Tables are a great way to add more advanced formatting to your worksheets, like banded
rows, preset color schemes, and other design elements that can save you tons of time. Let's
take a look.
To create a table, all you have to do is select the cells you want to include… then click
the Format as Table command on the Home tab.
Here you'll find several different styles to choose from. Just pick whichever one appeals
to you the most—you can always choose a different table style later.
If you want your table to have special formatting in the header row, make sure you leave this
box checked. You can also change the selection if you need to.
When you're ready, click OK… and now we have a table.
Notice that every table includes filtering by default, which will let you sort your data,
or narrow it down depending on what you need. You can apply filtering any time using the
drop-down arrows here.
If you need to fit more content into your table, not to worry. Excel gives you two ways
to add more columns or rows in the same style as the rest of the table.
Just enter your data in any adjacent column or row... and it will be roped into the table
automatically. You can also click, hold, and drag the bottom right corner to create any
size table you need.
This is looking pretty good. I think I'm ready to try some different formatting options now.
For that, you'll find everything you need on the Design tab, which appears anytime you
have your table selected.
Remember how I said you could change your table style once you added one to your worksheet?
You can do that here using the options in the Table Styles group... and this time, you
get preview.
This is one of the benefits of using tables in Excel. They make it easy to change the
look and feel of your worksheet, and it's a lot faster than formatting the cells yourself.
Why don't we go with this one?
Next to the table styles, Excel gives you a few more options for customizing your table.
For example, you could add special formatting to the last column to make it stand out…
or you could add a total row. These will all look slightly different depending on the table
style you've chosen, so you might need to experiment to get the look you want.
If you change your mind, you can always remove the table from your workbook, without losing
any of your data. Just be aware that this can cause issues with cell formatting, so
it should only be done if you truly intend to start over.
All you have to do is make sure your table is selected, then click Convert to Range on
the Design tab. Next, click Yes to confirm… and the range will no longer be a table.
The Design tab has disappeared, but you can still adjust the formatting manually using
the options on the Home tab. You can even use the Clear command to re-start your formatting
from scratch.
Now you know how to add and remove tables in Excel.