This guide provides quick instructions so you can add or remove a the Banded, or Alternate Row shading in a Microsoft Excel table so you can adjust the visual look of the table with a checkbox setting in the Table Design functions.
You may like the formatting options available with Excel tables and the alternate row shading can help make large tables easier to read and view, especially when you have a lot of columns and horizontal scrolling
For example, you’ve added a table in Excel that’s got 5 rows and 12 columns, with each cell populated with a lot of text. You may want to adjust the shading to you can easily tell what row you’re on without getting “lost” in the data of the table.
Continue with the guide below to add or remove the Banded (alternate row) shading from your table in Microsoft Excel.
Add or remove alternate row (Banded) shading – Simple steps
- Open the Excel file on your computer that contains the headers.
- Click anywhere within the table.
- Click the Table Design option that now appears in the top menu.
- Check the checkbox for Banded Rows to include shading, or clear the checkbox to remove the shading of a row.
- Look at your table – the shading (or banding) has been added or removed! You can toggle between the options.
Add or remove alternate row (Banded) shading – Guide with images
1) Open the Excel file on your computer that has the table.
2) Click anywhere within the table.


4) Check the checkbox for adding alternate row shading, or clear the checkbox to remove the shading (or banding) in the row.

5) Look at your table – the shaded row is now added or shading has been removed! You can toggle between options with each click.

