WPS Row and Column Shortcuts help you show quick action buttons in spreadsheets and move or replace rows and columns by dragging; this guide covers 3 core tasks, with 3 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 3 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 3 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index |
About This Feature
Overview
Row and Column Shortcuts are a built-in spreadsheet editing feature in WPS Office for Windows. They let you show quick action buttons near row and column headers so you can drag rows or columns to a new position more efficiently. While dragging, you can also hold Shift to replace existing content instead of inserting the moved row or column.
Core tasks include:
- Turn on Row and Column Shortcuts from Display Settings in the status bar.
- Move or replace rows and columns with the green quick action button.
- Turn off Row and Column Shortcuts when you no longer need the on-screen buttons.
This feature is useful for reorganizing report layouts, adjusting field order, and quickly rearranging worksheet structures in WPS spreadsheets.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | A Windows PC that can run WPS Office normally |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office |
| Network | No mandatory internet connection is required for local spreadsheet editing; internet access is needed for download and installation |
| Other | You need to open WPS Spreadsheet and see the status bar in the lower-right corner |
Download & Installation
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Check after installation | Open WPS Spreadsheet and any worksheet, then confirm that the Display Settings entry is visible in the lower-right status bar |
Source: WPS download page
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | WPS can turn on Row and Column Shortcuts from Display Settings, show quick buttons after selecting rows or columns, and let you drag to move them. Holding Shift during the drag replaces existing content. | Excel supports moving or copying rows and columns with commands or mouse drag-and-drop. During drag-and-drop, Shift or Ctrl changes whether content is inserted or copied. | Google Sheets lets you move rows or columns from the Edit menu and also drag rows or columns to a new location. | Notion table views support drag-and-drop reordering for rows and columns on desktop or in the browser, but the experience is centered on database tables rather than traditional spreadsheet row and column editing. | Adobe Acrobat supports moving or copying PDF pages in the Organize Pages workflow, which is useful for page order management rather than spreadsheet row and column editing. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: WPS provides a dedicated switch in Display Settings and shows a visible quick action button near the selected row or column. Distinct: holding Shift during the drag directly supports replacement behavior described for this feature. | Compared with WPS: Excel supports similar movement and insertion behavior, but it relies on border dragging and modifier keys instead of a separate row and column shortcut toggle. | Compared with WPS: Google Sheets supports row and column movement, but the workflow is mainly menu-based or direct dragging without a dedicated shortcut display switch. | Compared with WPS: Notion is stronger for database-style organization and view management, while WPS focuses on worksheet row and column adjustment inside a spreadsheet grid. | Compared with WPS: Adobe focuses on PDF page organization, so it does not provide spreadsheet row and column shortcut controls for worksheet editing. |
| Official Source | — | Move or copy cells, rows, and columns | Add or move columns and cells | Table view | Move or copy pages in PDFs in Acrobat on desktop |
Overall Conclusion
If your main task is rearranging spreadsheet rows and columns quickly inside a worksheet, WPS offers a direct workflow with visible shortcut controls. Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets also support row and column movement, but their entry points differ. Notion and Adobe are better aligned with database organization or PDF page management rather than spreadsheet row and column shortcut editing.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable for | Main pain point | How this feature helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reordering report fields | Finance and administrative users | Column order needs frequent adjustment | Turn on Row and Column Shortcuts and drag columns to the target position |
| 2 | Rearranging grouped data | Data organizers | Multiple rows need to be repositioned quickly | Select the target row and drag it to a new location |
| 3 | Replacing existing rows or columns | Advanced spreadsheet users | New rows or columns need to overwrite old content | Hold Shift while dragging to replace existing content |
| 4 | Hiding shortcut buttons when not needed | General office users | On-screen shortcut buttons are not always needed | Clear the Row and Column Shortcuts option in Display Settings |
| 5 | Demonstrating worksheet structure changes | Trainers and instructors | The movement process needs to be shown clearly | Use the quick button and insertion indicator line during drag-and-drop |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Capability | Free users | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Row and Column Shortcuts | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic PDF features | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Cloud storage | 1 GB | 20 GB |
| Template downloads | Limited | More advanced templates and additional benefits |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Usage scenario | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday spreadsheet editing and row or column adjustment | Free | The Row and Column Shortcuts feature itself is available for regular spreadsheet work |
| More cloud storage, templates, or broader document benefits | WPS Premium | Suitable if you also need expanded document services and additional membership benefits |
How to Subscribe
- Subscribe here: Get WPS Premium
Source: WPS Office pricing page