Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Selecting the First Cell In a Row.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 25, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
If you need to select the first cell in a row from within your macro, you can do it with the Select method, using either of the following:
Cells(ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Row, 1).Select ActiveCell.EntireRow.Cells(1).Select
Once executed, the selected cell becomes the first cell (in column A) of the current row. If you run this line while a range of cells is selected, then the cell in column A of the first row of the selection is selected.
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7602) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Selecting the First Cell In a Row.
Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!
When sharing workbooks with others, you may find that the macros in those workbooks may not work as you expect. This tip ...
Discover MoreWhen working with colors in Excel you can specify them using either RGB or HSL values. Converting from HSL to RGB can be ...
Discover MoreVBA provides a few different ways you can search for information within strings. This tip looks at the most efficient ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2023-11-26 14:39:13
J. Woolley
The Tip's first sentence should be, "If you need to select the first cell in THE ACTIVE CELL'S row from within your macro...."
Here are two more ways:
    ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.End(xlToLeft).Select
    ActiveCell.End(xlToLeft).Select
The following should be avoided unless you are certain Selection is a Range object and not a graphic object:
    Selection.End(xlToLeft).Select
Window.RangeSelection returns the Window's most recently selected Range object. If the most recently selected range has more than one row and its active cell is NOT in the top row, either
    ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.End(xlToLeft).Select
or the Tip's
    Cells(ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Row, 1).Select
will select the first cell in its top row, but either
    ActiveCell.End(xlToLeft).Select
or the Tip's
    ActiveCell.EntireRow.Cells(1).Select
will select the first cell in the active cell's row.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments