When you add a new table in Keynote, it appears as a three-row by three-column table with or without header rows and columns, depending on the theme you’re using. Tables are designed to match the theme.

It’s easy to customize a table with as many columns and rows as you want, and to add or remove a header column and header and footer rows before you begin entering content into the cells.

To create a new table:
  1. Click Table in the toolbar or choose Insert > Table.

    A three-row by three-column table appears.

  2. Adjust the number of rows and columns by specifying the number you want in the rows and columns fields in the format bar.

  3. To add one or more header columns, click the header column button in the format bar and select the number you want from the pop-up menu, up to 5.

    Just clicking the header columns button at this point adds or removes a single header column, unless you’ve already added multiple headers or typed content into the cells.

  4. To add one or more header rows, click the header row button in the format bar and choose the number you want from the pop-up menu, up to 5.

    Just clicking the header rows button at this point adds or removes a single header row, unless you’ve already added multiple headers or typed content into the cells.

  5. To add one or more footer rows, click the header row button in the format bar and choose the number you want from the pop-up menu, up to 5.

    Just clicking the footer rows button at this point adds or removes a single footer row, unless you’ve already added multiple footers or typed content into the cells.

  6. To resize the table, drag one of its selection handles.

    To preserve the table’s proportions, hold down the Shift key as you drag.

    To expand the table from the center, hold down the Option key as you drag.

  7. Drag the table to place it where you want on the slide canvas.

To draw a table with the number of rows and columns you want:
  1. Hold down the Option key and click Table in the toolbar.

  2. Release the Option key and drag across the slide canvas (the pointer appears as a crosshair).

    As you drag, a table appears and the number of rows and columns increases or decreases with the size of the table.

  3. Resize and position the table as described in the task above.

Here are ways to make a new table from an existing one:
  • To create a new table based on one or more adjacent cells in an existing table, select the cell or cells and then drag them to an empty location on the slide canvas.

  • Copy a table in a Pages document or Numbers sheet and paste it onto the slide canvas.

    Note:  Rows or columns that are hidden in the Numbers spreadsheet and any comments added to Numbers table cells aren't copied into Keynote.

To learn about entering content into table cells, see Typing Content into Table Cells.

At any time after you’ve created a table, you can add and delete rows and columns; change the row, column, and cell dimensions; change cell colors and border styles; and more to design the look you want. For more information, see the topics below the following headings:

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