Selecting

In Focus Mode a click selects something for the ribbon to format; the selection is outlined. Outside Focus Mode a click on a row label or a column header filters the other visuals instead (see the table in Focus Mode).

Only one kind of selection exists at a time. Selecting a row clears a column or cell selection, and so on.

📷 Screenshot needed: selection-types.png - a row (green), a column (blue) and a few cells (purple) selected in turn.

Rows

Click the row label.

Click	Result
Plain click	Selects that row. A click on the only selected row selects it off again.
`Ctrl` / `Cmd` + click	Adds the row to the selection, or removes it.
`Shift` + click	Selects the range of rows from the last one you clicked - every row between them, also the ones that have scrolled out of view.

The Total row can be selected and formatted like any other row. A click on the + / - icon only opens or closes the row and does not select it.

Columns and headers

Click a column header (a group header selects all columns under it).

Click	Result
First plain click	Selects the whole column (header and values).
Second click on the same, only selected column	Narrows the selection to the header only - the ribbon then formats the header.
Third click	Deselects.
A plain click on another column	Starts again at "whole column".
`Ctrl` / `Cmd` + click	Adds or removes a column.
`Shift` + click	Selects the range of columns from the last one you clicked.

There is no header-only step for several columns by clicking the same one again - but Ctrl / Shift keep what the selection is: with the headers selected, the column you add contributes its header only, and the ribbon formats those headers. With whole columns selected, you add whole columns, and the ribbon formats their values.

For selection by menu, see Select in the column menu: Select All, Select This Group, Select This Measure (which also selects that measure's hidden columns).

Cells

Click a value cell.

Click	Result
Plain click	Selects that cell. A click on the only selected cell selects it off again.
`Ctrl` / `Cmd` + click	Adds or removes a cell.
`Shift` + click	Selects the block of cells from the last one you clicked (rows in table order, columns in column order).

A click on a value cell never starts a row or column selection. But if the cell lies inside the row or column that is already selected, the click clears that selection - so you can deselect by clicking anywhere in it.

The first column

Click one of the corner cells at the top left (the cells above the row labels).

Click	Result
First click	Selects the first column - the row labels and the corner cells.
Second click	Narrows to the corner cells only.
Third click	Deselects.

The first column is not a data column, so there is nothing to cross-filter with outside Focus Mode: a click there does nothing.

What the selection is used for

Selection	Start tab can do
Cells	Font, Fill, Borders, Alignment, Number Format
Rows	Font, Fill, Borders, Alignment (no number format - rows have none)
Columns / one header	Font, Fill, Borders, Alignment, Number Format, Financial Headers
First column	Font, Fill, Borders, Alignment

Selection outlines

Selection	Outline
Column / header	Blue
Row	Green
Cell	Purple

A copy with Ctrl+C makes the copied cells flash briefly. See Keyboard and mouse.

Rows​

Columns and headers​

Cells​

The first column​

What the selection is used for​

Selection outlines​