How to select multiple columns in Google Sheets & Excel

Every serious business eventually runs on spreadsheets. A sales leader exporting CRM data, a marketer joining ad spend to revenue, an agency building weekly client reports – all of them live in Google Sheets and Excel. And almost all of them waste time just selecting the right columns before they can do anything useful.

This guide walks through three layers of mastery: manual techniques, no-code automation, and finally AI agents that can operate Sheets and Excel for you at scale.

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1. Manual methods in Google Sheets and Excel

These are the foundations your AI agent will later mimic.

1. Select a single column

• Google Sheets: Click the column letter at the top (for example, C). The whole column highlights.
• Excel: Same pattern – click the column header letter.

2. Select multiple adjacent columns (side-by-side)

• Click the first column header (for example, B).
• Hold and drag your mouse across to the last column (for example, F).
• Release – in both Google Sheets and Excel, B through F are now selected. This is perfect for formatting, adding filters, or deleting several columns at once.

3. Select a continuous range with Shift

• Click the first column header.
• Hold Shift.
• Click the last column header in the range.
• Sheets and Excel both select everything from the first to the last column. This is faster and more precise than click-drag when you have wide sheets.

4. Select non-adjacent columns with Ctrl or Cmd

• Click the first column you want.
• Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac).
• Click additional column headers anywhere in the sheet.
• Each clicked column stays highlighted. If Ctrl/Cmd-click does not work in Google Sheets on Mac, test in an incognito window – as some Apple Community users found, a browser plugin can silently block this behavior.

5. Select all columns at once

• In Google Sheets: Click the blank rectangle at the top-left corner, where the row numbers and column letters meet.
• In Excel: Same top-left corner box. This selects the entire grid – useful before bulk formatting or clearing.

6. Mobile selection in Google Sheets On phones and tablets the gestures differ and are more limited.

• Tap a column letter to select a single column.
• Long-press, then drag selection handles to expand.
• Multi-column selection is more constrained than on desktop; refer to the official Google Docs Editors Help Center for device-specific options: https://support.google.com/docs/ For heavy column work, desktop will always be faster and easier.

7. Keyboard shortcuts In Google Sheets (desktop):

• Ctrl + Space (Cmd + Space on Mac) selects the current column when your cursor is in any cell of that column.
• Combine this with Shift + Arrow keys to extend the selection. See Google Sheets keyboard shortcuts: https://support.google.com/docs/

In Excel (Windows and Mac):

• Ctrl + Space selects the entire column.
• Ctrl + Shift + Arrow keys extend the selection across multiple columns. See Excel keyboard shortcuts via Microsoft support: https://support.microsoft.com/excel

These manual moves are your baseline. They also define the behaviors your AI agent will reproduce.

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2. No-code helpers and light automation

Once you know the basics, you can start reducing repetitive column selection without writing code.

1. Named ranges in Google Sheets Instead of repeatedly selecting the same block of columns, define a named range.

• Select the columns you care about (for example, B:D).
• Go to Data > Named ranges.
• Give it a descriptive name, such as crm_metrics.
• Later, access this range in formulas without manually selecting columns. Official docs: https://support.google.com/docs/

2. Filter views and custom views If you are constantly showing or hiding the same sets of columns for different stakeholders:

• In Google Sheets, use Data > Filter views. Create a filter view that shows only the columns needed for sales, another for finance, and so on.
• In Excel, convert your data range to a Table and use filters and custom views. This does not change how columns are selected under the hood, but it saves you from manually toggling visibility every time.

3. Macros in Google Sheets Macros are a no-code way to record a series of actions – including column selections – and replay them.

• In Google Sheets, go to Extensions > Macros > Record macro.
• Perform your actions: select certain columns, apply formatting, insert formulas.
• Stop recording and save. From now on, one macro click replays all those column selections and edits. Docs: https://support.google.com/docs/

4. Macros in Excel Excel’s macro recorder offers similar power.

• Enable the Developer tab (via Options > Customize Ribbon if needed).
• Click Record Macro.
• Select the columns you need, run your formatting, insert formulas.
• Stop recording. Run the macro later to reproduce the entire multi-column operation.

These no-code tools move you from repetitive clicking to reusable actions. But they are still bound to a single application and usually one workbook at a time.

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3. Scaling with AI agents that use your computer

Now imagine you are a CMO or agency owner. Every Monday, you or your team:

• Open 5 Google Sheets reports and 3 Excel workbooks.
• Select different sets of columns in each.
• Clean, format, and copy those columns into client-ready dashboards. It is predictable, boring, and error-prone – which makes it perfect for an AI computer agent.

Here is how an AI agent platform like Simular Pro can handle multi-column selection at scale.

1. Cross-app reporting sweeps Workflow:

• The agent opens a specified Google Sheet.
• It uses the same gestures you would: clicks column letters, uses Shift and Ctrl/Cmd equivalents, and applies filters or formats.
• Then it switches to Excel, opens a workbook, selects matching columns, and aligns them for export. Pros:
• Works across desktop, browser, and cloud apps in a single run.
• Production-grade reliability: thousands of steps are logged and replayable.
• Every click is transparent and inspectable; you can see exactly which columns were selected. Cons:
• Requires initial setup and clear instructions for each report pattern.
• Overkill for a one-off, tiny change.

2. Automated client report assembly For agencies and sales teams:

• You define the ideal report layout: which columns from which Sheets and Excel files matter for each client.
• The Simular agent is instructed to open those files, select the right columns, and paste or write them into a master dashboard.
• It can even combine this with web tasks – for example, pulling stats from a CRM or ad platform into the correct columns. Pros:
• Dramatically cuts report preparation time.
• Reduces risk of misaligned columns or missed data.
• Easy to scale from 5 to 50 clients because the agent repeats the same column logic. Cons:
• Needs occasional maintenance when column structures change.

3. Data validation and cleanup passes Multi-column selection is also critical when cleaning or validating data.

• The agent selects columns that feed key formulas (like VLOOKUP or ARRAYFORMULA setups seen in Stack Overflow examples).
• It checks for empty cells, type mismatches, or outliers.
• It can auto-fix simple issues or flag rows back to a human reviewer. Pros:
• Turns tedious column-by-column checks into an overnight agent run.
• Pairs well with Simular’s transparent execution: you audit what changed, step by step. Cons:
• Requires thoughtful rules so the agent does not over-correct.

By combining strong manual habits, no-code shortcuts, and AI agents that literally operate Google Sheets and Excel for you, column selection stops being a bottleneck. It becomes just another repeatable step in a larger, reliable workflow that your AI can execute while you focus on strategy, clients, and revenue.