Select the cells, then choose Home > the Borders arrow > All Borders. On Windows desktop with the English ribbon, Alt, H, B opens the Borders choices; select All Borders from the displayed menu. Ctrl+Shift+& applies an outline border, not the inside divisions.
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Select the exact cells to format, such as A1:C3. Include the headings if they should have the same borders as the records.
Open Home and, in the Font group, select the arrow next to Borders. Choose All Borders. Use the arrow to choose the preset explicitly: the main Borders button repeats the last-used style.
On Windows desktop with an English ribbon, you can press Alt, H, B to reach the Borders choices. Use the displayed menu or KeyTips to choose All Borders; ribbon access keys can differ with the Office interface language.
Check the outside edge and the divisions between the selected rows and columns. The cell values should remain unchanged. If only the outside rectangle appears, reopen Borders and choose All Borders.
Compare inside and outside edges on A1:C3
Paste the input into A1 on a new blank sheet. Select A1:C3 for both passes. Clear its borders with No Border before each preset, then compare the expected boundaries below. The tables describe expected formatting; check the borders in your own practice sheet.
A1| A: Item | B: Qty | C: Location |
|---|---|---|
| Item | Qty | Location |
| Pens | 4 | Shelf A |
| Folders | 2 | Shelf B |
If columns are cut off, scroll the table sideways.
| Preset | Outside rectangle | Between A and B / B and C | Between rows 1 and 2 / 2 and 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outside Borders | Present | No applied inside borders | No applied inside borders |
| All Borders | Present | Present | Present |
If columns are cut off, scroll the table sideways.
- The selected range is A1:C3 in both passes. A2 still contains Pens, B2 contains 4, and C3 contains Shelf B after either formatting action.
- After No Border > Outside Borders, inspect the boundary between A2 and B2 and the boundary between A2 and A3: neither should have an applied inside border.
- After another No Border > All Borders, both of those inside boundaries and the outside rectangle should have applied borders.
- Reset only the spare practice range. No Border removes its existing borders; it is not required before applying All Borders to a real report that already has formatting you want to retain.
Documentation reviewed .
Microsoft: Apply or remove cell bordersMicrosoft: Cell borders in Excel for MacMicrosoft: Excel keyboard shortcutsMicrosoft: All Borders in Excel for the webMicrosoft: All Borders on the Home tab
Excel for Windows desktop (English ribbon): Select A1:C3, press Alt, H, B to open Borders, then choose All Borders from the displayed choices. Ctrl+Shift+& applies an outline.Excel for Mac: Select A1:C3, then Home > the Borders arrow > All Borders. Command+Option+0 applies an outline; it does not add the inside divisions.
All Borders and an outline are different results
For A1:C3, All Borders adds the outside rectangle and the internal divisions between A and B, B and C, rows 1 and 2, and rows 2 and 3. Outside Borders adds the rectangle around the selected block. It does not add the missing inside divisions. Microsoft describes Ctrl+Shift+& on Windows as an outline-border shortcut, and Command+Option+0 on Mac as an outline-border shortcut too. Use All Borders from the Borders menu to add the inside divisions. Existing inside borders can remain when you apply an outside border, so clear borders on a spare practice range before comparing the two presets. Borders are cell formatting: they do not calculate a total, change the text or turn the range into an Excel table.
Check A1:C3 with two separate border passes
Paste the nine values below into A1 on a new blank sheet. Keep the headings in row 1 and the two records in rows 2 and 3. Select A1:C3, choose Home > the Borders arrow > No Border, then choose Outside Borders. Check the outside rectangle; no applied border should separate A2 from B2 or A2 from A3. Next, select the same A1:C3, choose No Border again, and apply All Borders. Now check both of those inside boundaries as well as the outside edge. The second reset makes the comparison independent of the first pass. Faint worksheet gridlines can still appear where no border has been applied; compare the applied line style and the expected boundary checks, rather than assuming every visible line is a border.
Windows, Mac and Excel for the web
Use Home > the Borders arrow > All Borders on Windows, Mac and Excel for the web. On Windows desktop with an English ribbon, Alt, H, B opens the Borders choices; follow the displayed menu or KeyTips to choose All Borders. On Mac, use the Borders menu instead. Ctrl+Shift+& on Windows and Command+Option+0 on Mac add an outline; use All Borders for the inside divisions. Microsoft’s keyboard examples assume a US layout, and ribbon access keys can differ with the Office interface language. In a browser, use the menu because desktop access keys can be intercepted or need different modifiers.
Common mistakes
- Using Ctrl+Shift+& and expecting new inside borders. Microsoft identifies that command as an outline border.
- Clicking the main Borders button without checking its last-used style instead of choosing All Borders from the arrow menu.
- Applying Outside Borders over an already bordered range and treating the remaining inside lines as proof that Outside Borders created them.
- Selecting an entire sheet when only the small report range should be formatted.
- Using Clear Contents or Clear All to remove lines. Use the Borders menu > No Border when the intended change is to remove borders while keeping the cell contents.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Windows keyboard route for All Borders?
With the English Windows desktop ribbon, press Alt, H, B to open the Borders choices, then choose All Borders using the displayed menu or KeyTips. Microsoft lists Alt+H, B for Add borders. The final menu choice must be All Borders; Ctrl+Shift+& is the separate outline-border command.
What should I use on a Mac?
Select the cells and choose Home > the Borders arrow > All Borders. Command+Option+0 adds an outline; use All Borders from the menu to add the inside divisions.
Why are inside lines still visible after Outside Borders?
That preset can leave borders already present inside the range. In this practice example, choose No Border before each pass so the Outside Borders and All Borders results start from the same state. Worksheet gridlines are also distinct from applied borders.
How do I remove borders without deleting the data?
Select the intended range and choose Home > the Borders arrow > No Border. Check the values afterward. Clear Contents deletes cell contents, and Clear All affects more than borders.
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