I love discovering an easy trick, especially one I’ve never seen used before. Did you know that you can quickly add row and column numbers to a Word table? Simply use the Numbering tool on the Formatting toolbar (in version 2003 and earlier):
- To number rows, select the left most column in the table and click Numbering on the Formatting toolbar. To select a column, hover the mouse over the column until Word displays the selection arrow (see below) and click. In Word 2007, select the column and then click Numbering in the Paragraph group on the Home tab.
- To number columns, select the top row in the table and click Numbering on the Formatting toolbar. To select a row, hover the mouse in the left margin just next to the row you want to click. When Word displays the selection tool (see below) click to select the row. In Word 2007, select the row and then click Numbering in the Paragraph group on the Home tab.
Select a column
Select a row
In truth, you can number any row or column, but most likely, you’ll want to display numbers to the left or across the top of the table. I realize that you won’t want to number most tables and columns, but I still like knowing I can do it.
Number rows
Number columns