Johanna wants to navigate across columns to the right in her table. which option should she choose?

This tutorial shows three ways to insert tables in Microsoft Word so you can choose the method that is most appropriate for your content:

1. Create a table from the Table menu (best for general use)
2. Create a table from the Table dialog box (offers the most sizing options)
3. Insert a Quick Table (fastest setup)

Note that you can also draw a custom table and create a table by importing a spreadsheet from Excel. We will cover those advanced topics in separate tutorials.

Don’t miss the five tips for working with tables at the bottom of this tutorial:

1. How to delete a table
2. How to resize an entire table
3. How to resize individual rows and columns
4. How to add rows and columns
5. How to add color to a table

This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than 150 other writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365.The steps are the same in Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016 and similar for Word 2013 and Word 2010. However, your interface may look slightly different in those older versions of the software.

This method is appropriate for most users who want to create a basic table for general use.

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert the table.
2. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon.

1. Select the Table button in the Tables group.

1. Move your pointer across and down the grid to select the number of cells (organized as rows and columns) needed in your table.

The selected cells will turn orange.

1. Click the selected (orange) part of the grid or press Enter on your keyboard to insert the table.

Method 2: Create a Table from the Table Dialog Box

This method provides advanced sizing options.

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert the table.
2. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
3. Select the Table button in the Tables group (see figure 2).
4. Select Insert Table from the drop-down menu.

1. Enter the number of rows and columns in the Insert Table dialog box.

1. Select an AutoFit behavior:

• • Fixed column width can be set to Auto or a specific width between 1/100 inch and twenty-two inches using the increment arrows.
  • AutoFit to contents adjusts cell sizes to the content.
  • AutoFit to Window adjusts the width of the table to the viewer’s Word window or browser window.

1. (Optional Step) Check Remember dimensions for new tables if you want to create the same size table in the future.

1. Select the OK button to close the Insert Table dialog box and insert your new table.

Method 3: Insert a Quick Table

Quick Tables are prebuilt tables and calendars you can modify for your own use.

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert the table.
2. Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).
3. Select the Table button in the Tables group (see figure 2).
4. Select Quick Tables from the drop-down menu.

1. Select a table from the gallery.

1. Add your own content by typing over or deleting the table’s example text.

Now let’s look at some tips for working with tables.

Five Tips for Working with Tables in Word

The following tips cover the basics of working with tables. We will dive into this topic in much greater detail in a separate tutorial.

Tip 1: How to Delete a Table

1. Select the table selector, which looks like crossed arrows, to select the entire table. You may have to hover your pointer over the table to reveal the table selector.

1. Right-click the table.
2. Select Delete Table from the shortcut menu.

Tip 2: How to Resize an Entire Table

1. Click and hold the resizing handle in the bottom right of the table. You may need to hover your pointer over the table to reveal the handle.

1. Drag the table to the size you want and then release the handle.

Tip 3: How to Resize Individual Rows and Columns

1. Hover your pointer over a row or column border until your pointer becomes two lines with two arrows.

Note that the pointer in figure 14 is enlarged to make it easier to see. Your pointer will be smaller.

1. Click and hold as you drag the border to resize the row or column.

Tip 4: How to Add Rows and Columns

1. Right-click inside a cell.
2. Select Insert from the shortcut menu.

1. Select the location of your new row or column:

• • Insert Columns to the Left
  • Insert Columns to the Right
  • Insert Rows Above
  • Insert Rows Below
  • Insert Cells

If you select Insert Cells, a dialog box will appear asking where you want to insert your new cells. Note that regardless of your answer, you will be inserting an entire row or column, not an individual cell.

Tip 5: How to Add Color to a Table

1. Select the table selector, which looks like crossed arrows, to select the entire table (see figure 11). You may need to hover your pointer over the table to reveal the table selector.
2. Select the Table Design tab in the ribbon. (Note that this tab only appears in the ribbon when a table is selected.)

1. Select the down arrow in the Table Styles group.

1. Select one of the styles from the gallery.

Alternatively, you can use the shading menu to add custom colors to individual rows and columns.

Pro Tip: After creating and customizing your table, save it to reuse in future documents, as shown in “How to Save Tables as Templates in Microsoft Word.”

Related Resources

How to Create and Customize Charts in Microsoft Word

How to Save Tables and Figures as Images in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac)

How to Insert Figure Captions and Table Titles in Microsoft Word

How to Change the Style of Table Titles and Figure Captions in Microsoft Word

How to Update Table and Figure Numbers in Microsoft Word

How to Create and Update a List of Tables or Figures in Microsoft Word

How to Write Table Titles

How to Write Figure Captions for Graphs, Charts, Photos, Drawings, and Maps

How to Reference Tables and Figures in Text

Updated September 10, 2022