[Excel VBA] How to Automatically Insert a Row When Entering Text

2025年12月29日

Introduction

When handling duplicate data in Excel, you often want to “prioritize and retrieve values at the bottom” (which usually means the newest data).

I previously used functions like MATCH or INDEX to retrieve values, but since they prioritize values at the top, I couldn’t get the data I intended. It seemed difficult to prioritize bottom values using functions alone.

So, I changed my perspective: “Why not just keep adding new rows at the top?” I decided to handle this using VBA.

What We Want to Achieve

Automatically insert a blank row (new row) at row 2 when text is entered in cell A2.
Ensure the latest input is always at the top.

VBA Code

Below is the VBA code I actually used. Write this directly into Sheet1.

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Excel.Range)

    If Range("A2") = "" Then
        Exit Sub
    Else
        Rows(2).Insert
    End If

End Sub

Steps and Settings

Open the Visual Basic Editor Select the Developer tab from the top menu in Excel and click Visual Basic.
Select the Target Sheet Double-click “Sheet1” (or your target sheet) from “Microsoft Excel Objects” on the left side.
Paste the Code Paste the VBA code above into the window. Once entered, save the file, and the setup is complete.

Detailed Explanation of the Code

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Excel.Range) This is an “event handler” that runs whenever a cell is changed. You can use it as a standard template.
If Range("A2") = "" Then If cell A2 is empty, the code does nothing and exits.
Rows(2).Insert This inserts a new blank row at the 2nd row from the top. All existing data shifts down by one row.

Execution Result

When this code is enabled, a new row is added at row 2 the moment you enter text in cell A2. Since a new row is inserted at row 2 for subsequent inputs as well, the structure ensures that new data always stacks at the top.

Tips for Application

If you want to trigger the action with a cell other than A2, simply change the Range("A2") part.
By adding conditions, you can make it add a row only when a specific value is entered.
This is also useful for data logs where you want to “always display the latest information at the top.”

Summary

VBA can flexibly handle tasks that are limited with Excel functions alone. You can easily implement a process like “automatically adding a row upon input” with just a few lines of code.

This is a very convenient method for those who want to automate manual row insertion or keep data sorted by the newest entry. Please give it a try!