IronXL How-Tos Insert Rows and Columns How to Insert New Rows and Columns Chaknith Bin Updated:July 28, 2025 The IronXL library offers a convenient way to insert single or multiple rows and columns in C# code without using Office Interop. How to Insert New Rows and Columns in Excel Download the C# library for inserting new rows and columns in Excel Use the InsertRow and InsertRows methods to insert new rows Use the InsertColumn and InsertColumns methods to insert new columns Add data to the newly inserted rows and columns Export the edited Excel file to various file types Get started with IronXL Start using IronXL in your project today with a free trial. First Step: Start for Free Insert a New Row Example Use the InsertRow and InsertRows methods to add new rows to the spreadsheet. These methods enable you to insert rows at a specific index position. Please noteInserting rows directly on the filter row can cause conflicts in the Excel file, requiring you to run Excel repair to properly view the spreadsheet. :path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-rows-columns-rows.cs using IronXL; // Load existing spreadsheet WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet; // Add a row before row 2 workSheet.InsertRow(1); // Insert multiple rows after row 3 workSheet.InsertRows(3, 3); workBook.SaveAs("addRow.xlsx"); Imports IronXL ' Load existing spreadsheet Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet ' Add a row before row 2 workSheet.InsertRow(1) ' Insert multiple rows after row 3 workSheet.InsertRows(3, 3) workBook.SaveAs("addRow.xlsx") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Remove a Row Example To remove a row from the spreadsheet, you can use the GetRow method to select the desired row and then use the RemoveRow method on the selected row. Please noteIt is not possible to remove the header row of the table. :path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-rows-columns-remove-row.cs using IronXL; // Load existing spreadsheet WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet; // Remove row 5 workSheet.GetRow(4).RemoveRow(); workBook.SaveAs("removeRow.xlsx"); Imports IronXL ' Load existing spreadsheet Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet ' Remove row 5 workSheet.GetRow(4).RemoveRow() workBook.SaveAs("removeRow.xlsx") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Insert a New Column Example To add new column(s) before a specific index position in the table, you can utilize the InsertColumn and InsertColumns methods. Please noteInserting new column(s) within the table range may cause conflicts in the Excel file, requiring you to run Excel repair to properly view the spreadsheet. To remove all empty rows and columns on the range borders, use the Trim() method. Currently, it is not possible to remove column(s). Before proceedingAttempting to insert a new column into a completely empty sheet will result in a System.InvalidOperationException with the message 'Sequence contains no elements'. :path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-rows-columns-columns.cs using IronXL; // Load existing spreadsheet WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet; // Add a column before column A workSheet.InsertColumn(0); // Insert multiple columns after column B workSheet.InsertColumns(2, 2); workBook.SaveAs("addColumn.xlsx"); Imports IronXL ' Load existing spreadsheet Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet ' Add a column before column A workSheet.InsertColumn(0) ' Insert multiple columns after column B workSheet.InsertColumns(2, 2) workBook.SaveAs("addColumn.xlsx") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel TipsAll row and column index positions follow zero-based indexing. Frequently Asked Questions How can I insert new rows in Excel programmatically? To insert new rows in Excel using IronXL, you can use the InsertRow and InsertRows methods. These methods allow you to add rows at a specific index position in your spreadsheet. What methods are used to insert columns in an Excel sheet programmatically? To insert columns in an Excel sheet using IronXL, you can utilize the InsertColumn and InsertColumns methods. These methods let you add columns before a specific index position. Is it possible to remove a row from an Excel spreadsheet programmatically? Yes, you can remove a row from an Excel spreadsheet using IronXL by selecting the desired row with the GetRow method and then using the RemoveRow method on the selected row. Can I remove columns in Excel programmatically? Currently, removing columns is not supported in IronXL. However, you can insert new columns using the InsertColumn and InsertColumns methods. Are there any precautions when inserting rows or columns in Excel programmatically? Yes, inserting rows or columns directly in certain areas, like the filter row or within a table range, may cause conflicts in the Excel file. You may need to run Excel repair to view the spreadsheet properly. What happens if I try to insert a new column into an empty sheet programmatically? Inserting a new column into a completely empty sheet will result in a System.InvalidOperationException with the message 'Sequence contains no elements'. How do I save changes to an Excel workbook after modifying it programmatically? After making modifications to an Excel workbook using IronXL, you can save the changes using the SaveAs method, specifying the file path for the updated workbook. What indexing system is used for rows and columns in programmatic Excel manipulation? IronXL uses zero-based indexing for row and column positions, meaning the index starts at 0. Chaknith Bin Chat with engineering team now Software Engineer Chaknith is the Sherlock Holmes of developers. It first occurred to him he might have a future in software engineering, when he was doing code challenges for fun. His focus is on IronXL and IronBarcode, but he takes pride in helping customers with every product. Chaknith leverages his knowledge from talking directly with customers, to help further improve the products themselves. His anecdotal feedback goes beyond Jira tickets and supports product development, documentation and marketing, to improve customer’s overall experience.When he isn’t in the office, he can be found learning about machine learning, coding and hiking. Ready to Get Started? Free NuGet Download Total downloads: 1,510,123 View Licenses