home tab. A drop-down menu will open.
3. 
   3
   Click AutoFit Row Height or AutoFit Column Width. You can also change columns or rows to autofit their content by double-clicking the right boundary (for columns) or the bottom boundary (for rows).
4. 
   4
   Click OK. This will apply and save your changes.
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