How to Insert a New Worksheet in Excel (2024 Guide)
When you create a new Excel workbook, you automatically create an Excel worksheet. That’s like hitting two birds with one stone 😀
However, it’s important to note that an Excel workbook is different from an Excel worksheet.
An Excel workbook is an Excel file that contains one or more worksheets. These worksheets (also called spreadsheets) consist of cells organized into rows and columns. It’s where we do the work of storing, organizing, and calculating data.
Today, learn more about Excel worksheets so you can make them work for you. In this article, you’ll learn the best ways how to insert a new worksheet in Excel, and how to rename or delete it as well 😊
Let’s go!
Table of Contents
Add worksheet with mouse clicks
To add a new worksheet, you need to first create a new Excel workbook. You can also open an existing Excel file on your computer.
For our example, let’s create a new blank workbook.
By creating a new blank workbook, a new blank worksheet is seen on your screen 👇
If you want to see your worksheets, just look at the Sheets Tab at the bottom left of your Excel window👀umn.
Let’s add another Excel sheet to our new workbook.
All you have to do is to click the plus icon (+) next to Sheet 1.
And that’s it! You will be automatically directed to the new worksheet you can work on 😊
Simply click the plus icon if you want to add more worksheets to the workbook. The sheet name will follow as Sheets 1, 2, 3, and so on. The newly added worksheet will be the rightmost sheet in your Excel sheet tab.
One new sheet in one click 👍
Add worksheet using right-click menu option
Alternatively, you can also insert a new worksheet using the right-click menu option. Here’s how to do that 👇
- Right-click on the Sheet2 tab.
- Select Insert.
The Insert dialog box will appear. It will show you what you can insert.
- Click Worksheet.
- Finally, click OK.
The new worksheet will be inserted before the selected sheet tab. In our case, between Sheets 1 and 2.
You might be saying: “This isn’t in order.” 🤔 and you’re right.
But you don’t need to worry. You can move a sheet tab to where you want it to be.
Move your worksheet
To move an Excel worksheet, you just need to press on that sheet tab and drag.
Alternatively, you can also right-click on the sheet tab to find the Move or Copy option to move or copy the worksheet 😊
Add worksheet with a keyboard shortcut
If you don’t want to insert worksheets using your mouse, you can also use the keyboard shortcut.
Keyboard shortcuts or shortcut keys can perform the same tasks and functions in Excel without having to use your mouse. Many users find keyboard shortcuts in Excel help them work more efficiently and also feel like an Excel PRO 😎
The keyboard shortcut to insert a new worksheet is Shift + F11.
Let’s use this keyboard shortcut to insert a new worksheet into our workbook.
- Click Sheet 3 in the sheet tab.
- Press the Shift key and F11 on your keyboard. Make sure you hold down the Shift key before hitting the F11 key.
The new sheet is inserted before sheet 3 in the tab, that quick ⚡
If you want to insert multiple worksheets, just press the keys on your keyboard multiple times as well.
Many Microsoft Office users find keyboard shortcuts very helpful for them to work more efficiently. Aside from that, keyboard shortcuts are of great help for users with vision and mobility disabilities. They prefer keyboard shortcuts better than using touch screens or using a mouse 😊
Kasper Langmann, Microsoft Office SpecialistAdd a worksheet from the ribbon menu
Of course, the most obvious method to add worksheets to your workbook is using the Insert button in the Home tab of the Excel ribbon.
To insert a new worksheet from the ribbon menu, follow these easy steps.
- Click on the Home Tab.
- Click the Insert button in the Cells group.
- From the drop-down list, select the Insert Sheet option.
And there you have it! One new worksheet is ready for you to use 😀
This may be the best time to rename your worksheets.
Renaming your worksheets
Renaming the worksheets in your workbook will keep your workbook organized and save you time in finding the data you want 👍
To rename your worksheets, double-click on their sheet tab like this.
Or do this 2-step method.
- Right-click on the sheet tab.
- Select Rename in the menu.
Now, we can then go ahead and type.
Let’s say this workbook will be a list of employees in each department. We can label the worksheets this way 😀
Sometimes, there are worksheets we no longer need or want to delete. It could be duplications or a blank one that we wish to eliminate. To do that, continue to scroll down 👇
Delete your worksheets
To delete your Excel Worksheet, right-click on the worksheet tab and select the delete option from the dialog box as shown below.
And that’s it 🙌
That’s it – Now what
Well, now you know how to work your way with worksheets in Microsoft Excel. From inserting one or multiple worksheets to organizing them so you won’t be lost in your workbooks 👍
The next time you want to insert a new sheet, try using the keyboard shortcut to feel like the Excel PRO you are on your way to becoming 😎
If your goal is to learn how to keep your data organized or level up your Excel skills, then my free Excel Intermediate training is for YOU!
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Other resources
Did you know that you can group multiple worksheets in your workbook? Learn how by clicking this link!
Want to learn more keyboard shortcuts? We’ve written 11 Best Excel Shortcuts you’ll ever need. It comes with practical examples too. Click here to learn more.
I hope you find this helpful 👋