[Quick Tip] How to Select 500 cells/rows in Excel (with a single click)

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A few days ago I was working with a dataset where I had multiple sheets full of data. I had to select the first 500 cells at one go from each worksheet and copy it.

I then had to paste this data into a tool I was using.

Now doing this manually isn’t hard, but since I had multiple worksheets, I started thinking of a faster way to do this.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you two faster methods of doing this (with and without VBA).

Select 500 rows/cells using the Name Box

There is a name box at the left of the formula bar.

Select 500 cells or rows with Name Box

It displays the reference of the active cell and can also be used to create named ranges.

We can also use it to quickly select a range of contiguous cells by just entering the range reference.

Here are the steps to select 500 cells in one go:

  1. Click in the Name Box.
  2. Type A1:A500.
  3. Hit Enter.

As soon as I hit the Enter key, it will select the first 500 cells in the column.

Select 500 cells or rows at one go

Here are some other ways you can use this:

  • To select first 500 rows, use the reference- 1:500
  • To select first 500 cells for four columns –  A1:D500
Also read: How to Move Columns in Excel

Select 500 rows/cells using VBA

While the above method is fast, with VBA, you can easily make it a one-click activity.

Let me first give you the code that will do this:

Sub Select500Cells()
Range(ActiveCell, ActiveCell.Offset(500, 0)).Select
End Sub

Now let’s see where to put this code and make this a 1-click affair.

  1. Copy the above VBA code.
  2. Go to the Developer tab.Developer tab in the ribbon
  3. Click on Visual Basic.Remove Hyperlinks in Excel - click on visual basic
  4. In the VB Editor, right-click on any of the workbook objects.
  5. Go to Insert and click on Module.Select 500 cells/rows with a single click- insert module
  6. In the module, paste the above VBA code.Select 500 cells or rows with VBA code macro
  7. Close the VB Editor.

The VBA code is now a part of the workbook.

If you run this macro code now, it will select 500 cells (starting from the active cell).

Now to further simplify this process, you can add this macro to the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).

This will allow you to select 500 cells with a single click (starting from the active cell).

Select 500 cells or rows with VBA code - macro in QAT

Here are the steps to add the VBA macro to the QAT:

  1. Click on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar icon.Select 500 cells or rows with VBA code macro - Add to QAT
  2. Select ‘More Commands’.More Commands to add macro to QAT
  3. In the Excel Options dialogue box, in the ‘Choose command from’ dialog box, select ‘Macros’.Select Macros option from the drop down in Excel Options
  4. Click on the Macro that you want to add to the QAT.Select 500 cells macro
  5. Click on the Add button.
  6. Click OK.

The above steps would add the macro to the QAT.

Now to select 500 cells at one go, all you need to do is select the first cell and click on the macro in the QAT.

Here are some variations of the macro code that can be helpful.

Select 500 Rows using VBA

The below code will select 500 rows – starting from the active cell row.

Sub Select500Rows()
Range(ActiveCell, ActiveCell.Offset(500, 0)).EntireRow.Select
End Sub

Select and Copy 500 cells using VBA

The below code will copy 500 cells – starting from the active cell.

Sub Copy500Cells()
Range(ActiveCell, ActiveCell.Offset(500, 0)).Copy
End Sub

Select first 500 cells using VBA

The below code will select first 500 cells – starting from cell A1.

Sub SelectFirst500Cells()
Range(Range("A1"), Range("A1").Offset(500, 0)).Select
End Sub

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Sumit Bansal
Hello there! I'm Sumit Bansal, founder of trumpexcel.com and an Excel MVP. I started this website in 2013 with a simple goal: to share my love for Excel through easy to follow tips, tutorials and videos. I'm here to help you get the best out of MS Excel to save time and boost your productivity.

5 thoughts on “[Quick Tip] How to Select 500 cells/rows in Excel (with a single click)”

  1. Another method:
    Instead of typing the range (A1:A500) in the Name Box,
    you can press F5 (to activate the Go To Pane) and then type the range.
    The result will be the same, however you won’t need the mouse…

    Reply
  2. Hello,

    I am a reader of your excel tips Ebook and I find it greatly helpful.Thank you so much for that

    I am not a student of your course, but can I ask a lingering excel query. This has been on my mind for quiet a while and most probably on other people’s mind too.
    here it goes –
    1 ) Can we use the “IF” or any other formula without using conditional formatting in such way that if it satisfies a condition then that cell must turn into a certain colour ?
    2 ) Can we use the “IF” or any other formula such that if a cell is of a particular colour then it must be counted or any other mathematical signs can be applied? for example if in range b1:b10 if cells are coloured then sum of that cells or i want only value of that cells which are coloured?

    I want to do this without VBA. Hope you can help soon
    Also can I reach you via email?

    Thanks & Regards,
    Tushar Vador

    Reply

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