To left align in Google Sheets, select the cells and click Format > Alignment > Left, or press Ctrl + Shift + L (Command + Shift + L on a Mac). The same menu has Center and Right, plus vertical options (Top, Middle, Bottom) for lining data up from top to bottom in a cell.
This guide uses Google’s Edit & format a spreadsheet, Keyboard shortcuts for Google Sheets and Format numbers in a spreadsheet help pages. It covers left, center and right alignment, vertical alignment, keyboard shortcuts, default alignment for different kinds of data, and how to add space before text.
How to Left Align Cells in Google Sheets
Google lists horizontal and vertical text alignment among the formatting options above your spreadsheet. The font size control is in the same toolbar, and our guide shows how to make the font bigger in Google Sheets.
- Select the cells, column or whole sheet. Press Ctrl + A to select everything.
- Click Format > Alignment.
- Choose Left.
Result: The selected cells line up on the left, whether they hold text, numbers or dates. The Format menu also shows a check mark next to the alignment a cell already has.
To use the toolbar instead, click the Horizontal align button and pick Left, Center or Right.
How to Center or Right Align Cells
Use the same steps and choose Center or Right instead of Left. You can center an entire sheet at once by selecting everything first.
Alignment Keyboard Shortcuts
Google’s shortcut list includes these:
- Left align: Ctrl + Shift + L (Mac: Command + Shift + L)
- Center align: Ctrl + Shift + E (Mac: Command + Shift + E)
- Right align: Ctrl + Shift + R (Mac: Command + Shift + R)
There are no keyboard shortcuts for vertical alignment, and that a browser extension can sometimes take over a shortcut. In Chrome, check chrome://extensions/shortcuts if one stops working.
How to Vertically Center Cell Data
- Select the cells.
- Click Format > Alignment.
- Choose Middle. You can also pick Top or Bottom.
Result: The data sits in the middle of the cell from top to bottom. You’ll notice it most in tall rows or cells with wrapped text. You can combine any horizontal and vertical option, like center and top.
Default Alignment for Different Kinds of Data
Before you change anything, it helps to know what Google Sheets does on its own. In short:
- Text: left and bottom.
- Numbers and dates: right and bottom.
- TRUE/FALSE values: center and bottom.
- Checkboxes: center and middle.
This is a handy way to spot numbers that were entered as text. If a “number” sits on the left and you haven’t changed its alignment, it may be stored as text.
How to Add Space Before Text in a Cell
Google Sheets doesn’t have an indent button in its toolbar. Two workarounds:
- Type spaces before the text in the cell.
- Use a custom number format: click Format > Number > Custom number format and enter a few spaces followed by @. Google’s number format guide says @ displays the text entered in a cell, so the spaces show up in front of it.
Result: The text is pushed away from the left edge of the cell, while the cell still counts as left aligned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won’t my numbers align the way I set them?
Check for a custom number format or conditional formatting on the cells. You can also clear the formatting and start over with Format > Clear formatting.
Can I align text in the Google Sheets app on my phone?
The keyboard shortcuts don’t work in the Google Sheets app. Use the app’s formatting options instead.
Related Guides
- How to wrap text in Google Sheets
- How to merge cells in Google Sheets
- How to add a hyperlink in Google Sheets
- How to print on one page in Google Sheets
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.