Add and edit tables

Organise information in a document or presentation with a table. You can add and delete tables, and adjust the size and style of table rows and columns.

If you're using Google Docs on a computer, you can also:

• Sort rows
• Drag and move rows and columns
• Pin table header rows so they repeat at the top of each page
• Prevent information from overflowing across pages

Add a table

1. On your computer, open a document or a slide in a presentation.
2. Click Insert  Table  choose how many rows and columns you want to add.
   • Tables can be as large as 20x20 cells.
3. The table will be added to your document.

Add rows or columns

1. On your computer, open a document or a slide in a presentation.
2. Right-click a cell in a table.
3. To add a row or column next to the selected cell, click:
   • Insert column to the left
   • Insert column to the right
   • Insert row above
   • Insert row below

Delete rows, columns or tables

1. On your computer, open a document or a slide in a presentation.
2. Right-click a cell in a table from the row or column that you want to delete.
3. From the menu, choose Delete column, Delete row or Delete table.

Move a table

Important: In Google Docs, make sure that your document is in pages format.

To move and position your table, select an option:

Point and drag:

1. Point to the table's corners until the Move Table is shown.
2. Drag your table.
3. Drop the table in the desired position.

Quick layouts:

1. Right-click the table.
2. Click Table properties  Quick layouts.
3. Select one of the layout options.

Wrap text:

1. Right-click the table.
2. Click Table properties  Table.
3. Under 'Style', select Wrap text.
4. Select an option:
   • Change the amount of space between the table and wrapped text: Under 'Margins from document text', move the margin size.
   • Keep the table in the same position with its wrapped text: Under 'Position', click Move with text.
   • Keep the table in the same position on the page: Under 'Position', click Fix on page.

Style tables

You can resize rows and columns or sort table rows. You can also change the border style and background colour of individual cells.

Resize rows and columns

Resize a row or column

1. On your computer, open a document or presentation.
2. In your table, move your cursor over the gridline of a row or column.
3. When your cursor becomes a two-sided arrow, click and drag until the row or column is the size that you want.

Make all rows and columns the same size

1. On your computer, open a document or presentation.
2. Right-click a table.
3. Click Distribute rows or Distribute columns.

Resize a table

Google Docs

1. On your computer, open a document and select cells in a table.
2. Go to Format  Table  Table properties. 
   1. You can also right-click on the table and select Table properties.
3. Under 'Column' or 'Row', enter the width and height that you want for all highlighted cells.
4. Click OK.

Google Slides

1. On your computer, open a presentation and click a table.
2. Move your mouse to any corner of the table.
3. When your cursor becomes a two-sided arrow, click and drag in any direction.

Style individual cells in a table

1. On your computer, open a document or presentation.
2. Select the cells that you want to change.
3. In the toolbar, click the style that you want to change:
   • Border colour 
   • Border width or border weight 
   • Border dash 
   • Background colour or fill colour 

In Google Docs, you can also change a cell's vertical alignment and padding.

1. On your computer, open a document and click on a table.
2. Go to Format  Table  Table properties. 
   1. You can also right-click on the table and select Table properties.
3. Under 'Cell', you can select the vertical alignment and enter the cell padding.

Sort rows in Google Docs

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
2. Right-click on the table.
3. Click Sort table.
4. Select Sort table in ascending order or Sort table in descending order.

You can also quickly sort rows directly from the table controls:

1. Hover in the top row of a table.
2. Click sort table . 
3. Select Sort ascending or Sort descending.

Tip: To avoid sorting the header rows for your table, follow the instructions to pin header rows. Any rows that have been pinned will not be sorted.

Structure tables

You can move rows and columns or merge cells together. In Google Docs, if you have large tables that cross multiple pages, you can also pin header rows at the top of pages and prevent rows from overflowing.

Merge cells in a table

You can combine cells together to create titles, add headers or put information from several cells into one.

1. On your computer, open a document or presentation.
2. Click and drag to highlight the cells that you want to merge.
3. Right-click the cells.
4. Click Merge cells. 

To unmerge cells:

1. Click and drag to highlight the cells that you want to unmerge.
2. Right-click the highlighted cells.
3. Click Unmerge cells.

Split table cells in Google Docs

1. On your computer, open a document.
2. Right-click the cell.
3. Click Split cell.
4. Enter the number of rows and columns that you want.
5. Click Split.

Move table rows and columns in Google Docs

Move a row

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
2. Hover in the left-hand column of a table.
3. Point your cursor over drag until a hand appears.
4. Click and drag the row up or down to its new location. 

Move a column

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
2. Hover in the top row of a table.
3. Point your cursor over drag until a hand appears.
4. Click and drag the column left or right to its new location. 

Pin header rows in Google Docs

If you have a long table, you can turn table rows into header rows that repeat at the top of each page. If you're on a document in pageless format, you can pin table rows to stay visible at the top of the window.

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
2. Click anywhere in your table.
3. Go to Format  Table  Table properties. 
   1. You can also right-click on the table and select Table properties.
4. Under 'Row', check Pin header row(s) and specify the number of rows that you want to pin.
5. Click OK to apply changes. 

You can also quickly pin a number of rows directly from the table:

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
2. Right-click on the row that you want to pin up to and select pin header up to this row . 
   1. You can also hover to the left of the row that you want to pin up to and select pin header up to this row .

Unpin rows

1. Right-click on any row in the table
2. Select unpin header rows .

Make table rows unsplittable in Google Docs

If you have a large table that crosses multiple pages, you can choose whether you want information in a table row to split across a page break. 

Important: This feature isn’t available in documents that are in pageless format. To use this feature, make sure your document is in pages format.

1. Select the table row. 
2. Go to Format  Table  Table properties. 
   1. You can also right-click on the table and select Table properties.
3. Under 'Row', tick/untick Allow row to overflow across pages.
4. Click OK to apply changes.

Change a table's alignment in Google Docs

1. On your computer, open a document and click on a table.
2. Go to Format  Table  Table properties. 
   1. You can also right-click on the table and select Table properties.
3. Under 'Table', choose select Left, Centre or Right.