Insert or delete a worksheet

By default, Microsoft Office Excel provides three worksheets in a workbook, but you can insert additional worksheets (and other types of sheets, such as a chart sheet, macro sheet, or dialog sheet) or delete them as needed. If you have access to a worksheet template that you created or one that's available on Office Online, you can base a new worksheet on that template.

The name (or title) of a worksheet appears on its sheet tab at the bottom of the screen. By default, the name is Sheet1, Sheet2, and so on, but you can give any worksheet a more appropriate name.What do you want to do?

Insert a new worksheet

Insert multiple worksheets at once

Insert a new sheet that's based on a custom template

Rename a worksheet

Delete a worksheet

Insert a new worksheet

To insert a new worksheet, do one of the following:

• To quickly insert a new worksheet at the end of the existing worksheets, click the Insert Worksheet tab at the bottom of the screen.

  

• To insert a new worksheet before an existing worksheet, select that worksheet, and then on the Home tab, in the Cells group, click Insert, and then click Insert Sheet.

  

  Tip You can also right-click the tab of an existing worksheet, and then click Insert. On the General tab, click Worksheet, and then click OK.

Insert multiple worksheets at once

1. Hold down SHIFT, and then select the same number of existing sheet tabs of the worksheets that you want to insert in the open workbook.

   For example, if you want to add three new worksheets, select three sheet tabs of existing worksheets.

2. On the Home tab, in the Cells group, click Insert, and then click Insert Sheet.

   

   Tip You can also right-click the selected sheet tabs, and then click Insert. On the General tab, click Worksheet, and then click OK.

Insert a new sheet that's based on a custom template

1. If needed, create the worksheet template that you want to base a new worksheet on.

   How to create a worksheet template

   1. Select the worksheet that you want to use as a template.
   2. Click Microsoft Office Button , and then click Save As.
   3. In the Save as type box, click Template.
   4. In the Save in box, select the folder where you want to store the template.
      • To create the default worksheet template, select either the XLStart folder or the alternate startup folder .

        The XLStart folder is usually:

        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\XLStart

      • To create a custom worksheet template, select the Templates folder.

        The Templates folder is usually:

        In Microsoft Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

        In Microsoft Windows Vista: C:\User\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

   5. In the File name box, type the name of the worksheet template.
      • To create a template for default worksheets, type sheet.
      • To create a custom sheet template, type the file name that you want to use.
   6. Click Save.
2. Right-click the sheet tab of a worksheet, and then click Insert.
3. Double-click the template for the type of sheet that you want.

Rename a worksheet

1. On the Sheet tab bar, right-click the sheet tab that you want to rename, and then click Rename.

   

2. Select the current name, and then type the new name.

   Tip You can include the name of the sheet when you print the worksheet.

   How to print sheet names

   1. On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Header & Footer.
   2. In the Page Layout View, click the location where you want the sheet name to appear.
   3. In the Header & Footer elements group, click Sheet Name .

Delete a worksheet

• On the Home tab, in the Cells group, click the arrow next to Delete, and then click Delete Sheet.

  

• Tip You can also right-click the sheet tab of the worksheet that you want to delete, and then click Delete.

See also:

• Select one or multiple worksheets