Add content to table cells

You can add content to a table in several ways. You can type, copy and paste content from somewhere else, or let Keynote complete patterns for you with autofill.

Edit cell content

If the cell is empty, click it and begin typing. If the cell has content in it, do any of the following:

  • Replace content: Click the cell, then start typing. The existing content is overwritten.

  • Edit content: Double-click the cell to make the insertion point appear, then type. To move the insertion point, click where you want it, then type. You can insert a paragraph break by pressing Option-Return.

Select cells

  • Select a cell: Click it.

  • Select a range of cells: Click a cell, then drag a selection handle (a white dot) any direction to encompass the range of cells you want to select.

    If you drag the yellow dot, you copy the cell contents to the rows you drag over. If you do this accidentally, drag the yellow dot back to its original position, or press Command-Z to undo the action.

  • Select nonadjacent cells: Click a cell, then Command-click any other cells.

Clear content from table cells

  • Select cells, then do one of the following:

    • Remove the content but preserve the cells’ data format, text style, and cell style: Press Delete.

    • Remove all data, formatting, and styling: Choose Edit > Clear All (from the Edit menu at the top of your screen).

Autofill cells

You can quickly add the content from selected cells to adjacent cells without typing it. You can also fill a row or column with a logical sequence of data, for example, a series of digits, dates, or letters.

  • Do any of the following:

    • Autofill the content from one or more cells into adjacent cells: Select cells with the content you want to copy, then move the pointer over a border of the selection until a yellow autofill handle appears. Drag the handle over the cells where you want to add the content.

      Any data, cell format, formula, or fill associated with the selected cells is added, but comments aren’t. Autofilling overwrites existing data with the value you’re adding.

    • Autofill sequential content or patterns into adjacent cells: Type the first two items in the series in the first two body cells of the row or column you want to fill; for example, type A and B. Move the pointer over a border of the selection until a yellow autofill handle appears, then drag the handle over the cells you want to fill.

      You can also autofill cells using a pattern of values. For example, if two selected cells contain 1 and 4, the values 7 and 10 are added when you drag over the adjacent two cells (values are incremented by 3).

Autofilling doesn’t set up an ongoing relationship among cells in the group. After autofilling, you can change the cells independently of each other.

When you autofill cells, any formulas that refer to those cells are updated automatically to use the new value.

Copy and paste cells

When you copy a cell, or move a cell’s data to a new location in the table, all of the cell’s properties are also copied, including its data format, fill, border, and comments.

    Highlight a cell’s row and column

    You can temporarily highlight a cell’s row and column in blue as you move the pointer over a table. In a large table, this can help you identify column and row references for specific cells.

    • Press the Option key while you move the pointer over a cell.