Excel Worksheet Objects

How to add objects, such as shapes and images, to a worksheet. If you copy data from a website, objects might also be copied. See how to list the objects on a sheet, or select and delete them.

Objects on a Worksheet

If you copy data from a website, and paste it into Excel, a few objects from the website might also be copied to your Excel sheet. In the screen shot below, there is a "Top of Page" icon -- one of several that was copied along with the data.

This tutorial explains how to find the objects, select them, and quickly delete them.

Video: Show List of Objects on Worksheet

Watch this video to see how to show a list of objects, and select and delete the objects. Written instructions are below the video.

Show List of Objects on Worksheet

To see a list of the objects that are on a worksheet, you can open the Selection Pane:

1. On the Ribbon's Home tab, click File & Select
2. Click Selection Pane

   

The Selection pane opens, and there is a list of all the objects on the worksheet. Click on an object name, and it will be selected on the worksheet.

Select All Objects

To quickly select all the objects on a worksheet, you can use the Go To Special command.

1. On the Ribbon's Home tab, click Find & Select
2. Click Go To Special

   

3. In the Go To Special window, click on Objects, and click OK

   

4. All the objects on the worksheet will be selected.

Delete Selected Objects

After you select all the objects on a worksheet, or select a single object, you can delete it.

1. On the Ribbon's Home tab, click the Clear command
2. Click Clear All, to delete all of the selected objects.

Create Shapes for Macro Buttons

You can insert a shape, such as a rounded rectangle, on a worksheet, to use as button, to run a macro.

• On the Ribbon's Insert tab, click Shapes, then click the shape that you want to use as a button.

  

• Then, click on the worksheet, where you want the top left corner of the button to appear.
• A shape will appear, in the default size. The shape is selected, and you can see its name in the NameBox -- Rounded Rectangle 1, in this example.

  

Change the Shape Style

To make the shape look more like a button, you can add a Shape Style:

• Select the shape, and on the Ribbon, under Drawing Tools, click the Format tab
• NOTE: To select a shape after a macro has been assigned, right-click on the shape.

• In the Shape Styles section, click the More button, to open the gallery of styles.

• Then, click on one of the Style options, such as Intense Effect. It has a slight shadow, which gives it a 3D effect.

Bevelled Theme Setting

If you plan to make several shapes in the workbook, and want them all to have a bevelled effect, you can change one of the Theme settings.

• On the Ribbon, click the Page Layout tab
• In the Themes group, click Effects
• Click the Office 2007-2010 option.

Now, when you look at the Style Gallery, the bottom row shapes will have a bevelled effect, like the styles had in Excel 2007 and 2010.

Add Text to Button

To make it clear what the button does, add some text. In this example, the button will run a macro that toggles the column headings, from numbers, to letters, or letters to numbers.

To add text:

• Select the button (NOTE: To select a shape after a macro has been assigned, right-click on the shape.)
• Type the text for the button
• Click the button's border, to select the button again (This will take you out of the Text Editing mode, where you can see the cursor.)
• With the button selected, use the tools on the Ribbon's Home tab, to make the text bold, larger size, centered, or any other formatting.
• Click on the worksheet, away from the button, to deselect it.

Make the Button Run a Macro

To make the macro run a macro that has been stored in the workbook:

• Right-click on the button, and click Assign Macro

• In the list of macros, click the one that you want the button to run, then click OK

NOTE: To select a shape after a macro has been assigned, right-click on the shape.

Download the Sample File

Download the sample file for the Macro Button tutorial. The zipped file is in xlsm format, and contains macros.

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