How to Insert an Arrow in Excel for Microsoft 365

To insert an arrow in Excel, go to the Insert tab, select Shapes, and choose the Line Arrow under Lines. Then click and drag on the worksheet to draw it. Hold Shift while you drag to keep the arrow perfectly straight.

This guide uses Microsoft’s Draw or delete a line or connector, Change the color, style, or weight of a line and icon sets articles. The shape steps work in Excel for Microsoft 365 and recent desktop versions of Excel.

In this article:

• Insert an arrow shape
• Connect two shapes with an arrow
• Change the arrow’s color, weight and arrowhead
• Move, copy or delete an arrow
• Put an arrow inside a cell
• Show trend arrows with icon sets
• Frequently asked questions

How to Insert an Arrow Shape in Excel

1. Select the Insert tab.
2. In the Illustrations group, select Shapes.
3. Under Lines, select Line Arrow. Microsoft suggests resting your pointer over each style to see its name before you click.
4. Click where you want the arrow to start, hold, and drag to where you want it to point.
5. Release the mouse button.

Want a thick, filled arrow instead? Pick one from the Block Arrows section of the Shapes menu and drag to draw it.

To draw several arrows in a row, right-click the arrow style under Lines and choose Lock Drawing Mode. Draw as many as you need, then press Esc when you’re done.

Draw a Line Without an Arrow in Excel

For a plain line in desktop Excel, choose Insert > Shapes > Line rather than Line Arrow. Click the starting point on the worksheet and drag to the ending point; hold Shift for a straight horizontal or vertical line. Select the result and use Shape Format > Shape Outline to adjust its color, weight, or dashes. Press Delete while the shape is selected to remove it. A drawn line floats over the cells; use a cell border instead when the line should follow a row or column. Microsoft’s line-drawing guidance linked above covers both lines and connectors.

How to Connect Two Shapes With an Arrow

If you’re building a simple flowchart, use a connector instead of a plain line. Microsoft explains that a connector stays attached to the shapes and moves with them.

1. Go to Insert > Shapes and pick a connector arrow under Lines (straight, elbow or curved).
2. Rest your pointer on the first shape until connection dots appear.
3. Click a dot and drag to a connection dot on the second shape.

Microsoft notes that the last three styles under Lines (Curve, Freeform Shape and Scribble) aren’t connectors. If no dots appear, you picked a style that isn’t a connector.

How to Change the Arrow’s Color, Weight and Arrowhead

Select the arrow first. If you don’t see the Shape Format tab, Microsoft says to make sure the line is selected, and you might need to double-click it.

• Color: Shape Format > Shape Outline, then pick a color. Use More Outline Colors for a custom color.
• Thickness: Shape Outline > Weight, then pick a weight. Choose More Lines for a custom weight.
• Dashed line: Shape Outline > Dashes.
• Arrowhead style: Shape Outline > Arrows, then pick a style. More Arrows lets you change the arrow type and size. To remove the arrowhead, choose Arrow Style 1.
• Quick Styles: pick a predefined style on the Shape Format tab for a fast makeover.

To change several arrows at once, select the first one, then hold Ctrl and select the others.

How to Move, Copy or Delete an Arrow

• Move it: click the arrow and drag it. Drag either end to change its length or direction.
• Copy it: select the arrow, press Ctrl+C, then Ctrl+V.
• Delete it: click the arrow and press Delete. To delete several, hold Ctrl while you select them, then press Delete.

How to Put an Arrow Inside a Cell

Shapes float above the cells rather than being part of a cell’s contents. To put an arrow in a cell as text, insert a symbol instead. To show a cell value in a floating text box, see how to display a formula result in a text box in Excel.

1. Click the cell.
2. Go to Insert > Symbol.
3. Find an arrow (many fonts group them under Arrows in the Subset list), select it, and select Insert.

How to Show Trend Arrows With Icon Sets

To show up or down arrows based on your numbers, use conditional formatting. Microsoft explains that icon sets sort values into three to five categories by threshold, with an icon for each range.

1. Select the cells you want to format.
2. On the Home tab, select Conditional Formatting.
3. Point to Icon Sets and choose one of the arrow sets.

For example, a three-icon set uses one icon for values at or above 67 percent, another for 33 to 67 percent, and a third for values below 33 percent. Icon sets can be combined with other conditional formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make the arrow perfectly straight?

Hold Shift while you drag to draw it.

Why can’t I see the Shape Format tab?

The arrow isn’t selected. Click it, or double-click it.

How do I make the arrow thicker?

Select it, then go to Shape Format > Shape Outline > Weight.

What’s the difference between an arrow shape and an arrow symbol?

A shape floats above the worksheet and can point anywhere. A symbol or icon set sits inside a cell as part of your data. If you are marking up an image instead of a spreadsheet, see how to draw a straight line in Photoshop.

For more Excel help, see our Excel guides. Related: how to make a thicker bottom border in Excel and how to color cells in Excel. Building out a sheet? See how to add a column in Excel.