Working with Tables

OfficeDocs lets you use tables to organize information into rows and columns. This guide explains how to insert a table, manage its structure, format its appearance, and work with common table tools in the document editor.  
 Inserting a table 
 You can insert a table directly from the Insert tab, then choose the number of rows and columns you need. In the document editor, tables can also be customized further after insertion using the table settings menu. 
 
 Place the cursor where you want the table to appear. 
 Open the Insert tab. 
 Click Table . 
 Select the number of rows and columns from the grid. 
 Insert the table into the document.  
 
 
 Adding rows and columns 
 After inserting a table, you can expand it by adding rows or columns where needed. To do this,  right-click inside the table to open the table options menu. 
 
 
 Insert a row above or below the current row 
 Insert a column to the left or right of the current column 
 Add several rows or columns at once when needed  
 
 Deleting rows and columns 
 You can remove individual parts of a table or delete the table entirely.  
 
 Delete a selected row 
 Delete a selected column 
 Delete selected cells 
 Delete the entire table 
 
 Merging and splitting cells 
 OfficeDocs includes tools for combining cells or splitting them into smaller sections.  
 Merge cells 
 
 Select two or more adjacent cells 
 Use Merge Cells to combine them into one cell  
 
 Split cells 
 
 Select the cell you want to divide 
 Choose Split Cell   
 Enter the number of rows and columns you want to create 
 
 Table formatting 
 You can change both the appearance of individual cells and the layout of the entire table. 
 
 Cell properties 
 Available cell formatting options include: 
 
 Background color 
 Border style, width, and color 
 Vertical alignment 
 Text wrapping inside cells 
 Cell margins 
 
 Table properties 
 You can also adjust broader table settings such as: 
 
 Table width and height 
 Table alignment 
 Spacing between cells 
 
 Resizing tables 
 Tables can be resized manually to better fit your content. 
 
 Drag column borders to change column width 
 Drag row borders to change row height 
 Resize the full table from its handles 
 Distribute rows or columns evenly when needed  
 
 Table styles 
 Predefined table styles help you create a cleaner and more consistent layout. 
 
 Apply built-in table templates 
 Highlight header rows or total rows 
 Emphasize the first or last column 
 Enable banded rows or banded columns for readability 
 
 Converting table content 
 OfficeDocs supports converting a table into plain text in the document editor. 
 Convert table to text 
 
 Select the table 
 Choose Convert Table to Text   
 Select a delimiter such as tabs, paragraph marks, semicolons, or another separator 
 Confirm the conversion 
 
 Accessibility 
 You can also add alternative text to a table to make its contents easier to understand for users who rely on assistive technologies.  
 Note 
 Table support also exists in the presentation editor, including insertion, formatting, row and column operations, merge and split actions, templates, and alternative text. However, some options are editor-specific, so this page is safest when used for the document editor workflow.