How to use the "Insert Options" button in Excel

This article explains the functionality of the Insert Options button in the Microsoft Excel user interface (UI).

The Insert Options button may become available when you insert cells, rows, and columns into your worksheet. The button appears on the UI only when one or more of the following conditions are true:

• The row or any cell in the row above or below the inserted row has formatting different from the default.
• The column or any cell in the column to the left or right of the inserted column has formatting different from the default.
• Any cell above, below, to the right, or to the left of the inserted cell or cells has formatting different from the default.

NOTE: The button does not appear when you insert copied cells.

The button appears just below and to the right of the inserted selection. When you insert rows and columns, the button may also appear below and to the right of the row or column heading.

When you click the button, you are presented with a list of options that you can apply to the inserted selection.

Cell options

Cell insert options appear when you insert a cell or a range of cells into an area on your worksheet. The exact set of options depends on whether you choose to shift existing cells vertically or horizontally when you perform the insertion. For example, the following set of options is available if you shift cells horizontally (to the right):

• Format Same as Left: Applies formatting to the inserted cells to match the format of the cells to the left.
• Format Same as Right: Applies formatting to the inserted cells to match the format of the cells to the right.
• Clear Formatting: Clears all formatting from the inserted cells.

When you shift cells down, the words Left and Right in the preceding options are replaced with Above and Below.

Column options

The Insert Column options reflect the fact that when you insert a column, the existing columns are shifted to the right. The button offers the same options as the cell options.

Row options

When you insert a row or a set of rows, the existing rows below the insertion point are shifted down, and you receive the following set of options:

• Format Same as Above: Applies formatting to the inserted row to match the format of the rows above.
• Format Same as Below: Applies formatting to the inserted row to match the format of the rows below.
• Clear Formatting: Clears all formatting.

Turning off Insert Options

To do this, follow these steps, as appropriate for the version of Excel that you are running.

Microsoft Excel 2002 or Microsoft Office Excel 2003

To prevent the Insert Options button from appearing, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Edit tab.
3. Click to clear the Show Insert Options buttons check box.
4. Click OK.

Microsoft Office Excel 2007

1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Excel Options.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click to clear the Show Insert Options buttons check box in the Cut, copy, and paste section, and then click OK.

For additional information about other option buttons, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: