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Lesson 43 of 104 3 min Updated Completed

How to Wrap Text in Excel

When text is too long for its cell, it spills into the next cell or gets cut off. Wrap Text shows it on several lines inside the same cell. You can also decide exactly where each line breaks.

Wrap text automatically

  1. Select cell B4.

    Cell B4 with long text spilling over

  2. On the Home tab, click Wrap Text. The text now wraps onto several lines.

    The text wrapped onto several lines with Wrap Text

  3. To make the column wider, drag the right border of the column B heading.

    Dragging the column B border to make it wider

  4. Double-click the bottom border of the row 4 heading to fit the row height to the text.

    The row height adjusted to fit the wrapped text

Add your own line break

  1. Double-click cell B4 to edit it, and click where you want the new line to start.

    Placing the cursor where the line should break

  2. Press Alt + Enter.

    The text broken onto a new line with Alt + Enter

Add as many line breaks as you like; the example above has two. To remove one, put the cursor at the start of the line and press Backspace. More on this in How to Add a Line Break in Excel.