Delete Column Shortcut in Google Sheets

When a column has served its purpose, you want it gone in one move. Not right-click, scroll, find the option, click.

Google Sheets has a keyboard combo for exactly this. Select the column, press the keys, done.

The columns to the right shift left to fill the gap. Any formulas that referenced the deleted column update or break, depending on what they pointed at.

Delete Column Keyboard Shortcut in Google Sheets

Delete Column Keyboard Shortcut (Windows Windows)

Ctrl + Alt + -

Delete Column Keyboard Shortcut (Mac Mac)

⌘ + Option + -

What this shortcut does

With a whole column selected, the shortcut removes that column from the sheet. The data inside it is gone, not hidden.

Columns to the right of it shift one position to the left. Column D becomes the new column C, and so on.

This is different from hiding a column. Hide tucks the column out of sight but keeps the data. Delete removes the data entirely.

How to use it (step by step)

  1. Click the column letter at the top of the sheet to select the whole column. The column highlights in blue.
  2. Press the shortcut. The column disappears.
  3. The columns to the right shift over to take its place.
  4. If you change your mind, press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or ⌘ + Z (Mac) right away to bring it back.

A quick example. You have data in columns A through E and want to remove column C.

Click the column letter C. The whole column lights up.

Press the shortcut. C is gone. The old D becomes the new C, the old E becomes the new D.

Alternative method (single-cell selection)

If only one cell is selected (not the whole column), the plain shortcut pops up a small “Delete” dialog asking what you want to delete.

To skip the dialog and delete a column straight from a single-cell selection, add Shift to the combo:

  • Windows: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + -
  • Mac: ⌘ + Option + Shift + -

You can also right-click any cell in the column and pick Delete column from the menu.

Things to watch for

  • Cell vs. column selection. A whole-column selection deletes straight away. A single-cell selection needs the Shift variant or it asks you to choose.
  • #REF! errors. Any formula that pointed at a cell in the deleted column will show #REF! because the cell it referenced no longer exists. Press Ctrl + Z fast if you didn’t mean to break things.
  • Mac function keys. If the combo does nothing, check System Settings, Keyboard for any conflicting system mapping.
  • Undo is your friend. A single undo restores the column, the data, and the formulas that referenced it. The window for that is small once you keep working, so catch it early.
  • Different from hide. Delete wipes the data. Hide leaves it sitting there, just out of view. If you only want it off-screen for now, hide it instead.

Google Sheets keyboard shortcuts

Related Google Sheets shortcuts: