Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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: Spreading Out a Table.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 22, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Sometimes you may get a worksheet from someone else, and you need some room to work on the information provided. For instance, you may find it helpful to add some blank rows between each of the original rows in the original data. While this can be done rather easily using the Insert menu, it can quickly become tedious—particularly if you have a large number of rows that you want to spread out.
The following macro will help you tremendously in this situation. All you need to do is select the first row in the data. When you run the macro, it asks you how many blank rows you want to insert between the original rows. When you provide a number, the macro steps through the data and starts inserting blank rows. The macro stops when the first blank cell after the original data is detected.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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:
Sub SpreadOut()
Dim iBlanks As Integer
Dim J As Integer
iBlanks = InputBox("How many blank rows?", "Insert Rows")
ActiveCell.Offset(1, 0).Select
While ActiveCell.Value > "" And iBlanks > 0
For J = 1 To iBlanks
Selection.EntireRow.Insert
Next J
ActiveCell.Offset(iBlanks + 1, 0).Select
Wend
End Sub
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10005) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Spreading Out a Table.
Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!
Want an easy way to insert a new row in a worksheet and copy everything from the row above? (You end up with two ...
Discover MoreExcel provides a few ways that you can freeze or split what you see in your worksheet. The appropriateness of these tools ...
Discover MoreImport data from another program, and you could end up with a lot of blank columns in your data. Here's the quickest way ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2021-05-22 19:14:53
Ken Reed
How can this macro be expanded to format the row height to be different from the original row height in the worksheet?
2021-05-22 08:51:42
Alan Cannon
I prefer to increase the row height, which doesn't add rows to the worksheet but still spreads out the data. This way the data can still be sorted if needed.
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.
Comments